MTA's debris-catching nets filled with snow, causing safety fears

NEW YORK - The MTA had initially installed netting under some of the city's elevated subway tracks to serve as a protective barrier, in order to catch falling track debris. However, this week's monster winter storm and those same nets are sparking safety concerns as they are bulging with collected snow.

"I would ask that no-one walk under the netting that has snow on it right now because it is potentially dangerous and it is the common sense thing to do," said MTA Chief Safety Officer Pat Warren.

In the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx, the nets were weighed down with so much snow they dangled over the heads of pedestrians. Some pieces of the nylon fabric that made up the nets was badly torn by passing vehicles.

A spokesperson for the MTA told FOX 5 NY that streets in several locations have been closed off to minimize risk while crews work to clear the snow.

"The good news is that it captured the snow ad held it very tight," Warren said. "No people have been injured, no vehicles have been damaged."