MTA higher-up surprises students with visit to Park Slope school

Next stop, school!

MTA New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow visited P.S. 282, the Park Slope School, on April 21 to join a special assembly and to honor students’ innovative ideas to enhance fare enforcement.

The visit came about after Sasha Estep, a fifth-grade student, wrote a letter to Crichlow that showed his love and passion for the New York City subways. He also shared his idea to install cameras on buses to help enforce payment of fares. 

“The letter made it all the way to the NYC Transit president’s desk at the MTA Headquarters, and [Crichlow] was truly impressed,” the MTA said in a statement. “President Crichlow decided to make a surprise visit to the school to personally meet the students and school leadership at P.S. 282.”

In the school’s auditorium, Crichlow talked about the history of the transit system, its workforce, and how innovations have helped the transit system evolve.  

The school presented Crichlow with gifts, including a special art model of a subway station with subway cars and a makeshift subway station. Students also showed him a special exhibit created by their art program.

“I was so impressed when I received a letter from P.S. 282 student Sasha Estep, I was compelled to meet him and his fellow classmates,” Crichlow told this newspaper. “Words can’t describe how astounded I was to see the incredible artwork created by the students. From the makeshift subway station to the train cars they created, [their creations] will all be perched inside my office and serve as an eternal reminder of my visit to the Park Slope elementary school.”

During his visit, Crichlow’s also discussed Student OMNY cards and gave special commendations to three young transit fans. He presented school leadership with a signed commemorative framed subway map.

“We are so inspired by the power of student voices and the responsiveness of the MTA and President Crichlow,” said Amy Rodriguez, the school’s principal. “Thank you so much for demonstrating what true collaboration and leadership looks like.”

MTA New York City Transit is a division of the MTA that oversees New York City’s buses and subways. Other divisions include Metro-North, the Long Island Rail Road, MTA Bridges and Tunnels (formerly Triborough Bridges and Tunnels) and MTA Construction and Development.