I just got back from a 4 day visit to NYC and the deterrent for me as a person with some physical limitations was how unfriendly it is to anyone with those limitations (bad knees). Most of the stations are not handicapped accessible, and you don't even have to be in a wheelchair to suffer. The alternative is to ride the fantastic bus system, but maybe that's only an option for people who aren't on a schedule. The traffic is nuts.
3
We invest in investors, not infrastructure.
2
Americans have been deluded for the last 40 years, conned by the Republican slogan that government is the problem. That's only true for the billionaires who don't want to pay taxes, for the merchants of death (guns) who don't want public safety, and for the politicians happy to be bought by the very rich like the Mercers and Kochs. New York stinks of urine; America overflows with guns; the public highways, bridges, dams, ports, and subways are all running down. What's wrong is first, ideology. Once Americans understand that government is not simply about taking money from (white) middle-class tax-payers to hand out subsidies to (black and Hispanic) welfare recipients (the Republican lie to drive resentful and xenophobic voters), but that they can actually live better with improved public goods and services (education, health, transport, safety) - there will be hope for America. Until then it will be the happy hunting ground of a few ultra-rich oligarchs and the unscrupulous politicians who are in their pockets. American democracy is broken and has been taken over by the oligarchs. LBJ's "Great Society" was over-ambitious and Vietnam broke America's commitment to a better life for all. But the brainless admiration of bogus philosophy (Ayn Rand) to cover up massive looting has led to national decline.
17
Awwwwww.
One of my fondest memories -- a large rat carrying the front page of the New York Post along the tracks of n A Train station.
4
Vancouver Transit runs only part time, lacks sufficient buses to prevent long rider delays delays at rush hours, SkyTrains breakdowns are too frequent to make the system reliable Oh! and the often are "out of service" if it's cold or snows. A 20 minute ride from the Airport to Burnaby can take 2 hours. The system service to the suburbs is marginal at best and only during day...Transit System Not!
2
Uh, the guy who wrote about Vancouver's "transportation strategy that makes walking, cycling and transit account for half of all trips in Vancouver" is full of soup, as in Soupy Sales the comedian.
What he really means is a strategy that narrows the roads for bicycle transport, allows weekend parking on main routes in the downtown core when traffic volume is just as high as during the week, and traffic light patterns that slow down traffic.
Result: people living outside the downtown core only go there for work or entertainment. Shopping they do elsewhere.
The Skytrain system is very nice, but it serves very few people in the entire Lower Mainland.
1
@Svirchev
It serves Surrey, New Westminster, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Richmond, and Vancouver. Over 500,000 trips per day, and that includes weekends when ridership is lighter.
You seem to be car-centric, complaining about lack of parking and bike paths. I don't think the world needs more single-occupant cars, and that's what the majority of the vehicles in downtown Vancouver are.
As for shopping - maybe you haven't been to Robson Street? Pacific Center? They're packed, all day, and all night.
1
May be 15 or so years earlier, PBS did a similar story comparing the subway system in a few selected world cities. Believe it or not, they gave the Calcutta, India subway the highest rating because of how clean it was compared to the rest of the city and how much pride the locals showed in their subway system with the care with which they used the system.
1
Americans in general think care of, or caring about, public spaces is someone else’s job. There is no sense of ownership or pride in any of it. Rules of decency in public spaces are seen as demands from hated elites and restrictions on “freedom”. From running over with an ATV ancient Joshua trees in the California desert to urinating in the New York subway, people are “reclaiming their freedom” and showing disdain for elites and their petty rules.
5
I lived in London for years and used the Underground to get around the city, as any other way was chaos incarnate. [I did have a car to go out of London.] However, it is not all sunshine and light. One summer, of course during what passes for a heat wave, there were running random strikes. I had got a seat [wonderful] and then got stuck between stations on the Central Line. The heat inside the carriage was appalling. The man strap-hanging above me very kindly spread his newspaper over me as he dripped sweat all over me, apologising the whole time. Not that he could help it; we were so tightly wedged in, he couldn’t move.
Another time, I was strap-hanging on a very very full carriage. At one point, the nice man, against whom I had fallen asleep and who was holding me up, said he had to get out at the next station and I’d better wake up. I do hope that I hadn’t drooled on him ...
I've spent a few years using the Paris Metro and it’s efficient and easy to negotiate but what is that peculiar smell? It could be bottled and sent to the moon and I would know it instantly.
I now live in Austria but way out in the country. When I visit Vienna, I love using the metro. Clean, efficient and moderately easy to get around.
2
I had been on th NY subway once while in the Big Apple. My impression was no as bad as New Yorkers' and others make. Consider the geographic layout of Manhatten, a cigar shaped land with a world-class park about 2.5 miles long by about 0.8 of a mile wide. Each side of the park is lined with iconic residntial and mixed buildings developed over a few centuies - an historic architectual delight.
The NYC subway offeres th most sensible mean, other than limos that wealthy folks can afford, to get around the most dense city in the U.S. - one of the western world's most dense cities. Your subway allows residents to reach into Manhatten and the bouroughs of NY to get cars and people off the road, better than any other major city - consider London or Paris.
Although major world cities may have better looking subway cars and stations - I had also used Paris, London, Moscow and other less noted subways, but NY's subway is one of the most functional, when it is functioning. It moves people across one of the largest metropolitan populations in the western world.
Unless the NY subway has been over-taken by gangs or other high-risk people looking for trouble, be thankful you have a functional subway. Things could be much worse without NY's transit system.
If there is one recommendtion I think is important to New Yorkers, don't let the subway and inter-modal people transit systems become victim of a lack of repairs and maintenance needed to move New Yorkers safely across a great city
3
The people controlling the MTA should have in their budget a visit to all the other transit systems in the world, not to have riders laugh at them, but see that it is possible to go from Point A to Point B in a clean, safe, well-lighted environment with efficiency and safety. There are clear signs, too and no rats in any of the systems I have ridden Tokyo, Munich, Berlin, Zurich, Paris....
5
Re: London
I've been to London many, many times, and to give such a glowing review to the frequently overcrowded, tiny little cars that run on the "tube" is a bit far-fetched. The platforms can be dangerously overcrowded, to the point where escalators have to be turned off to prevent more people from trying to push on. Frequently, even getting on the platform means you will not get on the first, second, third or even fourth train to go by.
The famous double-decker buses are really the best way to get around London.
As for Tokyo, it's a great system, but can be very confusing for foreigners as both subway and rail system trains use the exact same platforms. Sometimes a "subway" train will get to a station and an announcement will be made that the train has now been rerouted as a Japan Rail train to a different destination. As this usually happens outside the centre of the city, the announcement is made only in Japanese.
5
@Paul Margulies It really depends on where and when you are travelling. There are few stops that have the crowding you are talking about (one being the ever hated Bank branch) and it's usually only an hour or so during rush hour. I would definitely suggest to tourists that they don't try using the tube in the big stations during rush hour is they can help it. Otherwise, it's actually quite fabulous.
But I agree about the buses - they are wonderful too and all walks of life use them, unlike in most places in the US. BUT THEY ARE SLOW during traffic times, especially in central London, which is why so many of us choose to use the tube.
I wonder if the comparisons in this article would not apply across a spectrum of public infrastructure, and public education as well. The world's richest nation is rotting at it's core. How about a Times series on the subject?
5
Indeed, the US compares poorly beyond public transport systems. Healthcare insurance, healthcare costs, education, infrastructure and of course the Leader
1
Whyhave you omitted Paris and Budapest, which is a long established system?
As a long-term NYer as critical as anyone of our assets and limitations, I feel you have emphasized some of the less appealing images. While much is not beautiful, your selection of cars and stations does not feel either typical or representative to this transit-rider.
I have taken the mass transit systems in London, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Paris and Rotterdam. They are all superior to the New York City system.
However high tax on gas is used to subsidize mass transit: Netherlands - $6.48; Sweden -$6.12, England - $5.83, France -$6.09.
If in October 1973 the US had started a program of raising gas taxes 1 cent a month for the next 30 years to subsidize mass transit, thicker insulation for homes in cold climate, and research on renewable energy, our gas prices would be at $5.89 and every American city would have outstanding mass transit and we would be spewing out less carbon.
7
Yeah that’s great and all but those places ain’t New York City.
5
@Bryan You're right. They're 1st world cities and New York is not.
5
@Bryan
Much rather live in London.
1
There is no such thing as a public good in the US of A. We don't have uniformly good public education, we don't have a good healthcare system for all, we let polluters do what they want. With specific relevance to this article, we don't have good intercity trains either.
There is a very simple reason for this. We have a thing here called Republicans, who are enemies of intelligence, enemies of reason, enemies of knowledge, enemies of honesty, enemies of facts. In short, enemies of humanity.
23
All of the public infrastructure in the US us wanting and that includes New York.
Americans do not want to pay taxes and that is what finds great infrastructure and subsidizes public transit. Americans also tolerate incompetent, inept, inefficient and often corrupt politicians that make it hard to get anything done or hold anyone accountable.
I have been to quite a few of the places mentioned here and it goes well past public transit. I find most of the people claiming America is the "greatest country on earth" do not have a passport. If the masses could see how their counterparts live elsewhere we would have a revolution.
15
@David Gregory.. You think?! Sadly a revolution would never occur in the US due to the total belief of americans who've been brainwashed to think they're the most important and perfect nation in the world! As you say, most have never considered leaving the US to venture overseas and if they do, it's probably to 'serve' their country by wiping out other countries they've never heard of, nor could they find them on a map! Cheers!
A couple of months ago I was standing on the platform at the Main Street Flushing station. And there on the platform across the tracks I saw a giant, I mean giant, rat. It was not only a giant, but also scruffy, if rats can be described as scruffy. Totally unfazed, it was was eating some food, casually and with great calm and total pleasure as everyone took a huge detour around it.
6
The student rider in Moscow forgot to mention how reliable, quick, and the small wait between cars. Also, how fast the escalators are.
4
It's interesting to consider what's deeper at play in America's shoddy public transit, and it comes down to cultural values. No comparison more easily shows the difference in values than looking at Vancouver's Skytrain and Seattle's Light Link rail. The cities are very close geographically, have hilly terrains and water barriers, and are similar in size. Yet Vancouver managed to build a beloved fully automated train system decades before Seattle, which is supposedly a world center of technology. Instead of looking to its neighbor to the north as a model, Seattle bizarrely and at great expense built a substandard system that involves manned trains, at grade crossings with stops, and at first it wasn't going to stop one station short of the international airport! The system isn't exactly what you'd call popular; Seattle commuter traffic is at an all-time nightmare high. All this while a vastly superior system stared them right in the face. Seattle isn't exactly a hotbed of red-state Americans without passports, but it is still myopic enough to be entirely disinterested in the Vancouver experience, a mere 2.5 hours drive away. When I lived in Seattle, I met many people who'd never visited or ignorantly thought Canada was inferior. From airports to municipal infrastructure, the US is falling further behind its developing world peers, and it seems only those who travel and have open minds seem to be aware of this. This doesn't portend well for the future of the country.
8
Very interesting article, but very...20th century – a mix of North America, Japan, parts of Europe…
Conspicuous by its absence on this list is the Shanghai Metro, which has lessons for all of us (and I say this with grudging admiration).
Mumbai, in the sense of this article, sounds a lot like NYC (financial nerve center of the country, with extremely important but crumbling public transport system that is actually the lifeline of the city).
I think we’d do well to take a leaf out of Shanghai’s book. In addition to all the highlights that a few other commenters have mentioned, seems like almost all of the denizens have embraced mobile payments (tickets on Apple pay etc.). Hardly any cash moving there. Makes it seamless. We’ve just introduced the mobile payment system on our, presently, sole metro line in Mumbai, and from personal experience I can say that this experience is outstanding for its seamlessness.
Chandeliers and art work sound lovely, but what would 21st century efficiency look like? There is a pressing need for Mumbai to ask itself that, seemingly as much as there is for NYC.
2
I recently took the A from JFK to lower Manhattan at 2AM on a weeknight. It's not posh, but it was very serviceable. No slow downs. No breakdowns. Reliable service at 2AM on a weeknight for a low fare to cover several miles. It was convenient, cheap, and safe. For under 3 dollars, you can get anywhere in the city at any time of the night with a feeling of safety.
2
London having a great train system? Oh please. It's the most expensive system I've used in all my travels. Most of the trains are really old and some have ceilings so low that at 5' tall I could reach up and touch them. It mirrors NYC in that it is old and moves millions of people each day (and is museum-like). Most of the comparisons in this article are for rail systems that move a small percentage of the commuters in NYC which is like comparing apples to oranges.
3
Two of my favorite systems outside the US are not mentioned. One is Hong Kong, where the frequency of trains takes the pain out of waiting, for first train or at transfers. Second is Singapore, with similar frequent service and easy to use fare system. Both are places where having a car is expensive and annoying, so it is nice having trains (and buses as well) that are inexpensive, frequent, and cover the whole city. Neither is a long art museum like Stockholm or a palatial like Moscow, but they move people in a clean and efficient environment. Have enjoyed the Berlin trains also. As for NYC Transit, I am a veteran. In 1965 four of us took the challenge of riding the entire subway system, hitting all the stations, on one token (15 cents). About the distance from NY to PIttsburgh; completed in just over 25 hours. At age 16 we had no concerns about being in the system overnight without an older companion. No rats; some homeless people sleeping on the train; no graffiti; a bit of litter. Traveling on the subway in NY in the last decade has been much less enjoyable than it was then, and not up to the standards of places we think of as less sophisticated than NY. I know there is no easy fix for long deferred maintenance, and omany aspects of NYC are much better now than in the "old days." But still it is sad to see.
3
Two words: Shanghai Metro.
Metro card can be stored on either iOS or Android making access an ease and recharging instantaneous via mobile payment. Not to mention each line, even line 1 (built 1996), is clean, efficient, safe, and part of an extensive and comprehensive overall network.
3
My son worked in a small city in Japan for several years. He had no car, so when we visited we took public transportation - - trains, buses, and the occasional taxi. The experiences were . . . Well, where shall I start? I’ll make a list:
1. The trains and buses ran often enough. If we wanted to take a trip anywhere - Tokyo, Takasaki, or Minakami, there were always several trains a day to take us there.
2. The trains arrived on time and left on time, and I mean on time. Arrivals and departures were always within a minute and usually within thirty seconds of the printed schedule.
3. Everything was clean and tidy. From the bench cushions sewn by high school students in the local station, to the gleaming platforms in the urban stations, whoever furnished and maintained the stations and the vehicles took pride in their work.
4. The bullet trains (Shinkansen) were amazing; imagine a Boeing Dreamliner with twice the leg room and seats that swivel so that a family of four could sit facing each other. And fast! And Smooth! They are a joy to ride.
5. The train stations are centrally located and are shopping centers in and of themselves. I particularly loved Ueno station in Tokyo, located right next to Ueno Park, which contains the Tokyo National Museum, the National Science Museum, and International Library of Children’s Literature among its many attractions.
Japan has shown how beneficial it is to give public transportation a central role in its economy and culture!
10
Was pleasantly surprised by modern easily navigable subway systems in Milan and Brescia, Italy.
I started riding the subway in 1980. It was awful then - hot, dangerous, frequent delays and much broken equipment. But it was because of the subway that I could live in New York on my (low) entry-level computer programmer salary. I could go anywhere at any time of day or night. No other major system has to do repairs and maintenance during normal revenue service, because no other system runs 24 hours a day. And per mile, no other fare comes close to New York's. I would love for the subway to be as clean and civilized and dreamlike as these other cities' systems. But I want to live someplace where I don't need to own a car or take a cab because the trains don't run all the time.
6
Barcelona's train system while much smaller than NY's is reliable and clean. Even during their strikes, they run at rush hours and were ungodly slower than normal at 6-8 minutes between trains.
Regular daily service has them coming in 3-4 minutes.
I remember as early as the 90's trains in NY came at much shorter intervals. At rush hour as one train pulled out, the next was pulling in. This is my biggest gripe about the MTA, overcrowded trains at all hours. Even the rats can't get on.
While we're at it, let's compare country to country. France, I took the TGV from Paris down to my mother's house near Avignon in a whoosh of modernity, high technology, and beautiful countryside flowing by my serene window. Meanwhile: America, a route that would have been perfect for a bullet train, LA to Las Vegas, instead is one hours-long miserable parking lot of polluting cars every weekend. Yep, there's your American exceptionalism at work !
11
It's not only the subway/train system that's better in Japan - it's ALL transportation.
Here, the taxi doors open/close automatically, the interior is immaculate, and the white-gloved driver will help you load/unload luggage from the trunk with a smile and be offended if you tried to tip him.
