Passengers in the car were thrown to the side as the subway jolted to a stop.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are experiencing momentary delay due to train traffic ahead of us. Sorry for the inconvenience,” the speakers crackled. Groans sounded around the subway as businessmen checked their watches and tapped their feet.
Commuters who rely on the Metropolitan Transit Authority are aware of how unreliable the subway system in New York City can be. Although the MTA website, http://www.mta.info/ says which trains are in good service and which have delays or planned services, there are usually sporadic issues with the subways.
On July 20, 2015, the website says that the 4, 5, 6, 7, and SIR trains have planned work. In addition, the A, C, E, N, Q, and R trains have delays. Even though it wasn’t mentioned on the site, the F train was also delayed in the 57th St station.
Many times, passengers will sit in a motionless subway car with no idea what problem the subway is facing. They are given vague announcements, such as the one previously mentioned. Perhaps ten or twenty minutes later, the subway will be in the same position and passengers will then be told to take an alternative way to get to their destinations. Some people will stay on the train, hoping that the problem will resolve itself quickly. Others, who choose to transfer, will be faced with hordes of people who are also trying to get on the alternative trains.
According to the Transit Museum Education, “Most of the subway system we know today was built swiftly during a great burst of construction from 1913 to 1931” and was added to the MTA, when it was created in 1968.
Subway systems were still relatively new when the first subway line in New York City was built in 1904. Subways were considered high-tech and select countries had them. However, the subway system in New York City is now old and disgusting compared to many other cities such as Seoul, Hong Kong, and Berlin.
The subway fare is increasing but the commuters are not receiving better results. Even the MTA admits that the subway system in New York City is slowly deteriorating. In fact, the trains seldom arrive on time, Andrew Hawkins wrote in Crain’s. According to the Daily News, “‘The system currently is severely overcrowded and potentially dangerous — you have crowds on these platforms waiting to get onto trains.’”
The city should fix the subway system. Although the subway system is getting a lot of attention and there are a lot of plans to fix it, none have been very successful. There should be changes to fix train delays, overcrowding, cleanliness, etc. The MTA has come up with a five-year plan to repair the subway system. However, the “$32 billion capital plan is short $15 billion,” Hawkins reports.
A well-repaired subway system with little to no delays would benefit everyone.