NYC taps BMX rider in youth anti-subway surfing campaign
New York is expanding its efforts to curb deadly subway surfing incidents by launching a new comic book-style campaign. The goal is to reach teens who may be influenced by social media trends promoting the act.
State and city crack down with new campaign
Gov. Kathy Hochul, D, announced a joint campaign during the week of June 8 between the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, NYC Public Schools and the Department of Youth and Community Development. Queens native and professional BMX rider Nigel Sylvester will serve as the campaign’s ambassador.
“Nothing is more important to me than keeping New Yorkers safe,” Hochul said in a statement. “Through this campaign, young New Yorkers will hear directly from peers and role models about the extreme dangers of subway surfing, and the message is clear: ride inside and stay alive.”
Posters will showcase characters whose lives were directly impacted by subway surfing injuries or fatalities. Eight new audio messages will also play throughout the transit system, amplifying the warning.
A growing and dangerous trend
Subway surfing — the act of riding on top of a moving train — has gained traction online in recent years, often glamorized in viral videos.
But it didn’t just start on social media.
It dates back to as early as 1938 when 11-year-old Donald Munoz died, and 12-year-old William Layden was injured after striking an overpass while riding on top of a train on the last day of sixth grade.
According to CNN, six people died, and 181 were arrested for subway surfing by October 2024. NBC News also reported that five people died in 2023 alone. The most recent incident is believed to be a 12-year-old boy who fell onto the tracks in March and was seriously injured.
Tech takedowns and online safety messages
Back in 2023, MTA head Janno Lieber said that New York had collaborated with tech giants such as Google, Meta, TikTok and Snapchat to remove subway surfing content from their platforms. By September 2023, more than 2,600 videos had been removed. Hochul’s office now says that number has surpassed 1,800 videos in 2024 alone.
When users search for “subway surfing” on TikTok or Instagram, they’re even met with a pop-up safety warning.
Even games spark concern
The popular mobile game Subway Surfers — an endless runner in which players dash across train tracks — has also drawn attention. In a 2020 post, the developers said the game was created “to pay homage to street culture and diversity.”
Still, real-life consequences are clear. Teenager Terrell Ismail told ABC 7 New York he began subway surfing to capture “dramatic imagery.” After hitting an overpass, he went into cardiac arrest and was left with a traumatic brain injury.
Leaders emphasize peer-based prevention
NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow reinforced the need for youth-centered messaging in Hochul’s announcement:
“We are reminding young people that riding outside of subway cars is not only illegal but reckless and dangerous. Working with local students to create a campaign that will reach their peers will help us challenge this life-threatening behavior.”
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