My train to Haneda Airport is punctual, clean and quiet, and gets me to the terminal - not to another Air-Train like monorail, but right to the terminal - in 40-minutes for $5.88 (distance is 37km).
When I get off the train at Haneda International Terminal, I go from train to gate in 15~20 minutes. No, that's not a misprint nor exaggeration - train to departure gate in 20 minutes or less, every time. I'm through the security check (with shoes on) in 5 minutes, through immigration in 5 minutes, and within 10 more minutes I'm at the departure gate sipping a pre-departure beer. (And if I'm flying domestic, and not yet finished my beer when boarding begins, I can carry my half-full draught onto the plane!)
Landing in JFK (or LaGuradia) and then using NY's public transit into Manhattan - feels like visiting a developing country.
9
@Bill in Yokohama
Landing in JFK (or LaGuradia) and then using NY's public transit into Manhattan - feels like visiting a developing country.
In a developing country, the train would break down, or you'd have to bribe officials to get from station to station. You might have to get off the train, hike a mile, and get on another train. There might be livestock on the train. Soldiers might take your money. Other passengers might smoke in your face.
The NYC subway doesn't feel like a private jet, but it's efficient, safe, and relatively clean. Perhaps food could be banned from subway cars (restricted to platforms).
I lived in Moscow back in the late '90s. The metro was my main form of transportation. It was cheap (10 cents per ride) and the trains ran frequently. The system was mostly good but not perfect. The stations are spaced farther apart than stations in London or Paris so sometimes you need to walk quite a bit. The trains were clean, but old, dowdy, quite loud, and the whole system was being pushed far beyond its limits--something like 5 times as many passengers as it was originally designed for. The Circle line train at rush hour was sardine-can crowded. The pseudo-baroque decor of some stations might be considered beautiful if you think Stalinist architecture is beautiful. Late nights on weekends could allow you to witness things like people beaten to unconsciousness lying on the floor of the station, and drunks, but somehow I never felt threatened. On the whole the riders were well behaved and the system served me well while not being anything to fall in love with.
hand over maintenance tasks to private companies and put strict performance measures to renew contracts.
pay for maintenance by letting that company advertise during their contract periods.
only way to gey some real efficiency is to give it to competitive private sector. otherwise we all see and smell the results
2
Let's not forget Barcelona's subway. Clean efficient and inexpensive. It is about $1.25 a ride and that allows for a transfer onto the bus system which is also wonderful. When friends from NYC come to visit they always express their envy.
3
I'm just sick and tired of people making excuses for the sorry condition of NY subways. And the worst argument that 'real' New Yorkers present to people who dare to criticize the NY subway is: "Oh but it's New York.", as if it should end all arguments. Only thing that New York has different is that it's open 24 hours. Well maybe it's time to rethink that if in exchange we get a revamped, well-functioning subway. Maybe 24-hour operations made sense in former times. Lets get statistics and see if this 24-hour thing still makes sense today that our streets are deserted by 8pm because people are home watching tv. But a more crucial difference is that these other cities have a strong civic sense and 'municipal' really means something. Most systems are state- or city-owned and are accountable in operational costs and transparency to the public or higher levels of administration. I'd also venture corruption is probably at a low point, whereas I have a felling it's endemic in NYC. Lastly, should we not think of asking the financial sector in NY, richest employer to actually fork whatever sums are necessary to overhaul the system to world-class level like other world cities? As for me, I ride a bike pretty much everywhere.
4
New York's subways run all day and all night. That's one of the wonderful aspects of the New York City system.
A negative aspect: For some mysterious reason, there are no garbage bins at the 8th Street station of the R and W trains. Garbage cans are a wonderful invention. They should be on every station.
4
@George Jochnowitz there's not a garbage can to be found in most of Japan (due to terrorism fears). People pack out their garbage as if they were camping. It really is a different culture.
I grew up in Texas and spent eight years as an adult in NYC. I love love love the subway. I'm back in Houston and love Houston for all sorts of reasons, but I hate hate hate our car culture. When I visit NYC now, it's in the subway that I feel a sense of homecoming.
New York: please show some love for your wonderful subway system. Fix it. Pamper it. You don't want to lose it.
9
True that NYCT has many issues, but also many benefits and advantages that most others dont have. Example: how many other systems run 24/7? How many have local and express trains with parallel tracks such that trains can be re-routed in real time?
But also, consider the open, liberal US democracy itself: our myriad overlapping political and citizen groups are the most contentious and litiguous on the planet. In London they shut down lines to do work... but in NYC, our political leaders cave to technically inferior but more politically palatable solutions, at the very last minute!
Much more to consider when comparing systems.
1
Found subways in both Paris and London a real pleasure to use. On time; fast; good signage; easy to handle fares; clean if sometimes crowded; etc. Not much experience in NY but a fair amount in Washington DC generally on time; horrible signage; ok on fares; not particularly clean; etc.
1
Great cities have a great infrastructure, which includes a well run and efficient transit system. New York constantly hypes itself as the "greatest city in the world." It has a rotten transit system and that leads to a less than appealing quality of life. Consequently, New York is far from the greatest city in the world. In fact, of the 20 most notable cities, I would rank it as one of the worst.
3
That’s hilarious coming from somebody in NJ. All I hear is complaints about the NJ Transit system from colleagues at work and they’re always late.
Amsterdam's entire transit network is outstanding, from the trams to the subways to the intercity rail links. The trams in Centrum can be crowded and made slightly worse by tourists who don't understand that some trams have dedicated in or out doors.
It's also the safest major city I've ever been to. Despite the widespread drug tourism and open prostitution it's like a Disneyworld "land" in comparison to NYC, which is dirty and often involves very pushy and confrontational people. Amsterdam had near zero visible police presence, and even at night, alone in the red light district I never once felt at risk.
I still like NYC and have made extensive use of the subway without any real problems, but despite its majesty it often feels like its on the edge of dystopia, especially with the post-9/11 paramilitary police presence everywhere.
2
A comparison of costs per passenger mile in different categories might be illuminating. How much does the NYC subway pay annually for new equipment, for repairs, for maintenance of the rails, of the cars, of the stations, for supervisors and hands-on personnel? (I read that some NY transit workers are paid what seems to be an exorbitant salary but maybe that is typical for skilled train personnel.) Maybe the system is simply under-budgeted. We probably all have anecdotes and opinions but they don't make compelling arguments for how to improve the system.
5
I've utilized the transit systems in all of the cities mentioned - in some cases, many times over the years - and we lived in Tokyo many years ago. London's population is nearly identical to NYC's and Tokyo's population is even larger, therefore that shows it's possible to service humongous metro areas and still maintain service adequately. When our friends from other countries visit NYC, their huge enthusiasm for our city is tempered by their shock and disgust for our subways (the latter, of course, pertains in particular to the filth).
A big issue is the humongous cost of overhauling the system - but the long-term lack of political will (and there are multiple people to blame) combined with residents' aversion to paying higher fares has led to several decades of horribly-worsening conditions. We're now at a critical point whereby our subway system is on the brink of disaster.
4
I grew up in Montreal, the "Metro" was started for the Worlds Fair.
It has expanded ever since, Montreal is an Island the same as Manhattan. Montreal is 10 times the size of Manhattan and as with NYC the Metro ventures of the Island. It is a stunning example of an underground transit system.
5
You know what city has great train transport? - Chicago. Whether it's -20 or 120, the EL runs on time, pretty much always, and the stops are ideally scattered throughout the city, making a carless existence manageable. Sure, the stations aren't pretty, but there's a certain scrappy charm to being able to watch traffic stall below you as you stand on the elevated platforms.
5
The Seoul subway (along with the bus system) is also remarkable. Spotless, timely, air conditioned, cheap, with amazing wifi throughout. And it serves a city with a larger population than NYC. Every public bathroom that I ever visited in the subway was utterly spotless and well-maintained as well. I would never even consider looking for a public restroom in the NY system (or, to be fair, most subways in the US.) To be fair, the NY system is much older than the one in Seoul...
8
You missed including Toronto among your subject cities. Not only is the subway system outstanding (clean, timely and frequent) but it is fully integrated with their pervasive light rail (Red Rockets) and bus system. It may be a grand statement, but Metro Toronto may have the best transportation system in the world.
1
@Bob Duguay, nice that you had a good experience, but as a (now former) Torontonian, I would have to disagree with you. The TTC is undergoing significant overhaul, which is great, but it has never managed to keep up with and truly support Toronto's vast urban sprawl the way the NYC system does. Large parts of Toronto and its suburbs are barely accessible if you don't have a car. I previously lived in NYC, and now live in Amsterdam, so can compare the three systems. Amsterdam's tram, bus and metro network (not to mention trains) is great, but frankly, holding it up to Toronto or NY is comparing apples to oranges. The population is so condensed here that the ratio of tax base:kilometers of public transit infrastructure is completely different to what New York and especially Toronto have to work with. I will say, though, that the Dutch transit system also benefits from the fact that Dutch culture highly values and prioritizes infrastructure maintenance--something which I suspect stems from having had to keep the North Sea at bay for almost 1000 years.
@Bob Duguay you should get out more. The Toronto system is laughably small - four lines that do not provide access to many parts of the city. Union Station, under construction for how many years now? changes configurations at least weekly, so people who use it only monthly never know where the heck they are. But hey, at least it's faster than the abysmal traffic up on the street.
The reality is that New York is becoming more and more unlivable. Highest taxes in America, highest cost of living (well, toss-up between NYC and San Fran), gridlocked streets, a transit system in near collapse. An inept government led by Bill "the money is in the wrong hands" Deblasio and Andrew Cuomo has no solutions but ever higher taxes and business-choking regulations ($15 minimum wage which makes everything even more expensive, more rent control that results in even higher rents and fewer available apartments, etc.). No one but the ultra-rich can afford to live here in some reasonable degree of comfort, and even they can't escape the crumbling infrastructure etc.
Yes, I will be leaving, and I'm not looking back.
5
The cleanliness noted in the article is easlly explained. Foreign mass transit has the signfificant advantage that it is not populated by New Yorkers.
There is a culture of cleanliness in all of the cited cities that is non-existent in NY.
19
I'd like to add Paris, Bangkok, Beijing, Shanghai, Rome, Athens, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, Cairo. Yes, NYC's system is older and serves more people. Lousy excuse. NYC's system is a national, state and city disgrace. I had friends from Norway visiting. They said, we love NYC, but the subways are so horrible. How did this happen? Well, we have no political leadership. None. And Wall Street/Big Business doesn't care. Recent example: Amazon does a deal with NYC and there's no provision to deal address the subways. Of course, there will be helicopter service for the executives. We have the system we deserve unfortunately.
11
A first step might be to stop the untruth that NYC is the "greatest city in the world". After all, if it is the greatest city there's no need to fix the subway.
4
Sorry, the real comparisons here are cultural: obedient, compliant Muscovites and Japanese. More than anything else, this is responsible for the difference between subway systems, along with the political systems, of course.
4
@Tornadoxy The London tube obviously benefits from those obedient, compliant Londoners too
2
I lived in Moscow for 8 years. The metro in Moscow has many features that compare well to the NYC subway but it has many problems. If you do not mind walking for many kilometers between stations the Moscow metro is great. The trains do cover large distance fast but even in the city center there are great distances between stations.
The stations were once very well built (at a very high cost) but due to corruption and the time it takes to build the stations very few stations are built so many areas of the city are not served. And I would careful in the new stations as there have been serious problems with construction.
And for those stations that serve Moscovites and not tourists the wait times in the morning can be as long as 40 minutes to one hour to get on a train. So you may see a dozen trains pass. And the trains are overcrowded and dirty. On many lines the cars are old, dirty and uncomfortable. And there are rats in the stations.
The stations from Stalin's era are works of art. Some of these station were built be enthusiastic teams of young workers but other stations were built by prisoners, German POWs, and slave labor. So when you look at the artwork of the Moscow Metro remember than even those stations built today were built with exploited labor.
The Dostoevskaya is classic case of corruption as the station opened years after schedule with the cost more than five time the initial estimate. And there were many concerns this station would inspire suicides.
3
The Metro system in New Delhi is extensive . All built in 15 years.
The train coaches are clean. The stations are well designed and rider friendly. The trains are always on time.
I have lived in NYC and London and have used the Subway/ underground. Also used Metros in Mexico City, Hongkong and Tokyo. I would rate New Delhi better than all of them.
3
What about Shanghai’s subway system? We lived there for a year in 2015/2016. The reach of the lines can take you to what used to be distant suburbs and the lines connect you with airports and train stations and the Maglev...and the Disney park.Over the course of a year, we never rode a bus and rarely took a taxi. And you can pay with your cell phone! The subway is clean, occaisionally crowded during rush hour, and many of the stations are shopping destinations. And when you use Google or Bandung to plan your travel, you even know which exit to take to get to your destination...a very helpful feature since many stinks can have 5 or more exits.
1
Having traveled a bit and used the subways systems, etc. of many countries, I came to this conclusion: Europe/Asia believes that public transport is very important for its citizens; we don't. In PA, our republican legislature which funds a lot of Philadelphia's SEPTA system, referred to it as "welfare system" and finds it distasteful to fund properly. They would rather spend millions on a small road in rural PA which attracts a few vehicles a day than fund a system which moves 400,000 + per day.
13
As a commuter frequently flying to NYC for business, I am always amazed and appalled at how just downright filthy the city streets are in general and the subway specifically. Dead rats, empty pizza boxes, spilled (who knows what). This is nothing new and yet New Yorkers seems like a proud lot. My only explanation is that they must really like it that way because nothing is really changing. Go back and listen to the Rolling Stones "Shattered" from 1978...it's still the same.
2
While I have ridden in many public transit systems (10 or more), my most surprising time was in Berlin. At first I could not clearly identify what was so different. All of a sudden I realized...nobody seems to be in a hurry. No turnstiles (but as a warning don't try fare cheating. The roving conductor will take you off the train and the fines are substantial) and no hustle and bustle, because trains run more frequently. If you miss one you seldom wait more than a few minutes for the next train. True the cars are sometimes old, but they are well maintained and clean as are all of the stations. Also important the signage is top drawer. One actually has to try to get lost.
3
Yes, the nyc subway needs updating and upgrading but the London Tube is not 24 hours. It closes at midnight. The cost of a trip depends on the distance travelled. And when there are problems with lines the only alternative it offers is a cab. Compare and despair.
1
Tokyo has 2 subway systems. Tokyo Metro (a rapid transit authority) has 9 lines, 179 stations, and 121 miles of track. Its first line opened in 1927. The other, Toei, is operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and has 4 lines, 99 stations, and 67 miles of track. In addition, JR East has above ground 2 core lines (Yamanote -- going around the circle (29 stations, 21 miles, from 1885), and Chuo -- going through the center), which are among the busiest lines in the city, as well as several others branching into the suburbs. Most of the subway lines are seamlessly connected with above ground commuter lines operated by other train companies (so no need to get off the train). Regarding cost, the fare depends on distance, but the cheapest fare is about $1.50, and going from one end of a subway line to the other -- across the city -- about 20 stations or so -- is about $3.00. Most people live outside the boundaries of the subway, so they need to take both the subway and a commuter line, so the typical cost is about $5.00 one way. Japanese train companies are much more entrepreneurial than American ones, as they operate kiosks on the platforms, travel agencies, and department stores. The suburban private commuter rail companies developed residential real estate near their stations, and their trains led to big stations with big department stores. The train system in Kansai (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe) is similar in scale. Other cities like Nagoya have similar but smaller systems.
1
the subway can be bad in spots I am sure but honestly I have lived here for 30 years and have never been on a stuck train for more than 30 minutes. ever. and I take the train every day. all over the city.
the first year I lived here there was a pickpocket on the F train at 14th street. I called the police and the next day undercover cops met me at the station and caught them by the time we got to 34th street station.
the MTA and NYPD do a great job.
I always knew the MTA was bad, but after coming back to NYC after spending time on the Tokyo metro system, it was a literal slap in the face.
In Tokyo, a 30-second timetable differential is considered a 'delay' and apologized for.
In Tokyo, trains arrive frequently, like clockwork.
In Tokyo, transit worker wear uniforms, caps and white gloves. They consider it an Honor to work for the transit system and a Privilege to SERVE YOU (the rider). Within the MTA subway system however, workers seem to understand that they have a job for life, no matter what. There are no repercussions for poor performance, apathy towards customer needs, or rudeness.
The Tokyo system is managed and run like a business. In NYC, it's run like a typical overbloated, bureaucratic, unprofessional, poorly-managed governmental/public service entity
14
No mention of Hong Kong’s MTR?
