NYC taps BMX rider in youth anti-subway surfing campaign
121 views
Jun 13, 2025
New York leaders are teaming with a BMX star and comic artist in a new campaign to warn teens about subway surfing.
View Video Transcript
0:00
1938. It was the last day of 6th grade for 11-year-old Donald Munoz and 12-year-old William Layden
0:07
Their celebration turned tragic when both boys struck an overpass while subway surfing, killing Munoz
0:15
The New York Times reported that story last December as part of a broader look at how social media is glamorizing subway surfing
0:23
Despite a number of awareness campaigns, the dangerous trend has only grown
0:29
And now, Governor Hochul is taking a new approach, teaming up with professional BMX writer Nigel Sylvester
0:35
who will serve as the campaign's ambassador to help reach young people where they are
0:42
That's where this new campaign comes in. It's called Subway Surfing Kills Ride Inside, Stay Alive
0:50
That campaign launched back in 2023. According to the NYPD per CNN, by October of that year, six people had died and 181 others were arrested for subway surfing
1:03
The act involves riding on top of a moving train car, a dangerous stunt that's been gaining traction online
1:10
Now Governor Hochul has announced a fresh effort partnering with several entities to create posters featuring characters whose lives were changed forever by subway surfing The comics will be displayed across New York City transit systems
1:24
MTA's chair said last year that the agency had been working with tech companies, including
1:29
Google, Meta, TikTok, and Snapchat, to remove subway surfing videos. As of September 2023, more than 2,600 videos had been taken down
1:39
On apps like TikTok and Instagram, searching subway surfing now prompts a built-in safety message warning users of the dangers
1:48
One teen told ABC7 New York he started riding outside the trains to photograph dramatic imagery
1:55
But after hitting an overpass, he suffered a traumatic brain injury, spent time in a coma, and went into cardiac arrest
2:03
He hopes others can learn from his story and avoid subway surfing
2:07
Governor Hochul says this new campaign aims to speak to young New Yorkers directly through role models and relatable storytelling
2:16
In addition to the comics, eight recorded safety announcements will start playing across the transit system this week
2:23
With Stray Arrow News, I'm Kennedy Felton. Download our app or visit san.com for more
#Kids & Teens
#news
#Public Health
#Teen Interests