🌱 NYC Subway Surfing Incidents Up 366%: MTA + Ambulance Rate Hike

Good morning, neighbors! Dashiell Allen here with your fresh copy of the New York City Patch newsletter, full of all the community news you need to know right now. Including updates on:

• Subway surfing incidents are up more than 300 percent, the MTA says
• A proposed rate hike on city ambulances
• How New York City's Ukrainian community is marking the war's 1-year anniversary

But first, today's weather: Occasional morning rain. High: 48 Low: 40.

This great local business sponsors the New York City Patch newsletter. We love what they do, and we think you will, too:

Need a lead-safe Certification for your Philly landlord license? George Cahill and the team at Philly Lead Inspections are on standby to get the job done. His inspectors are certified by the EPA and offer testing that is completed in an hour, with results in under a week. George and his team show up on time and offer the most competitive prices in town — plus, they’re available seven days a week. Visit Philly Lead Inspections here to learn more.

Click here to get your business featured in this spot.

Here are the top five stories in New York City today:

1. Subway surfing incidents — when a person rides on the outside of a train car — have increased by 366 percent since 2020, according to statistics released by the MTA following a teenager's death on Tuesday. The transit agency's chair and CEO Janno Lieber attributed the increase in part to viral videos shared on social media. There was a noticeable spike in incidents in March of last year. (New York City Patch)
2. A neo-Nazi group picketed outside a Broadway musical telling the true story of a Jewish factory worker in Georgia who was falsely accused of murder, according to the show's cast and producers. "If there is any remaining doubt out there about the urgency of telling this story in this moment in history... the vileness on display in front of our theater last night should put it to rest," the statement said. (New York City Patch)
3. Twenty construction workers lost their lives while on the job in 2021, representing a 60 percent increase from the previous year, a new report found. Latino and non-union workers were the most at-risk, with 80 percent of workers at construction sites where fatal incidents occurred not belonging to a union. (THE CITY)
4. The fire department is proposing a 50 percent rate hike for basic ambulance services through calling 911, from $900 to $1,385, which it said would offset inflation and wage increases for emergency medical technicians. There'd also be an increased fee of $20 per mile traveled, up from $15. (Subscription/New York Daily News)
5. Starting today and running through Saturday New York City's Ukrainian's community will be hosting a series of events marking the one-year anniversary of the war. They include a vigil, a "Taste of Ukraine" dinner and an exhibition at the Ukrainian Institute of America. (Subscription/New York Daily News)

New York City pic of the day:

Remember to submit a photo from your neighborhood to newyorkcity@patch.com for a chance to be featured! We love skylines, bodega cats, coffee shops, streetscapes, parks and everything else that makes this city great. Please include your full name and an optional description.

Today in New York City:

• Youth Hiring Event Presented By BronxWorks (10 a.m.)
• Film Screening and Artist Talk: Gabriela Salazar — The Climate Museum Pop-Up (7 p.m.)
• "In Love" with Flower Decorating Class with Starbright Floral Design — Moxy NYC Chelsea (7 p.m.)
• Sarah Costello & Kayla Kaszyca + Angela Chen: Sounds Fake But Okay (7 p.m.)
• New York Queer Comedy Festival YAAAS Fest 2023 (9 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• NYC Comptroller Brad Lander announced two audits yesterday into the New York City Housing Authority, looking at how it completes repairs for public housing residents and the eviction rates under its Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) and Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) programs. (News 12 Bronx)
• The city won't overhaul its commercial waste collection program until 2024, the sanitation commissioner said, delaying a timeframe put forth by ex-Mayor Bill De Blasio. (Gothamist)
• It's Community Board recruitment season again. Here's what you need to know about how to get involved with one of the most local levels of NYC government. (New York City Patch)
• A new Republican political club, naming itself after Ronald Raegan, is aiming to make inroads in Astoria, a neighborhood currently represented by Democratic Socialist Tiffany Cabán in the City Council and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. (New York City Patch)
• A dry cleaner in Harlem offers community members prepping for job interviews free cleanings. It started during the pandemic as a way to give back. (New York City Patch)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Chronic Foot Pain Center - Dr. Robert Kornfeld — (Visit website)
• Silver Stars Fitness — (Visit Website)
• Church of the Heavenly Rest — (Visit website)
• Add your business here

Featured events:

• The Apsley Exclusive Hiring Event! Feb. 23 (12pm-4pm) (February 23)
• Celebrating Harlem's Music Legacy: An Evening of Blues, Jazz and Swing with King Solomon Hicks and C (February 23)
• New York Queer Comedy Festival YAAAS Fest 2023 (February 23)
• "19 Forms of Ice" Dance & Movement Class (February 24)
• Humanist Happy Hour is back! (February 24)
• Death in New York Walking Tour (February 25)
• The Psychiatric History of New York Walking Tour (February 25)
• Jazz @ The Park Vespers, featuring Boyce Griffith (February 25)
• Hell Gate Walking Tour (February 26)
• America's First Freedom Rider: Elizabeth Jennings, 1854 (February 26)
• Marble Community Gospel Choir to Celebrate Black History Month at Marble Church (February 26)
• Want to move better in 2023? Join HSS for a new strength & stretching class starting 2/28! (February 28)
• Legal and Justice Studies Pathways (February 28)
• NuHydration IV Drip Lounge and Mobile IV Service Announces New York City Location (March 8)
• NYC Singles!! (March 18)
• Add your event

Featured housing:

• 280 Collins Ave, Unit 7E (Details)
• Add your listing

Featured job listings:

• Personal Assistant for Older New Yorkers in Manhattan (Details)
• Add your job listing

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Thursday. I'll see you soon!

— Dashiell Allen

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming New York City Patch newsletter? Contact me at patchnyc@patch.com