2
There are a great many reasons why Vienna usually tops the Best City in the World To Live In competition. The public transport system--trams, buses, u-bahns and s-bahns can usually get you within two blocks of any address. The entire u-bahn system is less than 40 years old and they're still expanding it. Well lit platforms that are very clean and you ride on quiet new air conditioned trains. But a good 40% of the u and s barns and trams are still not air conditioned which is pretty awful in summer. More people ride the subway in NY each day than even live in Vienna but good grief, what's wrong with slapping a little paint on the walls?
2
Stockholm public transport is the most expensive I've encountered in Europe, if not globally, definitely not cheap.
2
@ Berlin: "You also don’t validate your ticket when you enter a platform, which I think only works because of German culture."
If you buy a single-fare ticket, you must validate it on the platform (or wherever the requisite machines are on subways and buses). The German verb in this context is interesting. "Entwerten" means, among other things, "invalidate" AND "validate." A ticket without a date- and time stamp bears a value equal to what you paid; when you stamp it, you cancel that monetary value and simultaneously subject yourself to time and other restrictions while using subways and buses.
If you buy a pass for a day's (or several days' or a week's) travel, you also must stamp the ticket at the first use, thereby establishing when the period of validity begins.
Even though you may have legitimately purchased a ticket and produce it if inspectors ask, if it bears no valid (or an invalid) stamp, you must pay a hefty fine.
I love Berlin!
3
@john As well as getting the ticket validation wrong, that person also obviously has not been to Kottbusser Tor or Schonleinstrasse stations. They are basically open toilets. The smell of the homeless who hang out and drink and smoke and urinate there along with all the trash is awful. Also, I love Berlin!
Most of these other cities are national capitals. Istanbul is not but is the only mega-city in Turkey and that country's portal to the world. Those systems all get heavy support from their national governments. New York gets only a little, despite the fact that (if NJ Transit is included) fully half of all public transportation trips in the US are in the New York metro area. When you consider that New York is the only US city utterly dependent on mass transit, and that NYC revenue measures have to be approved by Albany, it is not hard to see why our subway is treated like a poor stepchild.
10
This is an interesting feature but far too subjective. NYC's subway has massive faults and challenges, but it also needs to be seen in the context of what it costs. I would have liked to see a box with each person's impressions that factually lays out some numbers.
-What is the average fare?
-What is the public investment per year divided by population?
Otherwise, to take but one example, praising London's Tube is nonsense, given the obscene cost of riding it compared to the $2.75 for the subway. [I have lived in both NYC and London.]
4
I think nobody has mentioned Bangkok's Sky Train yet. It's not a subway, it's above ground. But it works. And it goes to the airport. Bangkok is an Asian megacity. And I don't think anyone has mentioned subways in Guangzhou or Beijing yet (Shanghai was mentioned a few times) -- massive subway systems in Asian megacities. (Also going to the airport.) There's certainly no shortage of ideas around the world on how to do things better.
2
@MarkE
Hi Mark-
Of course, Bangkok's Sky Train is Canadian/German technology and the same train systems are used in many airports around the world. See Vancouver.
The system was designed to operate in the tight quarters of urban centers.
1
Add Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok to the list of subways that are cleaner, safer and more timely.
So, remind me again; which is the 3d world city?
2
Some context on Japan:
In eastern Yokohama, 3 train companies (JR, Tokyu, Keikyu) operate 5 sets of tracks (JR has 3 sets of tracks) running between central Yokohama and Tokyo. Some tracks (especially JR) serve more than one line. Each line has varying levels of express and local service (at least 3 levels). During the rush hour, the JR Tokaido line has 15-car jam-packed trains going up the line every 3 minutes. If all of these people drove cars, there simply wouldn't be enough room on the road for them (or anyplace for them to park). There is another major line (Denen Toshi) going from western Yokohama into Tokyo, also with several levels of express/local service. These are all above ground. (Yokohama also has a modest municipal subway, just as good as other Japanese cities.)
Regarding funding, in Japan, workplaces reimburse workers for taking public transportation to work, but they do not reimburse for cars. Besides, many workplaces, especially in central Tokyo, do not offer parking. If you drove to Tokyo to work, you would probably be stuck in a traffic jam all day, and you would have to pay half of your day's salary to park in a public garage (maybe not near your workplace). I get reimbursed $10 per day for commuting (bus+ train).
2
@MarkE My employer pays for my monthly limited metro card.
You can't have your cake and eat it, too. Yes, the NYC subway system pales in comparison to some newer systems in social democratic countries on the basis of safety, cleanliness, and on time delivery. But who else delivers 24/7 and has express trains for a single price of $2.75 ($3.00) for the ENTIRE system? If you've ever had to ride one of those other systems and stared at the 20 stops you need to get through in order to reach you destination, you will thank God everyday for express trains.
2
@Xander Sun
Seoul: $1,20 base price within 10Km range. Additional 9 Cent per 5 Km. I've never paid more than $2,20 per trip and the service is outstanding including heated seats.
Why was Paris not mentioned? Hmmm...
This article makes an unreasonable comparison. The NYC subway system is very old. The subway systems compared to it were built more recently and the riders don't have the same diverse cultures with different values. Moreover, American society, particularly NYC is much more permissive than other countries with strict regulations. There are other differences as well. For example, the subway in London is very expensive. The population in the countries mentioned also offer better benefits to its citizens instead of the poverty in this country with the highest military budget in the world many European and other countries expect to come to their aid when in trouble.
Regardless, compared to the subways I experienced in Europe, the NYC subway is exciting and interesting and it is used by the poorest in a city that is very expensive and with a wide variety of cultures and it is affordable to the poorest in spite of the complaints. The upper and middle class in decline in NYC just walk, take a cab, or the bus.
3
@ART
While I agree with you that the prices on the London tube are higher, it's not true to say that the system is younger than NYC. Most of the lines are older than the NY subway.
4
I would prefer a more analytical and statistical comparison. This is not to justify the bad performance of the NYT system, but one needs to consider the politics, age, and extent of each system to make a fair comparison.
As for details:
- Who funds the subway?
- Who maintains the subway?
- How much track per system?
- Measured on-time performance?
- How many people does it serve?
- How old is the system?
There are others, but you get the point, and then again, there is the culture behind the system, the inclination of a nation toward order, coordination, and rule-following.
8
Another sacred cow that is not mentioned is homelessness. At the end of each line here in Mexico.Coty, a police officer ensures everyone has exited the train. There are no homeless on the trains. Would New Yorkers support strong enforcement like that?
4
@John I'm a longtime New Yorker who doesn't mind homeless people on the trains. We have a big issue here with housing and this at least helps them stay warm.
3
Nothing in Amsterdam is rodent free. Let alone its subway system.
7
This is what happens when we invest our money into infrastructure instead of billionaires and corporate profits. It can be done, it is done, and we are allowing ourselves to accept less by not voting for politicians who are working for the Greater Good instead of corporations and billionaires.
11
Well, Berlin public transport is not all shiny but it actually runs on a schedule most of the time. The night busses and trams on a weeknight and the 24h service from Friday till Sunday night are great. The public transport was not built for 3.8 Million people and growing but it still runs more or less smoothly. Many here Berlin complain but compared with other cities in Germany it is great. The New York subway didn't shock me at all when I visited NYC. It was like expected. Maybe I watched to many TV series that featured the Subway.
2
I’ve lived in NYC for 35 years, and I’ve also experienced subway systems in many other countries. I actually love the NYC subway system. I’ve only occasionally been delayed because of it, and I depend on it daily. For the number of people served, it’s impressive. There are many gorgeous new and old mosaics. My main complaint is that I wish there were more accessible stations. That’s a serious issue with our system, IMO. It would also be nice to have trash cans in every station at platform level. In my dream world, vending machines like those in Seoul would dispense little Dixie cups of coffee for a buck.
5
@Andrea R
I'm 70 y/o. So I remember the subway from the 50s. Until about the mid-60s, the subway had candy vending machines on platform polls and plenty of trash bins. However, they were removed when graffiti started to appear in the mid-60s. One must also remember that the IND, which opened in 1932 with the A train, and which was mostly completed before the War, represented the height of technology at the time, including the two longest subway express runs in the world - 59th to 125th on the 8th Ave A Express, and Continental Ave to Roosevelt Ave on the 6th Ave Express F train.
My daughter often took Amtrak home from college. The trains were often late and once broke down in the middle of nowhere and people walked for a couple of miles on the track to get to the next town. Then she did study abroad in India. The trains ran on time, to the minute, and did not break down. She learned to keep her backpack on her lap and how to say no sitting on my lap, as was the custom on long rides with too few seats. There were wire cages with chickens, ducks, etc. The people were friendly and so happy to meet students from America who could even speak their language a bit. THE TRAINS RAN ON TIME.
7
The big difference is that these countries have governments that care about their people.
Our current government only cares about making sure rich people get massive tax cuts and demonizing people of color.
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@Sterling Caring about people. The is Socialis to Trump and the GOP. The GOP is the reason Americans can't have nice thing for everybody. In America only rich folks get nice things. In America if you are rich you are god blessed.
1
Yes, the New York City subway system is an uncleaned toilet. And many of the riders are responsible for its condition.
But many of the other subway systems mentioned in this article, especially in Europe, were built after the cities were bombed out of existence 75 years ago.
The New York City subway system for better or worse (albeit worse) has been going 24 hours a day for almost 120 years.
8
You should have looked at Hong Kong instead of Vancouver. omg Kong's MTR is amazing and has grown dramatically over the past 20 years. The problem with Vancouver is that the system, feels like a toy train compared to other systems. It's very small. And those discussions about a new line? They could go on for another decade or more. It usually does.
1
And yet not a single mention of the fares. London tube is 4.90 pounds for zone 1 -- and you pay more the further you go. No mention of the hours the other systems operation. No mention of the amount of passengers served per day, per year. No mention of the average age of the other systems. No mention of the homeless populations in these countries. Stop bashing and maybe offer solutions instead of a poor attempt to make comparisons when so many other variables are not even considered or mentioned.
29
@Jim agree. The NYC subway has been running 24/7 for a very long time.
It is important to have input also from disabled riders, elderly, people with children and packages. Boston's system is hopeless in this regard, but Berlin's isn't much better, for example.
2
Yes!!!! Lack of accessibility is THE most serious problem with the NYC subway system. The West 23rd station had a gorgeous renovation recently but did not add an elevator, which is inexcusable, so it remains inaccessible.
4
There was a mentally ill homeless guy on the subway train yesterday, smoking and covered in his own filth, who was ranting so loudly and violently, everyone (rush hour) was visibly shaken up. Later I saw a homeless person had literally constructed a shack inside a subway car, made of shopping carts and Ikea bags. It’s just unbelievable how chaotic they’ve let the subway become. No doubt this is all out of regard for homeless people's right to be left alone.
10
you forget about Singapore. clean, on time and reliable.
5
@Khalid Karim Taipei is the best of all.
2
Nowhere comes close to Metro in Shanghai, not the Tube in London nor the Metro in Paris. Vancouver has nice views from the SkyTrain; the platforms in DC are the least tunnel like; the retro designs in Sydney are cool; Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Soeul are fun for tourists and safe, but nothing holds a candle to Shanghai for safety, convenience, scale, cost...awesome, even when packed at rush hour.
6
@Mark AND the Shanghai Metro is not only cheap, and many of the stations have walls that are works of art, but there are lines that extend way out into the suburbs. The Metros in other Chinese cities (Beijing, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Chengdu) are also excellent. Even the ads on the walls are high tech and fun.
1
@Janice Moulton & @Mark Ditto!
I used to live in NYC and loved every minute of it. That's because I rarely had to make my way through the disgusting, inhospitable portals of the Big Apple: Penn Station and Port Authority. Making your way from one of those locations to anyplace in NYC is a trip through a third world country -- and you better not have a suitcase -- you'll never get it through the turnstiles, down the steps, or up the steps. Thank goodness NYC has such bravado, otherwise visitors would see it for what it is: a mess. NYC has more visitors than any other city in the country. Is this what we want the world to think of us, just a big fat emperor with no clothes on?
15
Just a note on using public transportation in Berlin, you do need to validate or stamp your ticket, unless it has the time of sale printed on it.
7
@lmsh Don't ride the subway in Berlin without having the ticket validated. I have seen police with dogs checking tickets and giving citations.
2
It's a running daily joke that the GOP is having another amazing "Infrastructure Week", every week of the year. Laughable because we know they run on this platform every 2-4 years to make our 3rd world crumbling outdated infrastructure the BEST in the world. Once elected, they cut funds already earmarked for transportation projects. Pathetic. All we do get are low rent global mobsters stealing what public monies that we do have. I have zero hope left that anything will ever change under the GOP. Our transportation grids & infrastructure will only deteriorate further under their severe lack of leadership with zero vision for the future. sigh.
11
It is a mystery to me why crews can't at least power wash the waiting areas and cars. (yes, it may need to be done at 3 AM).
For a country that is arguably the most successful this planet has ever seen, far too much of our public transportation is disgusting.
6
@SLBvt The subways are powerwashed, and the cars are cleaned. It is a really old system.
Billionaires and millionaires. I bet NYC has more than any other concentrated area. And all levels of .1% wealth.
Hey kiddies. Do you think that the income inequality that seems like it is trying to become a mobilizing issue might have something to do with not having the money to fund the projects that affect us all. Housing, education, health care and transportation for 95% of us. But is okay. Who was that guy with the 238MM house on 58th Street. I just don't feel the benefit.
Yes it is captilalism but it is also a democracy and we the majority can make rules, as we have already done that say that what is best for the majority is the best for the country. Like clean, on time public transportation. But then of course we probably couldnt aspire to have a 238MM penthouse on 58th Street that we would never ever live in.
OMG. Is it possible that it is not corruption but no money. Everyone touts Moscow. Beautiful system. Built on slave labor in a country without freedom of speech. Doesn't seem like a positive trade off.
And who else has great public transportation. I bet there tax base is a whole lot higher than ours. A whole lot.
1
That's all nice. But let's talk about fares and state subsidies. One ride on the tube can cost $7.70 US. The new Crossrail link on the tube is a $23 Billion investment. A single ride in zurich can cost $6.57.
New York gets what it is willing to pay for.
1
The secret to Tokyo's system being so good is they shut it down nightly and 100,000 workers clean and service the entire system each day. That's a lot of jobs!
7
@Citizen That wouldn't work in NYC, aka the city that never sleeps. The trains here get cleaned throughout the day when they reach their last stops, and the stations get cleaned during the night.
1
When I lived around New York, knowing the subway system by heart was like a right of passage. You weren't a true New Yorker unless you could navigate all forms of New York transit without a phone. It was an accomplishment others admired. Not because we didn't have smart phones. Because we didn't need them.
It's like the old George Costanza joke from Seinfeld. Magnificent facilities. You transform yourself into this walking encyclopedia of urban knowledge. I can map most of the NYC subway bathrooms in my head. However, you probably wouldn't ever want to use most of them. Not unless you know their cleaning schedules ahead of time.
2
Are the homeless prevalent in the subway cars/stations in these Utopian Cities?
Most of the essayists speak of the less-than-fresh smell in NYC subways, yet one only needs to enter a too-good-to-be-true empty subway car to...
2
New York subway system is the worst in the world period.
I just moved to Tokyo from New York a couple of months ago. My God what a difference! I can't believe I don't have to step over rats to get to the train car or be always on the alert because of all the criminal activity going on. The cops are nowhere to be found in any subway station. Specially when there is problem. What are the taxes people pay for? In Tokyo you can eat off of the floor, that's how clean it is. There are subway employees dusting off the corners of the ceiling! If you lose your wallet here you can be sure you can get it back with all the money in it! If Americans will get out more they will see that they are getting scammed and would demand better from government officials.
It's an absolute disgrace what's happening to transportation system in New York. The fact that is 24 hours service 365 days a year is no excuse at all. The world is leaving the US behind in so many fields, it is sad. I feel sorry for people in New York. I lived there for almost 30 years. While I had some great times in NYC, there was always a nightmare waiting for you underground not matter where you went in the city. I am so happy I don't have to go through that anymore.
8
There are few things on which the UK and London could provide a template for improvement to New York. Only a relatively few years ago London was importing US transportation experts to help alleviate the problems of London's not just atmospherically antique, but actually critically outdated Victorian underground infrastructure. The leading edge solutions of the Metropolitan Railway in 1863 based on steam engines drawing gas-lit wooden carriages (!) and the subsequent century of growing like topsy simply couldn't cope with the pressures of public transport requirements in the 1970s and 1980s.
What was the "solution"? Jacking up fares to generate revenue that would then justify the investment required to replace aging rolling stock, refurbish stations and platforms, re-signal tracks digitally, increase capacity and improve passenger safety and experience and unblock traffic pinch-points.
Of course, like the Forth Road Bridge, it's not and never will be a job anyone will "complete", but generating the revenue to justify the very substantial investment to improve the infrastructure is not a lesson that any Londoner should feel comfortable about telling any New Yorker. You invented it first!
1
There is no system as extensive and old as NYC’s transit system. Also, there is an enormous lack of support for NYC transit from other parts of NY state where voters continuously veto any financial plan that would benefit urban area transport. Considering the obstacles we face that are beyond our control, I am amazed and delighted how successfully I can get around NYC thanks to our transit system. People should be encouraged to respect and support our system, to keep it clean, and to respect each other.
9
@Andrew Greenhouse The London Underground is both older (1863 vs 1904) and more extensive (402 km vs 373 km), and a million times better. I lived in London in the late 1980s and have now lived in NYC for 20 years. London Underground in 1988 was far more modern than the NYC subway is in 2018. I'm neither delighted or amazed with the appalling service I receive, even if it's a little bit cheaper than the one in London.
8
How is it so hard to just stop people littering on to the tracks in NYC? It should cost basically nothing to get rid of most of the rats.
2
@Ric Part of the issue is that for some reason, a few years ago, trashcans were removed from many stations at the platform level. MTA, please put the trashcans in every single station.
3
Toronto, Singapore, New Delhi, even Kolkota deserve mention. Friends visiting us from Asia look at our subway system in disgust and horror. So long as our governments, federal and state, do not prioritize transportation infrastructure, this chasm will widen.
3
New York city - the city's notoriously antiquated (lack of systematic upgrading), filthy, unsafe and unreliable is a perfect example of decades of corrupt government management. Maintenance on cars, tracks and stations doesn't exist. The rodent infestation makes it unhealthy to even breath. A culture shock to visitors from many countries, who enjoy subway systems that are far superior to NYC. What they don't see, is the entire infrastructure (water, gas, electric systems) are in the same or worse condition.
5
@Pauline Hartwig I've lived in NYC for 35 years and you're exaggerating! There is no issue with breathing in our subway system, and maintenance on cars, tracks and stations is happening, albeit too slowly. Yes, rats are occasionally seen, but this is a major city with massive numbers of people using the system, so yes, at times rats show up. Many stations have been upgraded in recent years.
1
Disappointed you didn't include Singapore and Taiwan; two systems that are better than Tokyo and other European cites.
1
In general the US has a third world transportation system. NYC may be bad, very bad but at least there is public transportation. In most parts of the country if you don’t have a car you are stranded. Most places aren’t even pedestrian friendly. Airports in the US are a disgrace compared to other cities, NY/NJ airports being pretty bad.
7
If we didn't spend over 50% of budget on war/defense there would be plenty of money to fix infrastructure and everything else. Our budget is insane. Due to military industrial complex.Prison industrial complex-2.3 million in jail? Insanity.
22
I suppose those who are in charge of our NYC subway system travel to other countries to learn from those who have better and more efficient transport system than ours. I don’t know what the MTA budget is for capital improvements but I imagine that there is a substantial amount appropriated. 2 of several variables in our transport system are infrastructure and people. Our infrastructure is old but old does mot mean dirty. The city is filthy and littered with trash - underground, aboveground, and along the highways. We must mind ourselves and take pride in keeping our city clean. As regards infrastructure, one important safety measure I saw in Japan was to construct waist high barriers to prevent people from falling into the tracks. Of course, this requires precision in ensuring that the doors align with the passageway where people can go in and out of the trains - that should not be difficult for our expert train drivers. The economics of our transport fares and cost of maintaining and improving the subways is for another discussion. Riders resist increases in fares for many reasons but perhaps one is that they do not see their money going towards any improvement; on the contrary, they may think it is worse.
1
Public transportation in the States is a joke because
1. We don't pay nearly as many taxes as European countries.
2. Our government doesn't prioritize using the money we do pay to fund public transportation.
3. Most American cities are so spread out that fast & efficient public transportation is nearly impossible to implement.
In order for public transportation to work here, we would need to reorganize our cities and give up our cars. Unfortunately, we're too lazy and selfish to do either.
5
You don’t need higher taxes to pay for public transportation ....just look at Hong Kong and Singapore.
If the NY subways would shutdown like many of these other cities during the night - then a lot of maintenance, repair and cleaning could be done. Perhaps NY subways could be brought up to the other cities's standards.
3
In SF, BART is not bad. The incompetent SF MUNI is terrible, the Italy made old carts broke down all the time, halting the whole subway lines. Let's see how new carts from Siemens fare. I heard great things about the Tube now. But in 2003-5, it was in a sad condition. I was also amazed it costed almost 3 times, ~over $7, for a ride in city center(zones 1&2), if you didn't buy the discount pass for tourists - typical jobs at London paid less than SF's! While visiting Taipei, Taiwan, I found their subways are so efficient, clean, and cheap, take you everywhere like other Asian cities'. It takes SF MUNI ~$2bn to build a tiny 1.7 miles 4-station extension. AND it's been snailing for 10 years, taking longer than Taiwan's 15-station bullet train line. If no one can cut our high subway construction costs (~5 times of Asian/European cities'), we won't have that kind of mass transit we need. It also makes our ever worsening housing and income inequality issues even more painful.
@Max Holm: BART is basically a commuter system for the suburbs. There's one line going through San Francisco. They finally put an extension into San Francisco International Airport to encourage people to get off the highways. Then they added a surcharge to the fare. Some incentive!
1
How do you miss Hong Kong in an article such as this? The trains here run with a 99.9% on time rate. The Hong Kong MTR Company also runs the Stockholm metro and part of the London metro featured here.
3
@Mark de Silva
I could not agree more. The Hong Kong Metro is user friendly, fast, clean, spacious, reliable, cheap, and in spite of everything: profitable. It's quite a miracle how the MTR pulls it off.
2
@Mark de Silva Agreed as well. Hong Kong has an amazing system, easy to navigate, efficient, clean. I was impressed.
Very little has changed with the MTA since i left NYC in 1992, with only one visit since(1994). Besides ripping up practically all of the subway lines in all of the boroughs the mindset has to change, in order to fix things. It's also the greed. As one person commented mentioned having a family member who works for the MTA and describes the cons many of the employees pull off and their attitudes regarding working for the MTA. Makes me wonder how many grifters work for that agency. Some of the comparisons shown are unfair. You can't compare New York with Sweden, or Vancouver, Istanbul, Zurich. New York vs. Moscow and Tokyo you can. Those two cities with all of their flaws at least take pride in their mass transit, down to the level of thinking about the greater good instead of the individual and the greed. It comes down to empathy really. If i want to rip off the MTA and cause harm to others by doing so, it will affect me too. If i throw that sandwich or garbage onto the tracks rats will eat it. Now that said, the subway system needs to be reworked and rebuilt from scratch. To think after 27 years not much has changed tells me it is indeed an New york/American cultural, mindset problem. Who cares? It's just government money anyway being spent to maintain a dilapidated system. "Good enough for government work" as the old saying goes.
2
Loved the Vancouver example. NY should investigate automation: how it could save money and how it insulates them from transit strikes. But politically, it will never happen. The consolation prize is that we can hear-- endlessly-- how NY is the greatest city in the world.
Please tell me, what New Yorker leaves home planning to make a scheduled train? No one. Making the trains run "on time" is not needed.
Budapest's system is a toy.
London is better, much better, but the English are a polite people who assist the elderly and the pregnant. Even if Albany were not comprised of dysfunctional crooks, it could not create manners.
Let's hire a firm to close the gaps between trains, and that will be a move-than-sufficient improvement.
1
There is a bit more to the Berlin transit system than the person commenting here mentions, namely that there in addition to the U-bahn (Underground), there is also an S-bahn (Stadtschnellbahn) that generally runs above ground to the outer boroughs, and was once a separate entity operated by East-Berlin when the Wall divided the city.
Since the reunification they have more or less merged, but not without problems -- nor are they as clean and punctual with track work sometimes shutting parts of the system down for days at a time.
As a New York-Berliner familiar with both systems, there's no real comparison between them since the population in NYC at 8.6 million dwarfs that of Berlin at around 3.6 million.
Besides that, only New Yorkers can boast about having the by now world famous "Pizza Rat".
2
Until citizens (riders) respect the transit property and transit system (as they do in the other countries that are highlighted in the article), New York will continue to have the subway system it has. Why should there be increased public investment in a system that the minority of riders treat as a waste dump, and the majority of its riders have a laissez-faire attitude to such behavior.
I would blame the people for the decay of the NYC subway system. Every time in the past that additional funding was needed, there was a cry of "no new taxes" and "save the fare." A British show on NYC mentioned that a typical ride on the London Underground cost twice as much as in NYC. So, the people got what they wanted---a cheap underfunded transit system whose infrastructure has started to fail. I will not be around to see this, but metal fatigue will eventually cause the elevated line supports to fail. We have already had to replace bridges on this account and what is the subway other than a long bridge? The worst crisis is yet to come as when a train falls to the street.
3
One underappreciated feature of the Paris Metro that NYC would benefit greatly from is the system of one-way pedestrian tunnels that keep people moving on and off the trains and to and from connecting platforms. In NY, when disembarking at a station stop and trying to go up the stairs to exit, one encounters a massive tide of oncoming passengers; in Paris, one follows the Sortie exit signs and walks along a one-way concourse unimpeded and almost unaware that anyone is traveling in the opposite direction. It is only when you peer around the corner of an unmarked passageway that you see the parade of passengers moving in the other direction. It's a brilliant way to keep thing flowing smoothly.
9
This raises the question of how the various systems are funded.
2
There are many things wrong with the NY Subway system. But comparing it to those of other societies is unfair. It is vastly easier to maintain and improve systems in homogeneous societies that have a shared commitment - both on the part of transit employees and passengers – to quality of life and the maintenance of cultural standards. New York is a multicultural cauldron of competing, often antagonistic sectors, and hence it is no surprise that its underground system is an anarchic roil of deafening musics, aggressive mobile mendicants, masses of 'students' who do not know the ABC's of civil behavior, and connective tunnels that are massive urinary tracts. For decades, the ever-ingenious work of vandals has been dealt with by re-designing subway cars to resemble prison facilities--replete with hard seating, spray paint retardant surfaces, locked restrooms, and banished vending machines. Yet all this was hardly enough. Barring any successful effort to mitigate the behavior of many passengers - mission impossible - no effort at making the trains run on time will mean much.
9
New York is not the only large multicultural city. London is at least as diverse. Multiculturalism does not prevent investment in public transport, what a strange idea.
11
Glass half full here. We have one of the earliest and greatest subway systems in the world. This article needs to create a chart comparing size, stops, cost wait time etc. Yes, there is a lot of improvements that need to be done. You can go from Wall Street to 42nd street in 10 minutes or less on the 4-5. West site 1, N R. And it reaches many miles into Brooklyn Queens and the Bronx. NY and the USA need to make major infrastructure investments. NEW 2nd Avenue line is AWESOME! Build the tunnel to Staten Island. Money needs to be directed to infrastructure projects and new trains. The 1 %, Successful corporations, and Congress need to realize that their no tax strategies contribute to our nations crumbling infrastructure.
4
Americans are the least traveled especially to foreign countries. That's why most Americans just don't know that the US is a first world country with a third world infrastructure. Had more Americans been abroad, they would have demanded better, if not the best, roads, bridges, public transportation, airports, and other public infrastructure.
25
Notice that none of the compared transit lines are in the US.
Vancouver has the Seabus as well to get to Londsale Quay. But what is (clearly) missing is lines to go to North and West Vancouver. At the least, the SkyTrain should have a line that goes to the West Vancouver ferry dock.
If you live or want to go east of Vancouver, SkyTrain is great. North or South, not so much (although it does go the airport but I don't fly there :)
It would be interesting to include the basic fare (or range). Sometimes, you get what you pay for. In addition, as others have said, to taxes.
1
The difference appears to be the increased willingness of Europeans and others to pay higher taxes than Americans are willing to pay for infrastructure and other programs operated by their governments. For cultural reasons Europeans believe they need to work together for a the common good. Americans tend to believe that each of us is responsible for their own personal welfare. We simply don't believe in social programs as much as other cultures. Then there are those of us who believe we're entitled to high end amenities as long as we don't have to pay for it and it's ok to tax the other guy. Or as the trope goes in tax reform: "don't tax me. Don't tax thee. Tax the other fellow behind the tree."
6
The measure of all things in America is how little we pay in taxes. I sense that there is less social cohesion and the idea of "the public good". I do not like to knock my countrymen, but one receives what one is willing to support. The New York subway system is the way it is as it appears that the citizenry is both satisfied enough with it and unwilling to pay for better. How I too love the transport systems in Europe where evidently people demand better and pay for it.
11
@MED: my husband and I together earn slightly less than the median household income in the US (we live in the Rustbelt Midwest, where housing is relatively low cost, otherwise we wouldn't be making it).
Yet I do our taxes myself, and we pay about 1/3rd of income in taxes -- maybe a tad more. Oddly, it is not the Federal taxes that are a problem. It is the LOCAL taxes killing us -- I pay 2-3 times in property taxes alone (on a small colonial in an inner ring suburb) than I do in Federal income tax! That's not considering high sales taxes or county income tax or a thousand other ways they screw us other.
If 1/3rd is not enough -- for a couple over age 60, nearing retirement -- with under $60K in income -- tell me what would be enough? I genuinely want to know. 50%? 60? (as in Denmark or Sweden)? 75%?
1
@Concerned Citizen Perhaps you need to understand that in Denmark and Sweden, while people pay a higher tax rate, they also have higher income. And those taxes also pay for services that you as an American have to pay out of pocket.
3
I'm familiar with every subway featured. But the article missed the best one on the planet -- the Seoul subway (I happen to live in Seoul), which is clean, efficient, inexpensive, extensive, and more or less brand new. The first stretch only opened in 1973. I should also mention that every single station has free, clean bathrooms.
4
Study abroad students aren't really the best source for this story. They have far different travelling patterns than the average resident/commuter, can usually avoid travelling at peak times, and are hopped up on new-city energy that they don't really notice or care about delays. My London commute takes me well over 40 minutes. And like New York, much of the city is only served by bus.
4
Toronto’s system is great.
Easy connections, clean stations, most if not all having elevator access for those unable to use escalators or stairs.
Cars have through-access to the next with no doors intervening. Folding handicapped seats and allow for wheelchair availability locations, where they can be strapped into place.
Although not necessarily “artsy”, service is great.
At non busy hours, pets are permitted.
I’ve seen racks for bicycles s well.
Only drawback is it doesn’t run from 1 am until 6 am., but all bus lines run 24/7.
4
@Saul RP Toronto transit infrastructure is horrendous. Clean stations don't make up for lack of accessibility via limited subway routes. Talk about a transit system whose infrastructure is not only predicated on the use of buses, but lets not forget the street car. NYC has since inherited Toronto's deported transit chief Andy Byford. His heart is in the right place, but unfortunately, that will only get you so far when dire change is required. I love Toronto. Hands down, best service industry.
The honor system in German cities (and presumably also elsewhere) only works because of the existence of frequent controls by plain clothes employees: the car doors are closed, and a team checks every single passenger. People without ticket are taken onto the platform, must show their ID, and are given hefty fines.
4
@Chris WVill Salt Lake Ciity also has an honor system on its TRAX system. There are machines at the various stops where you are expected to buy a ticket. I was told inspectors came by to check for tickets, though I saw none during the four days I spent there last fall (mostly a long weekend). Maybe they are more active during the workweek. It was amazing to me to see a community in the US where people were trusted to do the right thing. Their TRAX (light rail) system also goes from the city center to the airport without changes, again on the honor system.
@Chris WVill
Or it works because people are generally honest and fare checks verify this.
We got fare gates in Vancouver recently due to fear-mongering by right-wing politicians despite stats indicating that the lost revenue is so minor that it wouldn't cover the the maintenance costs (which it doesn't). Now if some rare punk doesn't pay, a fare gate needs to be repaired instead of just losing $3.
2
The article on subways brought back memories of my time in Japan 1946-47. I was serving with the U.S. Army in the small farming village of Kokobunji. We occupied a former laundry for our base of operations. This was a very rural setting, and on weekends, I would board the toonerville trolley/train to ride into Tokyo.
The car was always packed with locals on their way to Tokyo and stops in between. Standing was common as seats were rare.
Since this was 1946, you must imagine how old these cars were.
What a difference from the picture you show of Kokobungi station today. I don't recall if an actual physical station even existed at that time.
5
In NYC's defense, please consider the following: ours is the 9th oldest of all systems,much older than some on this list; to my knowledge, ours is the only that runs 24hrs a day, 365 days a year; our cars are larger than most and air conditioned which many on the list are not (think London, Amsterdam, Paris); ours is far less expensive than most on the list and one can travel from one end to the other with no surcharge - one price for any distance (think Tokyo and Hong Kong).
Now it's indefensible to consider the abject neglect that our system has been subjected to these past 50 years. In that light, we have no one to blame but ourselves (as in NYers AND Americans). Our city has gone through a rebirth since the mid-90s, yet investing in our subways has not kept pace. New cars were purchased but there were so many that were dilapidated that the money spent on cars didn't allow for much for expansion or upkeep. We have a long way to go to catch up with Japan and Hong Kong, but are we willing to pay the price in order to get there?
5
@ManhattanWilliam You know, the Chicago L has 2 24 hour lines, and they both were massively improved in the past decade, while remaining 24 hour. (though the south end of the Red line was shut down and replaced with busses for 5ish months). Most of the track work has been done at night, they run trains on one track, since they're 15 minutes apart, it's doable. Chicago's system is just as old as New Yorks, and the two busiest lines are 24 hour, yet maintenance (while it was long neglected) they found a way to pay for, and complete it in the last decade. I went to school in Chicago from 2009-2015, and watched as the system went from broken, to functional, and even in places now, beautiful. Stations are being rebuilt, beautified, repainted, etc, there's new trains on the tracks, no more half-century old railcars, etc. You gotta stop using 24-hr as an excuse.
4
@ManhattanWilliam
Your first para sets out various excuses for why NYC is worse ... but then your second para discusses the real reason. This is the main thing that New Yorkers should understand. The two cities NYC can be compared to in a fairest means are London and Paris. It is almost negligent journalism that Paris was not discussed here, not least because it is the current holder of "best Metro in the world". These three cities are comparable in size (Paris is 12.4m residents and with the RER it is quite a lot bigger than either of the other two, in km of track, no. of stations and pax pa). There may be a decade lead by London (first true underground with electric trains was London's Northern Line in 1890; the 186e Metropolitan was really a trenched steam-train and nothing like a modern Metro line). They all expanded hugely at roughly the same period (the first few decades of the 20th century).
I am biased because I lived there, but Paris is by far the best in both performance and fares (London is the odd one out in being at least twice as expensive as the others; Paris has recently become a lot cheaper for regular users of the RER).
[I'm running into word limit and will try to continue in second post ...]
1
@Alex F. Burchard
Maybe so, but there is no doubt that 24h operation not only adds a lot of cost to the system but it adds difficulties in maintenance & operation--even if it can be done via tricks like multitracks etc.
Even with driverless trains it isn't justifiable or sustainable.
It is a thing peculiar to the US and for no really good reason. None of the other big (mostly bigger) systems run such extravagance including Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Moscow, Paris, London, Berlin (these last few sometimes run o/n on weekends). The concept that there are 24 hour cities is a myth wherever it is propagated.
This is basically why I say that as far as I am concerned, there is no public transportation in San Francisco. As nasty as NY's is, you can mostly get around using it. Most of the possible trips I might need to take here are no faster than walking, and driving is MUCH faster even considering the difficulty of parking and traffic. Seemingly the only thing MUNI is good at is taking people to downtown jobs. And often getting them there late.
Light rail was not included in any of the three major street rebuilding efforts lately (Potrero, Van Ness, and Geary is next), and was not included on the rebuild of the SF-Oakland Bay Bridge (I guess they thought BART was sufficient. HA!) And as the Bay Area and Greater DC have discovered, reinventing trains with BART / The Metro was a terrible idea. Mexico City had the good sense to buy themselves a copy of the Paris Metro; DC bought themselves a copy of BART.
1
@S. B. I lived in San Francisco during two different periods, totaling 12 years, and never owned a car (I rented one when I needed one). I found buses, streetcars, taxis, BART, etc. mostly met my needs. I also made a point of always living within walking distance of downtown (even if it was a very long walk that I did only when there was MUNI strike).
2
I was just speaking about this with my family, who has lived in NYC for a very long time. Yes NYC is a very big city and has an extensive and very old transit system, but these excuses are no reason to give up on the real need to modernize our infrastructure starting with NYC and moving all steadily to other parts of the country. It is somewhat embarrassing when one of the world’s most exciting cities that attracts millions of tourists yearly has a crumbling and low-functioning subway system. As the article argues, other cities around the globe do not have the problems we do of filth and inefficiency. What do they know that we don’t? Perhaps we can learn from them. There is no shame in emulation. It’s time to deal with the root problems of the transit system and bad infrastructure before it literally is too late.
4
American infrastructure (e.g., subways, trains, buses, roads, bridges) is third rate, as is well known to anyone who travels abroad. The GOP and its devotion to Norquists’s goal of making the government so small “you could drown it in a bath tub” are to blame. If Trump and the GOP really wanted to make our nation competitive and poised for future success and growth, they would start by funding major infrastructure projects, invest in education, invest in the green jobs that other Western countries are, and make health care a right, not a luxury.
43
@J. It takes a lot of effort to blame the GOP for New York City's dumb messes.
Grover Norquist and other "small government conservatives" are targeting the vast bulk of the country that *doesn't* have the high density necessary to make a subway system or complex (non-commuter corridor) light rail system economical.
NY's inability to keep the subway working well over the past 20 years (after a high point of clean-up compared to the crime-ridden 1980s) is an indication that there are fundamental problems that must be addressed in local and regional management. If you want evidence in favor of government's lazy and bloated incompetence, reading about the New York subway problems from across the country can certainly provide some.
1
@J. And yet when Donald Trump said the same thing during his election campaign, everyone including the Democrats booed him. The truth is the Dems, who have held considerable power under Bill Clinton and Obama, have much blame as the Republicans, and more to blame is a savage capitalist culture where all the luxuries go to the very rich and for the rest, the quality of the offerings are rock bottom.
2
@Cameron, NYC does not have home rule. Fiscal measures like funding for the subway or taxation are the purview of the NYS government which until last month was hogtied by a GOP controlled Senate.
2
Been riding the NYC subways for 25+ years. Service is unreliable (late trains, sporadic schedule changes), sense of safety is nonexistent (all NYers know to mind your own business and avoid eye contact with others), have witnessed MANY crimes ( robberies, perverts and gropers, panhandling, crackheads, drug sales, battery and assaults etc....), disgusting iconic subway smells (urine, feces, food, BO), and constant price hikes (remember when a token was $0.75). * Fault lies 1000% with decision makers and the transit union. * I have a family member who works for the MTA and constantly describes the money sucking schemes they pull off, in addition to specific demands to “not work too fast or hard.” NYC MTA = corruption at its finest / NYC MTA = it’s not just good, it’s good enough...
30
As a native New Yorker who grew up riding on the subways in New York everywhere, and a fan of subways around the world, it makes me sad to see just how the New York system has fallen. I was born in the early 50s, when the subways were relatively efficient. I lived through the very rough years of the 70s, through the 1980s, when deferred maintenance took an immense toll in reliability and appearance of the rolling stock. Some improvements came with new subway cars later, but presently the squabbling between the mayor and governor has the riding public held hostage, while service and reliability suffers. All while the population of NYC continues to grow, adding pressure to an already burdened system.
I see it as a microcosm of the state of affairs in this country when it comes to infrastructure, and the overall view towards mass transportation. Unfortunately, the auto, gasoline and oil companies lobbied hard after World War Two to place emphasis on road construction and travel, to the detriment of alternate means of transit.
I have traveled on some of the systems mentioned in the article, and always marveled at the cleanliness and efficiency. It is truly a shame that the NYC subways are in such sad shape, not befitting a great city like New York. There has to be the political will to make drastic improvements, so NYC's subways won't be the laughing stock of the world.
19
To all those who wax rhapsodic about the Moscow Metro, please bear in mind that it’s a product of slabs labor. It’s Stalin’s finest.
Every single place I’ve visited in Europe has superior public transportation to cities in the U.S.. it’s pathetic.
11
"I’ve traveled the NYC subway for 70 years, have never seen a gun or been robbed, even in the 70’s when the system was far, far worse than it is today."
That's a big wet kiss to the MTA/NYPD.
Just keep ignoring the strange fact that so many fatal "accidents" occur during off hours when there are the fewest passengers.
https://hiddenhomicides.blogspot.com/2018/10/updated-why-do-so-many-accidents-occur.html
6
What, no mention of the squeaky clean not to mention every stop has an escalator or elevator that ALWAYS work, subways of HongKong, Singapore and Shanghai?? Sorry these systems blow out of the water anything in Europe or North America. Methinks you are still stuck in the outdated thinking that Asia is still a backwater.
23
@MC I think they were relying on readers to share their experiences. Whether nobody from those cities wrote or whether some wrote but their stories weren't particularly compelling, I don't know. But I doubt it was intended to trash those cities, which anyone who's traveled there knows have terrific transit systems.
2
The article makes no mention of Toronto. Is it because it is in the neighborhood and not in Europe?
2
@Vasu Srinivasan I loved the TTC as a resident years ago but like NYC and Chicago, it’s not kept pace with the commuter demand, doesn’t have safety doors on the platforms (!!!) and doesn’t reach most parts of the city. I guess folks in Hogtown prefer to sit on the 401 instead. Sad.
@Vasu Srinivasan I think they were relying on readers to share their experiences. Maybe nobody from Toronto wrote. Maybe somebody from Toronto wrote but didn't provide a particularly compelling story.
1
The NYC subway stinks in every respect, especially in comparison to others around the world. What is most extraordinary is that all public officials that have any association with it brag that it is the best in the world. There are always delays on every line at any hour of the day or night (100% of the time). And woe to any rider that needs to change lines. Especially on weekends. The MTA searches far and wide to hire the most unhelpful, rudest and most unintelligent primitives to staff their stations and trains. If you are to ask one of them a question expect anything from morose unintelligable blab to a raging canipsha. The infrastructure would be laughably antique if it weren’t so dangerous. The system is overseen by a seriously flawed agency. Why should a lawmaker from rural upstate have any say whatsoever about the subway? A big bragging point has always been that it is open 24 hours a day. Why not shut it down after 1 am like they do in London? All that work that needs to be done to bring it up to decent par could be accomplished in a year. Whenever I ask that question people say “But this is New York and the working people need it 24 hours a day!” NOT!!! I am a working person who has done plenty of graveyard shifts in my time and generally that shift starts at 11 pm and ends at 7 pm. Any exceptions, transportation ought to be provided to the worker by their employer. The NYC subway is a disgrace mostly because it has such great potential.
11
@James Whelan People work nights in London and other big cities and still manage to get home. I believe London also has a limited system of buses that either run all night or for some time after the tube shuts down.
2
In Vienna, it's an honor system. No one checked my commuter train tickets, and no one checked my subway tickets. This is obviously impossible in NY - which really tells about the quality of the city and its people - sure, NY is wonderful, no doubt about it, but, it's also very dirty, messy, people don't follow rules, people don't have respect for each other; it's really embarrassing, and to think how international tourists see and rate NYC based on their impressions of trash and mice and graffiti and public urination .....
13
@Citizen X That's exactly what I was thinking when I recently visited Salt Lake City, which also has an honor system on its light rail lines. I just couldn't imagine it ever in a million years in NYC.
Why is Toronto not included in this comparison? We have a subway also, if you didn't know. We have two lines, called Line 1 and Line 2. Soon we will also have light rail. Some of it may be underground, so it will be a subway too, kind of. And it's clean, more or less, and the trains run most of the time. So like NYC or London, just, well, smaller.
I live in Toronto. I love the city, and I defend the TTC all the time because they are doing the best they can under very unfavourable political and financial circumstances. But it absolutely does not belong on any list of the best transit systems. And that’s incredibly sad because as recently as a generation ago, it probably did.
1
@r a TTC may have been world class... in the “60s! Far too small now. And still no safety doors on the platforms!!
@Mark
And the TTC wonders why there are an appalling number of suicides on the system. Something like 30 a year, and not even counting failed attempts.
It's not just Tokyo that has a clean, efficient, on-time subway system: It's also Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Nagoya, and Fukuoka, of the cities I have visited.
Furthermore, the systems are well-coordinated. In Tokyo, the JR above-ground heavy rail trains form the broad outlines of the transit system, and they are connected by a spider web of subway lines with plenty of transfer points. Some of these run out to the suburbs as surface trains.
Other rail lines in Tokyo (and Osaka and Kobe) were built by department stores(!). These lines terminate in the stores and run out to bedroom communities originally built on land owned by these retail conglomerates.
If the underground or above-ground train won't get you where you need to go, there are also buses that run among the stations, and in recent years, I've even seen neighborhood shuttle buses that serve the elderly who can't quite make it to the nearest bus or train stop.
Hardly anyone pays cash for tickets anymore. Instead, they use one of two debit cards that are valid on all trains and most buses in the metropolitan area.
8
In the last ten years--as a tourist, not a regular commuter--the subway travel I've experienced has been in four places: NYC, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Madrid. And what I found glaringly obvious was this: in the above named European cities, the speed, air quality, noise level, lighting, and general comfort levels of their subways were far superior to those of New York City's.
The New York system is obviously older, but that's not an excuse for the negligence and apathy that have made it so bad when compared to the systems in Europe, where governments are obviously much more responsive to the needs of the average commuter, not to mention the millions of tourists who enjoy the ease, efficiency, and, yes, pleasure of their respective subway systems.
Europeans have made high-quality transportation infrastructure a high priority. America has not.
18
Other transit systems around the world have a lot more money than we do and it shows. We starve the MTA for money, and then wonder why it's so bad. We expect fares to cover most of the cost, and delay basic maintenance due to the lack of money.
If we want the subway to be a world class system, we have to put in billions more per year to make sure maintenance is done on time, new lines are added quickly, and old technology is replaced. Most other countries believe this cost is well worth it. In New York, we have yet to make that commitment.
8
@David Weintraub People in at least some of the countries discussed are also willing to pay taxes, which fewer and fewer people in the US seem to be willing to do.
2
A couple of years ago, I worked for two weeks in Taipei. The Metro system there is new, eat-off-the-floors clean, and extensive. Attractive barriers protect passengers from falling from the platform onto the tracks. There are easy connections to the bus system, and rental bikes at every station. All are accessed by a single, easy-to-reload card. As newcomers with no knowledge of Chinese, my wife and I were able to get all over the city with ease.
I have also worked in Vienna for several weeks at a time. Apart from the modern U-Bahn, it's a much older system, dating from imperial times. But it is clean and reliable. The U-Bahn, trolleys, and buses all interconnect. It was a snap to travel from the Ringstrasse to the Vienna Woods in the suburbs. But of course Vienna is a much smaller city than New York, not having grown significantly from the time when it was the capital of a multi-ethnic empire.
5
It is incredibly disingenuous to make a comparison to other cities' systems without acknowledging the trickiest part of NYC subway maintenance: the system runs to every stop 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. No other system comes close (though some offer weekend 24-hour service).
Would I like the system to run more efficiently, have shorter wait times, and be cleaner? Absolutely. To improve the system we do need increased investments from a variety of sources (including East River tolls and Congestion Pricing fees). But this type of article reads as an attack on our system that intentionally withholds crucial information.
I'm sure the Stockholm metro is very lovely, but it has 1/5th of the stops, 1/5th of the system length, 1/5th of the annual ridership, costs 40% more per ride, and closes for a full 24 hours each week. Let's not pretend these things are equals.
13
@Flint Hasset
24/7 service has nothing to do with the current state of the subway. NYC benefits from express tracks that most other systems do not have, and if a closure is necessary the stretch is closed until the work is done (Fastrak).
2
@Flint Hasset
It's really short term thinking to think that we need 24h system, this is a fallacy and there are ways around it.
One people will adjust with closures, just like we do now with the myriad of closures.
Second, they system is way outdated, I think the majority of people will rather ride a nice train system than the tiny minority that takes it overnight.
Makes no sense, but as Cuomo just showed with the L train, we have no shortage of poor leadership.
4
I have to ask if the trains can simply add on more cars.
Regular trains add together engines and cars easily and dynamically as needed. Can the subway?
Sadly, the LA subway/light rail system is not what it should be.
Yes, it's clean and big cars allow for crowds and bicycles and it's safe -- at least when the focus has been put on safety (there were years where my students were constantly harassed on trains to and from Long Beach).
But the major failure in LA is -- as I'll bet on many of these foreign systems -- the lack of express trains.
Want to go from Santa Monica to downtown? Forty-five minutes. Good deal in rush hour, suboptimal all other times (when a car can get you there in 15 minutes). The trouble is there are three stops that serve the USC campus. Then too many stops elsewhere, combined with portions of the trip where the subway must actually stop at red traffic lights on city streets!
So a city with intense urban sprawl is crippled by a train system that mandates we make all these intermittent stops.
The New York MTA is a mess, but I'll give those old New Yorkers credit: when they were building out the system, often as long ago as a century, they understood the utility of express and local trains. No one else in the world seems to get it.
My wife and I have vacationed in Barcelona twice and love the city and the people. The metro there is easy to use, seems to run much better and is cleaner than NYC subways. Why can't they get it right in NYC?
2
You forgot a key point - pneumatic ventilation. The tube in London is designed so the trains fit the tunnels and push air to regulate heat. Or so I've been told. Anyway, while it does get hot it's never as terrifying as the subway.
1
You don't get what you don't pay for. We need a 70% marginal income tax bracket with all income treated as ordinary income, a financial transaction tax, an estate tax, and a wealth tax.
12
@Richard Schumacher I have no objection to the taxes you suggest but, regrettably, it doesn't get you the money you want. The major cache of money is to be had from the middle and upper-middle class and unless they see that they're getting something for their taxes, they will resist increased taxes. Congress and local tax authorities get around that opposition with "user fees," increase application fees, higher fines for minor offenses, tariffs, and other ersatz taxes. But it's not enough. It is odd, however, that as a nation we're willing to bear the trillions of tax dollars it costs to wage an endless war without much complaint. But increase taxes to pay for public transportation leads and there's a major battle afoot.
@Richard Schumacher: but those would be FEDERAL taxes - - not state and local. Transit is mostly funded by state and local taxes. The NYC subway is run by the STATE of NY.
You should realize when the marginal tax was that high (1960s)….there were a thousand loopholes and deductions and virtually nobody ever paid that much.
Those thing would definitely raise money but enough for trillion dollar transit expansions -- where corrupt union workers earn $400 an hour? um…no.
There isn't enough money for that if you confiscate the wealth of every rich person in the US.
2
No food or drinking allowed in any of these, right? There's enforcement, of which we now have zero of, here in NYC. Is any standard of behavior enforced on our subway now? I don't think so.
11
The Brussels system is another worthy of mention and comparison. Having traveled and stayed there multiple trips and commutes the system is a great benchmark for NY to strive toward.
Having suffered a terror attack in recent years the subway system and survived with little interruption I was humbled by the cleanliness, efficiency, and camaraderie of Belgians and visitors alike. While riding the NY system I feel everyone was self immersed in their media devices and would ignore or even go out of the way to not help someone. I was the only person in a full subway car to help a woman with a stroller cross the threshold, having to literally push able bodied men and women out of the way to help the young mother. The exact opposite was present in Brussels and Amsterdam.
We can and should rebuild, revamp, and modernize the NY/NJ system that so many depend on. But we also have to build generational reverence and respect for the system in keeping it clean, free of crime, and friendly to riders. Otherwise the cesspool it has become will only continue to spread and further restrict those with disabilities or those unfamiliar with the system.
4
When I stay in Paris, I travel by the Metro. The stations are clean, well lit and the riders are courteous. The stations are well placed and one can reach most parts of the city easily. The trains are always on time. It is not a 24x7 system as in NYC. It is not as extensive as the NYC system. It does however meet the mass transit goals of the typical Paris citizen and at a reasonable price. All levels of government understand the vital role played by an efficient and dependable mass transit system and its necessity, especially in an urban setting.
The NYC transit system is the exact negative of Paris. The level of crime, lack of cleanliness and the overall aggressiveness of the general ridership is more a function of the society itself than the system. The system is not operated or maintained by the MTA in a manner that fulfills the mass transit requirements of a 21st century, world class city. The city, state and national governmental institutions, and politicians who set policy and authorize budgets do not have the vision, will and discipline to address this situation. Short term thinking has completely displaced strategic understanding. Only when NYC voters realize that they must elect political leaders who understand the vital need for a world class mass transit system and commit themselves to delivering on those commitments will New Yorkers see progress.
10
@W.S. But the majority of NYC voters live in the outer boroughs, drive cars, and scream like crazy every time things like congestion fees for driving in parts of Manhattan are raised. In my more than 40 years in NYC I have found the city has become much more suburban with higher car ownership and expectations of some more akin to those of people living in a suburb than NYC.
I’m going to give a shout out to the Delhi Metro. While not opulent or a veritable museum, it is very clean, efficient and always on time. It is well maintained, and there is a visible pride in the commuters that this is “theirs”, so there’s no graffiti or littering. It as built ahead of schedule and on budget, something that rarely happens in India.
1
The subways where I live (Toronto) are in a state of crisis due to chronic underfunding by all levels of government, and constant political interference where every new government promptly tears up the plans the previous administration put in place immediately upon taking office.
However, I spent several years living in Nagoya, Japan. While a "small" city by Japanese standards (2 million +), it has an incredibly extensive and efficient subway system, similar in kind to the larger systems in Tokyo and Osaka, if on a smaller scale.
At each station, literally every single train for the entire day was scheduled. And they came on time.
Commuting there was a delight, and only serves to underscore far behind we are in North America.
There's a winter storm in the forecast for tomorrow which should bring the TTC to a grinding halt, just like all of the others this year have so far.
I'm probably going to work from home rather than have my 30 minute commute turn into 60, 90, or worse.
3
I live in NYC, but have experience with both Tokyo and London's mass transit systems. Tokyo's system far surpasses that of NY and London, on account of cleanliness and on-time service. You are not allowed to eat or even drink water on Tokyo's trains which is why it's so clean. Also, it's Japan and people respect public space. The system is also massive and complex, far more so than the MTA, and combines both underground and overground train systems that all miraculously run on time, and if they don't, staff apologize profusely, even for a delay of 20 seconds. This article's comments about London had to make me laugh though. I lived in London for many years and yes, you can get around very quickly in London, but that's simply because London is a much smaller city than NYC. Trains to do arrive every 1-3 mins during rush hour, but there are no express trains, plenty of trash everywhere, most of the system is still without air conditioning, and only just recently did they add service after 11pm, but only on weekends and only on a few lines. I think for the air conditioning alone, I'd take the MTA any day (of the summer).
3
@Marie You can eat and drink on the trains in Tokyo, but most people don't. If they do they do not throw their trash on the floor. I can't count the times I've been on NYC subways and people throw their fast food trash on the floor. The worst was a mom and a kid eating peanuts and tossing the shells on the floor. Unbelievable. No respect for others, or themselves!
2
I'm still not sure if this article is well written or simply well intentioned. The NY subway carries massive numbers of people 24/7/365, the other cities may not carry as many or as far. It's hard to tell from this piece.
3
@Andrew
It's not so hard to do your own research, NYC's subway is nowhere near the top in ridership.
For the 24hr nonsense, I prefer a clean running system that works for the 90% of the population.
3
When was the New York City system built (early 1900s), and when were most of the other systems built? With the possible exception of London, they are all much newer. How many passengers do these systems carry, compared to NYC? Millions fewer. How many miles do the other systems traverse? Much less. Stop dumping on New York City, people, or please stay home.
3
Having lived and worked in Japan for over 30 years I can attest to the fantastic mass transit system. It is constantly improving but that's because the national policy is to provide mass transportation. Everybody is a stakeholder and it keeps life and the economy humming. Unlike the US where you have to provide your own means of transportation - a car - and if you cannot, tough luck. You're on your own! And that wouldn't be so bad if the infrastructure wasn't crumbing. The roads in my state are horrendous - I use the mass transit - da bus. And this isn't bad considering the US as a whole does a terrible job with mass transit policy. My state is working on a rail system but like anything related to mass transit in the US, it is taking forever and millions of dollars. And it will still be a day late and a dollar short in terms of efficiency. Want to make America great again? Policy makers need to revamp policies that will benefit the most people - safe and clean mass transit is a great equalizer.
6
I've taken most of the listed subways and still prefer the NYC Metro for its grunginess. The only issue is an apparent absence of interest in criminality and crime. Where are the surveillance cameras in the cars and passageways (there are some but not enough - every square meter should be covered)? Where is AI that can tell people are being harassed and robbed, or that they failed to pay their fare? Somehow, NYC officials seem to think crime comes with the territory. I hope they up their game.
1
@Kai
The only issue is "criminality and crime."
Right and the "only" problem with cancer is its fatality.
Bottom line: using public transportation should not involve the risk that the user may be a victim of crime.
London, Moscow, Paris, Berlin, Tokyo, etc. all manage to transport millions with minimum risk of crime.
NYC fails, utterly, to do that.
Think I exaggerate?
Then, you take a ride any time after midnight, pre- dawn.
I and any sane New Yorker would decline.
1
Not sure why the reader from Zurich made reference to a U-Bahn which the city does not have. It has an S-Bahn which is the name for suburban rail in Germany, Austria and the German speaking parts of Switzerland
1
Another shining example of America's neglected infrastructure with no relief for the majority working class. Interesting as MTA prices rise, so does the frustration and delays. Maybe a more socially funded and government involved approach would help us get up to par with countries that have since caught their systems up with demands and efficiency...or maybe that thinking is too 'socialist' for Trump's (a Billionaire) agenda ... someone who never has to ride the subway to work everyday ... kinda like ALL of the oil lobbyists. Hmmmm....
3
As a born and raised New Yorker now living in Maine, I dread taking the subway when I visit, from a health perspective first and foremost. The sheer level of filth, from rats and cockroaches (alive and rotting/drying/becoming airborne), raw sewage, and mold is beyond belief. And the noise pollution is extreme. Of course, the delays are constant and incredibly frustrating. By contrast, the system in Mexico City is charming, clean, and very affordable. The systems in Shanghai and Beijing are simply marvels, with trains spaced every minute, all gleaming, and almost whisper quiet. Also cheaper. NYC has been left in the dust. Toxic dust at that.
5
Copenhagen's metro system is almost immaculate with the light trains driver-less and an awful lot of glass at many ultra-modern stations - glass that would not last intact for a day in NYC. Good interphase with the train system which is also modern, clean, quiet and very efficient - touch-less doors and all.
Most annoying part of the NYC Subway is the crowding - off peak it is decent way to get around the city - certainly better than trying to driving!
as a native new yorker, i have travelled on the subway since i was born, and on my own since i was about 11. as an engineering feat it is a marvel... it is, i agree, antiquated, and desperately needs cosmetic and equipment upgrades. however, it is one of the very few subway systems *in the world* that runs 24/7, practically since its inception... only boston in the US has an older system and it is considerably smaller than the NYC system, which has over 700 track miles and over 400 stations. i have been on the London underground system and it is not the paradise that was described by Mr. Cataldo... its cars are small, with very low ceilings, cramped, narrow and 95% un-air conditioned, its stops are farther apart outside the circle line and although trains are closer together the trains are much shorter. it is just as prone to breakdowns, signal failures and dirty stations ... yes, the new silver lines are nice -- but they are mostly less than 10 years old. New York would never have become *New York* if it weren't for our subways but we do, as someone said, have to have the *public* will to force our politicians to upgrade and improve the system. New Yorkers themselves must push for it.
1
I've taken subways in NYC, Paris, London, Montreal, and Washington, D.C. and agree that the New York subways are rather daunting and sporadic as regards on-time performance. However, to tout London's as being superior is hardly accurate. I found both London and Paris to be lacking in terms of disabled access. It doesn't matter if they are on time if you can't get on the train! Here's a recent perspective from a disabled London rider: https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/london-tube-subway-disabled-riders-1.4804602
2
Several good articles have appeared in recent years about the sad state of public transit in the US and how it got that way. Two of them are Why Did America Give Up on Mass Transit? (Don't Blame Cars.) and The real reason American public transportation is such a disaster. As these articles point out, service drives demand, and in the US, historically, public transit service is given short shrift. The main reason for this, arguably, is ideology: public transit is considered "socialistic". We don't have modern, efficient public transit for the same reason we don't have single-payer health care, quality public education, free universities, and the other things we need to enhance the quality of our lives. Americans are rightly known for their practicality and pragmatism, but when it comes to public policy ideology trumps reason.
4
Sadly, I have to say that even the subway of Bucharest is much more beautiful and clean than the NY subway. Not to mention that it had free wifi and electronic displays with the time of arrival about 15 years before the subway in NYC. The riders are clean cut and more behaved too.
NYC subway was the first thing that made me leave the city where I have lived for ages. Each time I took it on 96 and Third Avenue in Manhattan it felt like trip to a smelly and crowded Third World Slum.
6
Yeah, but other countries are willing to PAY for stuff. We would rather ignore infra structure than pay any taxes for anything.
11
I would prefer a more analytical and statistical comparison. This is not to justify the bad performance of the NYT system, but one needs to consider the politics, age, and extent of each system to make a fair comparison.
As for details:
- Who funds the subway?
- Who maintains the subway?
- How much track per system?
- Measured on-time performance?
- How many people does it serve?
- How old is the system?
There are others, but you get the point, and then again, there is the culture behind the system, the inclination of a nation toward order, coordination, and rule-following.
3
You forgot to mention 2 of the best systems in the world: Singapore and Hong Kong. Both cheap, ubiquitous, air conditioned and on time.
3
The New York subway system's main function these days is to be a perfect movie set for a bleak urban dystopia story.
2
We visited Japan in Nov, 2017.
Their subway rush hours are packed, yet, there is no pushing; stations have numerous attendants or special guardrails to prevent any accidental falling onto the tracks. Trains are smoother riding with comfortable, cushioned seats. The trains were frequent and perfectly on time. One day a train left 20 seconds early; an apology was issued. Even the tracks were without liter (or rodents!) Advertising, even in the subway cars, were digital.
The subway system in Tokyo is more than just spotless, quiet, comfortable, and punctual; it reflects what one observes in all of Japanese society:
In Japan, the philosophy is a united people, polite and helpful to all (including tourists); a popular slogan we saw displayed on posters was "All For All"; government spending is obviously well funded; they are happy and, apparently, have a widespread high standard of living. Homeless people in Japan are a rarity; everyone seems respected and respectful and employed; no one is shabbily dressed; their infrastructure is outstanding, spotless, not a crack or chip to be found, and everything is thoughtfully designed for function and beauty. Solid stone, rather than cement, is used to create sidewalks; there are almost no trash cans and no liter; Their cars show no dents or rust. Nearly all of the population lives in decent housing.
America can learn much from the Japanese.
8
2/2 Finally, there is a current of racism and xenophobia that lurks just below the polite surface which you will rarely encounter as a tourist, but can begin to weigh on long-term expats.
My point is that Japan is a nice place, but it is not the utopia some tourists leave believing it is. With regards to public transit, there is definitely a lot that NYC, and the rest of the country can learn from it - especially with regards to funding and making necessary investments.
But there’s also a lot that Japan can learn from the US.
1
While I’m glad you had a nice trip, you do seem to have succumbed to a condition that affects many westerners during their brief stays in Japan.
I lived and worked there for nearly a decade, and while there are many things to admire about Japan, mass transit being very high on the list, the picture is not nearly as rosy as the one you painted.
Japan struggles with being a high-pressure society in which mental health is rarely discussed. As a result, annual suicides routinely top 30,000. The work culture so oppressive that there is literally a word “Karoshi” which translates to “death from overwork”.
The assertion that there are no homeless people is also not true. There are vast tent cities characterized by the blue tarps commonly used by homeless men to erect shelters in parks in cities and towns all over the country.
While the cities are impressive, there are “ghost towns” littered all throughout the countryside where buildings are being left to simply collapse because older residents are dying, the young people have all left, and there are no babies being born to replace them.
Most Japanese also live in housing that many North Americans would consider substandard. Often there is very little insulation which makes for very hot summers and cold winters. Central air and heating are rarities as are clothes dryers. Many Japanese handy all of their laundry to dry, as I did when I lived there. 1/2
1
@Jay Sands
Thank you for your insights.
Obviously the pictures are meant to make a point, but you could have put the Jungfernheide station in Berlin picture next to one of the stations on the new 2nd av line. Or the Lincoln center IRT station. Point is, not all the stations look like post-apocalyptic waypoints to purgatory.
Remember also that the US spends a lot of money fielding a military to protect the Dutch, the Japanese and others from Mr. Putin et.al. NYS/NYC government also spends a lot of money on out sized benefits for unionized workers, not to mention the rampant corruption in Albany, who controls the purse strings. Point: you're comparing the subway systems, but it's the political systems and those that control the funding that need comparison.
Would I pay more for a better subway? Of course, but if you raise my taxes you'd better be able to prove that's where the money is going. I don't think that will happen any time soon.
5
Come on now. New York's system is over 100 years old. Its the largest underground railroad in the world. An entire gigantic railroad system UNDERGROUND!
Plus many of the competitors noted were built after we obliterated their cities in World War Two. They were able to start fresh so to say. Others are relatively small and use trolley cars for goodness sake.
2
@Tom not quite. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_metro_systems
The Tube is a fair comparison and has similar challenges.
1
I ride NYC subways regularly. I don't think that the trains are so bad. It's the stations which are, for the most part, totally decrepit.
A lot of places have sewers but only here do we think to run trains through them.
6
Why not mentioning China’s?
3
Lies! All lies about the NYC subway system! Isn't this "The Greatest City in the World" in "The Greatest Country in the World"? How could we POSSIBLY have the worst transit system among First World nations?
The truth that Americans don't want to face is that we have grown too smug, too hidebound in our thinking, about mass transit for one. The NYC subway system, while indeed huge, is also sadly, laughably backward in technology, and philosophies as simple as cleanliness compared to all other First World countries, as many articles in the Times, like this one, have shown. As an example of a lack of basic common sense, why are so many subway entrances open to the skies and have been so since the early 1900's? When it rains, the water pours down the stairs, puddling on the trash-clogged grates at the bottom. When it snows --- good luck! At many entrances you'll need climbing gear to negotiate the icy steps.
The true failure is State and Federal government negligence. Governor Cuomo withholds funding like a three card monte dealer; "I don't run the MTA," was one of his falsehoods. Washington eagerly takes all the Federal taxes it can extract from the City, yet refuses to acknowledge New York is our country's showpiece city to the world. Shortsighted lawmakers deny transit dollars to their cash cow City that would make its Subway truly a marvel, to global visitors and deserving residents.
3
This is all well and good but if you want to experience the full range of abject horrors, visit San Francisco and avail yourself of the crawling torture chambers of MUNI. Light rail trains that stop and remain stationary for 15 minutes, for no apparent reason, doors shut, no announcement, stuffed with hapless passengers. Thirty minute waits at some windswept stop followed by a procession of five buses or trains in a two minute span. An opera of human misery sprawled across the seats or floors, like a display of macaroons. A veritable Greek’s chorus of the tweakers, the deranged, the bedbug hostels, the petty criminals. Believe me, MTA has nothing on MUNI when it comes to dysfunction.
7
The top 3 (by system length) metro systems are all in China (Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou). They aren't even worthy of a mention in this article?
4
@Byron H
If you had read all the comments you would know how often these subway systems were mentioned.
This article focuses mostly on Europe and rich countries when, in fact, the metros in China Mexico, and beyond are for cleaner and more efficient than New York’s.
6
All of the ads that get splattered around the train stations should be used, solely, for maintenance. We're being brainwashed with self care essentials and new technology, but it's only because we stand on these disgusting trains for hours of our lives, wishing we were the people in the ads instead of the people on the train. Wishing we had that new mattress, shampoo, pair of headphones to help deal with our misery of riding the train. The MTA allows for people to be preyed on and kept miserable.
Come on. London? "Mind the gap" city? I admit, it is pretty clean and I haven't seen any rats on The Tube. But it is ancient. With tiny tunnels that require small roundish trains to squeeze through them. Cheap, basic, and minimal are the words that come to mind when I try to describe it. It gets you from A to B but that's it. You don't get to enjoy the process.
1
The NYC subway is disgusting, slow and inefficient. Someone commented that people eat on the trains and on the platforms which attract rats. Well, why doesn't the MTA prohibit eating in the subway as they do smoking? It's so inefficient that when it extended the Q train the costs were astronomical and cost like 10x more per mile than any other system. Part of that is because the MTA pays for redundant workers who are completely unnecessary. Why does anyone tolerate this waste? Have you ever seen subway work? There's usually 4 or 5 people standing around while one does the work.
4
@nyspyboy
The TA may be treading a fine line to prevent the Union from shutting down the system in revenge.
Maybe these 4 or 5 workers are on their union-mandated break.
How many of these countries, with their clean and safe metro systems, have F-22 Raptors? Answer: Zero!
How many F-22s would it take to completely modernize NYC's subway? At $339 million per aircraft, you do the math.
23
Mostly those other systems don't waste money and actually maintain their systems, and they have a much different population using them.
7
Don't know how Madrid could miss the list with its fantastic, clean, efficient, on-time and far-reaching metro system, rated by many as #1 in Europe.
29
@Simone
Mass transit (buses and trains) in Spain should be held up as an excellent example of what a government can do on a budget. Spain's government is plagued by budget shortfalls and political strife - yet they manage to have an excellent mass transit system - both local around cities (even small cities) and long distance between cities.
2
@Simone - Yes, and Barcelona's too. The only reason these were left out is that there are SO many good systems in Europe, that the paper only has room to print just so many. Even Prague's or Krackow's beautiful streetcars provide a more pleasant experience. Now, it is true that most are not 24x7 serving over 8 Million, but notice there are no better systems in the USA. Boston's is a bit nicer but it is small and fails to run on time even worse than NYC.
3
I think there is a certain level of arrogance about how New Yorkers view their subway system. While people agree it is grungy and less than the safest, and people love to complain about it like they do the weather, New Yorkers still somehow think it is a world standard. Sad. Look abroad and you will find most places with significant mass transit systems left the US in the Dark Ages long ago.
56
@RB
Sadly this is true in America for much of our transportation and telecomm structure. People who travel outside the country know how bad it is here, but others think we are still leading the world.
7
@RB
This is exactly right. Seoul's system is efficient, spotlessly clean, inexpensive to use, and much safer with the sliding doors on the platforms. Maybe part of the problem is that many NYers don't even realize how much better it is elsewhere.
9
@RB
While it might be true that some New Yorkers
(really Manhattanites) are arrogant, I think that most New Yorkers are well aware of the MTA's shortcomings. There are many factors that have made renovation and and renewal difficult. Much of the funding for the MTA comes from Albany (the state capital 155 miles (250km) north of NYC) which does not prioritize the needs of the people of NYC. Moreover, mismanagement, poor allocation of funds and services and political paralysis for the maintenance of infrastructure is not just a problem for the MTA but is an American disease.
My hometown of Boston has a reasonably good system that is suffering some of the same problems (to a lesser degree) as NYC. My favorite subway system is Montreal's where I had lived for several years as a student. I found Toronto, Istanbul, Ankara, Calcutta, Paris, Milan among several world cities that have excellent subway systems. I dearly hope that NYC's MTA can reclaim some of its lost glory. I use it several times a year and I would like to enjoy it more than I do. I'm not holding my breath.
2
I know the point of the article was not to contrast/compare other systems with each other. But I couldn't let it without touting Vienna's system. 1 Euro/day for a yearly pass, incl fast trains, subways, an elevated, trams and busses. includes both sufficient maintenance and a big capital budget -- two new lines are being built and are on schedule. You never have to wait more than a few minutes and transportation comes when scheduled. I've used all but Istanbul's of the systems written about, and Vienna's is by far the best and most comprehensive.
17
A big issue effecting public transportation in this country is the oil and gasoline industry . I don’t think it’s an accident that public transportation here is worse than other countries . The oil/gasoline corps want people in cars not on public transportation . Its profits before people .
91
@Perry Neeum A bigger issue is both freedom of our people and massive corruption in NYC.
4
Agreed. Additionally, the automobile manufactures worked against public transportation for decades. All levels of our government prioritize our infrastructure spending on roads, not public transit. In New Orleans where I live, the city was once covered by numerous street car lines. Only a few remain. This is true in many cities across the U.S. were General Motors successfully lobbied for their replacement by buses in the 1940s and 1950s. Too much of our public policy is driven by political contribution; not by the public good.
15
So no one remembers the 70's and 80's I see - high crime, no air-conditioning, limited train service and crazy dirty trains and platforms.
We have a system that is open 24 hrs, is one fare for anywhere in the city -- and now includes transfers to and from buses. In fact our average we pay with metrocards has gone down from what it was. In SF you can pay up to $17 and in DC up to $6 for a single trip.
Want trains to run better? Stop holding the doors open, eating food, throwing litter onto the tracks, clipping/primping, playing your cell phone music or game at loud levels and let people out before you get on.
We still need to invest and improve a lot of the subway (especially access for people with disabilities) but we -- as New Yorkers really can't blame others when 90% of the issues are self-made.
109
@trob I came to NYC in 1972 so yes, I very well remember what the trains are like. I also remember how they improved starting in the 80s and into the 1990's. But not all the problems you describe are from other riders. Poor planning, poor management, political fights, poor funding and more have made the system a nightmare. It will only get worse, I believe. Your list of grievances about folks is not going to fix the much larger problems.
5
@trob
Pricing is a big handicap when public investment doesn't fill the gap. All of the other issues mention aren't even secondary, they're tertiary and can be resolved by pragmatically applying adequate resources, whether the actual behaviours are modified or not.
2
With all due respect, 90% of the issues are not caused by users of the system. You cited playing loud music as one of those causes.
I agree with you that the system is a relative bargain when compared to smaller subway systems in which fares are based on distance traveled. There isn't anyplace else in the world where a rider could traverse all 600 miles of track for one price.
4
No one ever mentions Mexico City's, which is one of the world's best. I wonder why that is.
20
@boourns
Yes, this system is efficient, clean and
well maintained. Citizens are respectful
and you never see graffiti or littering in
their stations. People here you would like
as neighbors. Not to be walled out.
2
@boourns
I remember using it while on vacation in the 1990s. It's amazing the volume of passengers it takes on a daily basis. It really was a great system when I used it.
1
@boourns
Agreed -- I love Mexico City's system. If Mexico City can provide a clean system to 22 million for about 14 cents a ride, then it should be possible for NYC to do the same. Granted MC's system is newer but nevertheless....
3
Moscow subway is the best. Every train runs every two minute on every platform. We didn’t take any taxis when we were there last summer. It is absolutely the best. Also not mentioned in your article are great subway systems in Shanghai and Hong Kong. We have a long way to go In New York.
16
Just visit Beijing, Shanghai, HK, and Taipei, you will find what is the modern transit system of the 21st century. Large population, vast territory, and fast pace city life all demands cleanness, efficiency, convenience, and punctuality. I wonder if NY city government has paid enough attention to this due to low priority.
14
@Usok: Seoul's subway network is another efficient and wide-reaching system.
2
@Usok . Guangzhou Airport China to the city center including all major High Speed Rail links. Fast , very clean , and super efficient.
The problem with American mass transit is the chronic self reliance attitude. While many conservatives refuse to pay taxes for a public service, they claim they will never use. Instead of having the foresight to see mass transit especially subways as a common good for all people. In Trump ‘s world . Moving large groups of people in a train is akin to socialism.
5
I believe NYC's is the only transit rail system that never closes. It operates 24/7 every day of the year.
It is also the largest with more than 450 stations.
One statistic I wish this article had included: the number killed in track "accidents".
When a body is found on the tracks any news reports inevitably includes a NYPD quote saying "there's no evidence of foul play" or similar wording.
Smart New Yorkers know that using the system in the off hours entails risks not found in other world systems.
8
@acule
Copenhagen's driverless system runs all day, every day. It's great, and clean, and fun to use.
2
@acule The Berlin U and S-Bahn trains run 24/7
2
New subway constructions, like in Beijing or Mumbai, will obviously produce a modern subway experience. Old subway sytems such as NYC etc. have a harder time to maintain the outdated technology, and to upgrade to the 21st century. USA is not known to ever have thought much about “maintainance” or “upgrade”. There seems to be a hardwired unwillingness throughout the population and the polictal spectrum. It is not just a subway system, it is most everything from water/sewer to airports, roads, bridges, houses, name it.
34
@Franz Pedit Every successful business does both maintenance and upgrades, it is corrupt governments that spend money for nothing, and no chicks for free either.
4
The London Underground is older than the New York system, yet it's clean and very efficient.
6
@Franz Pedit
The money for mass transportation was purposely restricted over many decades. It doesn't have to do with a lack of thinking about maintenance and upgrades, it has to do purposely focusing funding on road infrastructure and automotive subsidies for suburbs.
3
On the other side of the continent, every time I come home from Japan, I’m disgusted and despressed to ride BART home from SFO. The trains are smelly, dirty, and often late. These days, they’re packed all the time, too. Why can’t Americans run a decent subway system?
42
@Momo Politics usually those of one party that runs all the major cities.
3
@Momo
because they're corrupt with huge gaps in salaries
1
@vulcanalex Or perhaps our taxes are lower than most of these other countries, our military is much larger, and we prioritize the automobile above all else.
13
Don't overlook Montreal's excellent subway system, which is clean, efficient and quiet. Built in the 70's, its trains run on rubber wheels, which means you can carry on a conversation in a normal tone of voice. Speaking of tones, chimes warn people waiting on the platforms when a train approaches, because they are too quiet otherwise.
25
What about Metro de Madrid?
An amazing subway system and even though it’s more expensive that it used to be, it’s still cheap.
I don’t know why it got overlooked.
11
Just like in geopolitics and the seemingly unsolvable problems of poverty and oppression, culture matters.
Unless New Yorkers are willing to change some fundamental things, all the money, comparisons and advice won't radically improve the subway system. Don't allow food or drink, don't have padded union work rules that bloat costs, don't have corrupt procurement processes, don't overlook criminality like littering, homeless taking over cars, "performers", etc. The list goes on and on.
Yet each has appears to have its own constituency - making those changes would be "unfair", "racist", "inconvenient", "bashing workers", and a host of excuses. Sorry, we'e collectively allowed and tolerated all of this, and until the majority attitude changes nothing will really improve. That also means accepting that some people, no matter what, will complain and rail against some of it - but that doesn't mean we have to respond to every criticism as if we can placate all comers. Trying to do so leads to what we have at present.
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@George S
All of your remarks aren't unfair, etc, they are simply besides the point. Adequate investment, period. END OF STORY.
5
I recognized all the ills of NYC. I have been to England, Spain, France, Brussels, Germany, Venezuela, Peru, and the UAE, and I would not change NYC for all the spotlessness of any of those cities. Mind you, I would love a clean subway. But, in all fairness, we are all equally to blame for the state of decay of the subways. If a great number of people do not respect our public spaces, and a great number of us do not want to pay for improvements thru taxes, what then?
13
@Snps
"If a great number of people do not respect our public spaces, and a great number of us do not want to pay for improvements thru taxes, what then?"
Yet, you "would not change NYC for all the spotlessness of any of those cities"?
Transportation infrastructure is as critical to quality of life as education, safety, good jobs, and health care. All the anecdotes in this piece affirm that.
It blows my mind that a city like New York, with all its wealth and brainpower has a festering, antiquated, and inefficient subway system.
23
I lived and worked in Tokyo/Yokohama for 20 years before moving to the more rural Toyama prefecture about a year ago. The oldest of Tokyo's four subway systems was launched in 1927, carries about 2.7 billion passengers per year, and has 140+ stations. Some of the older stations are cramped and showing their age, but the majority are clean, efficient and well-run. The systems integrate tightly with above-ground train lines running across the entire Kanto region, and have a couple of other advantages over New York's: Some of them are joint municipal/private sector funded and operated, which allows for greater flexibility in terms of resources; and all of them are very proficient at monetizing their real estate, both in and around their network of stations. The fact that none of them runs 24 hours a day enables those funding sources to be put to use in upgrades, maintenance and expansion more easily than is the case in New York. That they are clean, efficient, safe, reasonably inexpensive, reliable AND can get you from one end of the very large metropolis to the other in under an hour more than makes up for the extraordinary crowding seen on some lines at certain times of the day, and for the maze-like layouts at some stations that have connections to as many as a dozen other lines on multiple levels, from elevated tracks to those several floors below ground. There were many things not to like about living in Tokyo, but for me, at least, the subway system was never one of them.
25
@Shirokuma And of course they have Japanese citizens using them, a massive difference.
6
@Shirokuma
And no on ever mentions the"pushers" on the platform to pack people into the overcrowded Tokyo trains during the AM/PM rush, which leads me to think many of these descriptions are deliberately omitting their subway problems...
@NYCSANDI One of my morning commutes includes a stop with the pushers. Not all of the cars on the train at that time require pushers. If you don't want to be in a train that packed you just need to walk down to a few other cars. Still crowded but not crazy. The pushers help with bags or umbrellas that come in the way of the doors closing. It's not a problem.
3
My favorite subway systems are the Montreal Metro and the Bay Area BART. The New York system is impressive that it works at all, considering its age and the numbers it carries. It was already showing the strain when I lived and worked in Manhattan in the 1960s, and judging by visits since then, it's improved a lot from the nadir in the 1970s-80s, but it will take massive investment to achieve the efficiency, comfort, and safety of more modern, less heavily taxed systems. Other old U.S. systems (Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago) face similar challenges.
I'm concerned that the light rail systems adopted in smaller and younger cities (e.g. Seattle, Denver, etc. and including Calgary where I live) will not have the capacity and efficiency to meet demand as cities grow and people adopt less carbon-intensive work patterns and lifestyles.
10
All of this is true, but I doubt that any of these systems has someone at their head who actually reads and answers riders' complaints the way Andy Byford does. He at least realizes the system is an unholy mess, has ideas for how to improve it, and if allowed to do his job just might make a difference.
10
NYC subways are dirty because some people are slobs. This has nothing to do with it being open 24/7. Also, maintenance, cleaning...etc is lackadaisical, at best. The MTA in its wisdom reduced the number of garbage bins so that they could save money on trash removal. Now we have more rats because people toss even more trash on the tracks. Perhaps we need a cleanliness czar.
64
@Ak There have been several times when I have wanted to dispose of trash in the subway and couldn't find anywhere to do it, so had to carry it around with me and dispose of above ground.
3
@Ak, The removal of trash bins started in earnest in late 2001 for fear someone would plant an IED in one. Perhaps it is time for the paranoia to abate.
2
@carol goldstein Agree 100%! Every station needs trashcans along every platform.
1
I am a touring musician and have spent time in most major cities around the world. My wife is from Japan so I have probably spent the most time outside of New York using Japanese public transportation. I am embarrassed and appalled by the New York subway system. I have no idea what they are doing with the money. Remember when the MTA was reporting huge surpluses? Somebody somewhere is making a lot of money. The city doesn't care about the public. The culture has devolved into an expectation of filthy stations, dilapidated trains, rude service and apathy. The MTA workers slough by, overwhelmed and oblivious and who could blame them? There seems to be no way to get the attention of those who can make a change. Costs keep rising while the system continues to fall behind even the lowest standards. Even the relatively simple task of weeding out old trains and implementing a system-wide shift towards maintaining the stations and trains, cleaning everything spotless and keeping it that way would make a huge psychological difference for the riders and the city. It's a lack of commitment, not money, that holds us all hostage to living like rats. Change the priority to making the system the pride of the city, the pride of the country even. If DT really wanted to MAGA he would start by changing the ways we live our daily lives, the way we all get around from roads to high-speed rail to urban public transportation and, yes, subways.
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@Jason Sypher
Exactly friend.Spot on. They make plenty of money to make improvements but its corruption to the bone that holds everything still and worse. Remind me for how many decades did they work on Gowanus highway (section of maybe 1 km long around 39th st in Brooklyn)? What 3 decades fixing potholes and someone approves this, abviuoisly its corruption at highest levels, taking in trillions of dollars to work on same section of highway. Same is going on with Subways, money is flowing in certain pockets instead of in improvement and maintenance.
17
You forgot Seoul. If a real estate agent showed you a subway car and told you it was a one bedroom, you would put a deposit down.
11
The Moscow subway famously built by slave labor, supervised by Khrushchev, Stalin’s henchman, as a project to demonstrate the superiority of the Soviet system while millions starved or murdered. The workers who built the NYC subway system worked hard under difficult conditions, they were paid, many were recently arrived immigrants. It was an amazing achievement of engineering and human labor. To build it today would be impossible.
The Japanese subway system is certainly nicer than New York’s, but was attacked in 1995 by terrorists with sarin gas, twelve died. I’ve traveled the NYC subway for 70 years, have never seen a gun or been robbed, even in the 70’s when the system was far, far worse than it is today.
Unfortunately, MTA is a political football used by Cuomo, DeBlasio and others to gain some credibility. As important as New York City is to our nation’s economy one would think it would make perfect sense to provide the funding to improve subway infrastructure and lower the fare to serve all New Yorkers.
7
@Jeff Rifkin1/3 federal,1/3 state,1/3 local
1
@Jeff Rifkin It was Lazar Kaganovich who supervised the Moscow Metro works, not Khrushchev, but yes, he was Stalin's henchman and built it with the labor of political prisoners and forced labor.
5
@JLBurke Sorry, you are right, Khruschev was superintendent, Kaganovich was general supervisor, both were deeply involved in the construction of the Moscow Metro.
3
I recall a NYTimes story many years ago where Ben & Jerry's was offering to sink money into completely revamping a subway station to be clean, well-lit, etc. The project was shelved, mostly, it seems, because the transit union was worried that it would put pressure on them to have to work harder to then upgrade and maintain all the other stations as well. I'm not suggesting that it's always the unions' fault, but it goes to show how complex and unexpected are the way decisions are made regarding NY's highly complex transportation system. Perhaps someone at the NY Times could look up and re-run that story and compare it to current efforts?
14
@JGar
Last year, the New York Times ran an eye-opening article about the costs of building a mile of track in various cities with subway systems. NYC Transit didn't fare well in this comparison - a reader already alluded to some figures. I doubt Andy Byford will be able to remove the obstacles imposed by purchasing contracts and work rules enforced by the union in a highly politicized environment.
The governor, rather than the mayor of New York, has been in charge of the M.T.A. since the 1960s. The ‘Times’ is reporting on the decades-long mismanagement and syphoning of funds for transit, since last January when expert, Andy Byford, was hired to begin ‘fixing’ every broken aspect of the subway.
Residents and visitors have all lived with this shocking deterioration for 50 years. How could it take this long for us to chime in and come armed with some facts? Thank you ‘New York Times’ for highlighting our subway system with your reporting on many different aspects. These personall accounts are a welcome addition.
13
I'm no lover of the city's subway system, but these comparisons are pretty unfair. If a photo is worth a thousand words, these compare and contrast photos display reams of prejudice. The 168 street station in Manhattan, for example, is closed for the next year. I've no doubt that when it reopens, it will be restored to its previous splendor. And what is the difference, really, between the Bedford Avenue station and Bagarmossen? Lighting, and that's about it.
My commutes consist of over-crowded trains that foster hostility among passengers. I really could care less about the rats and the decor. Let the trains run more often with less breakdowns and we'd definitely have a system to be proud of. And I'll close this with every comment I write regarding the NYC subway--'Please fix it. Now!'
14
@Regina Valdez
Then again, a great deal of money was spent on the four new stops of the Q train on the Upper East Side. The stations are the "museum" type but was that the best way to spend billions?
1
Hey, for $3 you get a seat (maybe) to the greatest show on earth!
7
The MVG (Munich public transportation system) is pretty good, and I enjoy riding the trams when I'm there. The buses, trains, and trams are clean, and the city is clean.
One problem with the US public transportation system is that Americans, by and large, assume every public space is a toilet or a garbage can. Even in my mid-sized city, I see garbage everywhere, although the garbage cans are within reach and are regularly emptied.
Another problem is the worship of individual transportation (cars).
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@Katrin
"Another problem is the worship of individual transportation (cars)."
And the anti-tax philosophy that is as old as the country.
2
With millionaires/billionaires comprising almost 5 percent of NYC's population, perhaps an Adopt a Subway Station program could be launched to have stations updated using private funds and the city & state can concentrate its funds on improving the worn infrastructure.
10
It is about the culture of the society in many regards. One could say a culture of using public transportation. Another is having a culture of decency. Another is simply a culture where the government spends money on it.
NYC lacks the particular kinds of culture to have nice subways, unless you want to throw money at the problem. The costs in NYC are high.
One can dream of having a different life. one can hope. However, one needs to present a proper solution or it just makes people feel a selfish anger wishing why can't we be like them.
5
Don't forget Los Angeles, we have a subway system too. Every station has an elevator, it's clean, each station has a theme, and it's expanding through the heart of our huge metropolis. If you add our buses, we have the "largest clean air fleet in the nation", written on all of our Metro buses!
5
Not sure how you could compare the two, the LA system is 20 years old.
1
Subway systems I have ridden: Chicago L (partly subway), D.C., Vienna, Berlin before and after the wall, Paris, Hong Kong, London. Vienna didn't start building most of their system until the the 1970s, so it doesn't really count. D.C. has its problems due to neglected maintenance. I think that's the difference.
Chicago has some pretty grungy stations, but the city systematically renovates them, even on the lines that operate 24/7. And the Red Line in Chicago has much better rails and switching equipment, flat out. But that means that stations are sometimes closed for renovation, with bus service supplied to fill the gap (these work better than in NYC too). All-in-all the amount of trash in the NYC system is much worse, and that falls on riders: the garbage comes from the platform.
9
I lived in Tokyo for three years and can positively attest to the public translation system which btw has signage in Japanese and English. I lived and worked in Hong Kong too and the subway is probably better than in Tokyo.
My last overseas posting was to Geneva, Switzerland a city of around 300,000 with around 90,000 entering each day to work from nearby French towns.
The trams, ferries and buses were plentiful, clean and on time even in bad weather.
I suggest NYC transit staff take a trip to Hong Kong and Switzerland to see how to run a transit system.
16
@Discrete Pete
Yeah...how big is Geneva? Hong Kong? How expensive is a subway ride, relatively speaking? There is no comparison here...
@NYCSANDI
Exactly. A population of 300,000 - laughable when NYC Transit transports 4 million subway passengers every day during the week (and how many bus users?). And what about the zone fares in other systems?
In the last five to ten yrs. I rode the transit systems of Paris and Rome.
Re these two cities I don't believe they were any better or worse than NYC.
Paris metro closes at nite and Rome only has two lines, two things that really hurt me when I visited the city.
In Rome, I was pickpocketed on the metro, never in NYC in 70 yrs was I pickpocketed(not that it doesn't happen). In Paris I witnessed a mugging on the station.
The system is not any newer than ours. The only advancement that was nice that they had were countless clocks (we have them now) and barriers in some stations.
13
“Second, I was on a train and a man had a gun. Everyone panicked, and people fled to the ends of the train. This doesn’t happen in Tokyo.”
But then again, what doesn’t happen in NYC is deadly ricin attacks in the subway.
8
@Tone: I don't know of anything that could prevent a "deadly ricin attack" in New York's subway if someone put their mind to it.
4
@Tone
True, but we do have firebombings.
https://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/08/nyregion/man-convicted-in-bombings-on-subway.html
As a once-native New Yorker and student of public transportation, I rode the subway every day for my first 27 years. (I am 70 now, and have returned to New York, or "The City," as New Yorkers call it, on a regular basis ever since.) No, the subway has not aged gracefully, nor has it ever expanded to meet demographic changes of the past 90 years. When I compare it to its contemporaries in London or Paris, it brings tears to my eyes. But perhaps the most jarring thing I have experienced recently was the trip in from JFK Airport. Yes, the JFK AirTrain is a makeshift idiocy-- a poor substitute for the one-seat ride first-class international airports offer. But the connecting (and filthy) Sutphin Blvd. station on the Archer Avenue line, one of the "newest" on the city's stagnated system, is a thoroughly disgraceful and shocking entree to the "Greatest City in the World."
24
Oh come now New York, do not be so ashamed. The system is itself a brilliant makeshift work of art in progress: so dystopian, so fraught with the garbage and dretritus of urban poverty-stricken life and terror and societal dysfunction that it stands as a sort gleaming paean to our infamous New York nostalgie de la boue. Thousands of years from now it will be unearthed by archaeologists and prized as much as the Pyramids for what it tells them about what life was like now in our Darwinian dog-eat-dog existence. Let us glory in this our debauchery: our subway!
28
Thank you NYT for continuing to highlight to abysmal state of the NYC subway system. It is now up to us to do something about it at the ballot box. As long as we continue to vote for corrupt, immature and ineffective leaders, we will have the subway system we deserve: the most expensive, the smelliest, dirtiest, worst performing, and uncomfortable.
15
@Matt The NYC subway system is actually LESS expensive than many others, since the $2.75 we pay per ride will take us unlimited distances. Many other cities use distance pricing, which can get quite expensive.
2
One month pass for 5 zones for Paris Metro, Bus, and Tramway lines cost 75€ or $85. Trains run about every 3 minutes or more during rush hour. Our rat race is faster than yours. Socialism serving capitalism!
12
The NYC subway system stinks of urine and garbage because some riders use stations as toilets and throw their garbage onto the tracks and platform. They feed the rats. I've seen rats on the platforms as well as the tracks. Riders in European cities do not eat and drink in the subways. Homeless people live on the E train, sometimes lying on the seats, and riders flee that car because of the unbearable stench. Ride the E train and your clothes will stink having absorbed the aroma in the cars. Yes, the London tube is overcrowded, but clean.
41
@an observer
And many stations are safer due to the track enclosures, but it is still very expensive outside of the tourist zone...
Check out the J Train station at City Hall (NYC). It's almost like a set for a horror movie. Very cinematic.
8
I grew up in NYC in the '50s and I think the last time I used the NYC Subways was about 60 years ago when I was in college in the '60s (Columbia for summer classes). My recollection is 'rough around the edges' but nothing like what it sounds like today. Boston's is better but not by much. Ditto for Philly.
Now Vancouver's, by contrast, is amazing. Coupled with their buses, you almost don't need a car. The 'driverless' piece just blew me away and a train every 5 minutes!!! Hey, Montreal's pretty good too.
"Oh Canada..." LOL
9
Worse in transportation, worse in crime, worse in childcare, worse in healthcare, worse in inequality. The “capital of the world”? And the subway makes it hard to even say, “nice to visit.”
18
I used to use the "well NYC's subway is very old" excuse, until someone informed me that London's is almost a half century older.
I don't know how much it would cost, but automated trains, with contiguous cars (no doors between cars), would go a long way toward solving cost, efficiency, and safety issues. Take the payroll from drivers and sink it into station attendants and police/security if you're worried about loss of jobs through automation.
It's a tough city to build or remodel anything, but it takes a leader with vision and clout. A mass transit loving Robert Moses.
12
They tried to do driverless trains on the L, but then an accident happened, everyone freaked out, and they brought back the unnecessary conductors even on that line which is computer-driven. Also, the transit union is extremely powerful and would work hard to avoid any job cuts.
11
@Terremotito
You're ignoring the protections drivers and conductors enjoy as members of the United Transport Workers union. Any politician who would force this change, along with shortening the operation hours, commits political suicide.
2
When Atlanta's subway was built, one of the regulations was that every station was required to have an elevator for the handicapped. The same is true for Washington's Metro. You do not have to go abroad to realize how deficient New York's system is.
Of course, the real problem is that New York's subway was largely built more than 100 years ago, when nobody cared about people with disabilities.
9
Interesting article, but you DO validate your (anachronistic) paper tickets for the Berlin U-Bahn, which you first have to print from an antiquated machine that usually spits out your bills, no matter how pristine they might be.
London's tube system is clean, efficient and, generally speaking, people are well-dressed and polite. However, until very recently, all lines stopped running at midnight. Now, there are a couple of lines that run for a few hours during the night on weekends only. For a city this size, it's unbelievable we're not dealing with a 24-hour train system here in London.
8
@Freddie Braun
Running nearly empty trains all night is terribly inefficient. Alternatives are much better. Lyft and Uber, for example, if the government pays to subsidize those with lower incomes to use them.
5
@JustInsideBeltway I see your point – two little footnotes, though, if I may: whenever I've taken the Berlin U-Bahn in the middle of the night, they were usually pretty full. Not packed, of course, but rarely ever empty either. Trains run less frequently between midnight and 5am, of course. Secondly, while I agree with you with re to Uber, Lyft, etc., not everyone can afford these means of transportation, even if they typically are less expensive than traditional taxis.
3
Having traveled to other cities in other countries, I have to agree with most of the impressions in this article. For whatever reason, New York (City AND State) shows little if any pride of ownership in its extensive and essential subway system. What the contributors from the various cities don't mention is that most if not all of these subway systems have gotten and continue to get significant financial support from their respective national government - New York's subway basically got close to nothing, nada, zip from our taxpayer money for decades. For New York's subway, that financial neglect includes NY State. Another article today mentioned Cuomo's dropping approval numbers. I am not surprised: his recent attacks on the MTA is the height of hypocrisy! He now complains about an authority that he has been in charge of for the last 8 years. What's wrong with that guy?
Lastly, about the Tube in London, also mentioned here: yes, it is an effective system, but also horrendously expensive, especially if one works close to downtown but has to commute in from the outer tariff zones thanks to skyrocketed rents downtown. Those fares are thanks to Maggie Thatcher and her recent conservative disciples. If that ends up being the choice, I take a safe and reasonably clean subway over the sparkling but unaffordable option any day!
14
When Amazon announced Queens as the area for its new headquarters, my jaw absolutely dropped. Had anyone factored in the decrepit, overstrained and under-maintained condition of NY City's transit system? How are people going to get to work? Unless Jeff Bezos was offering to drop a billion or so to help the system as part of the deal, in return for all the tax cuts he may have been promised.
22
@JGar
After years of stagnation, the news now is of NYC's Economic Development Corporation pushing the infamous BX Streetcar project forward. When built, it would connect Astoria in Queens and Sunset Park, Brooklyn. My sense is that Amazon's announcement of its HQ2 in Long Island City has something to do with it.
@JGar How is there no money for the subway / MTA but billions in freebies for Amazon? Jeff Bezos and Amazon are not offering a single dime to NYC. It is the opposite -- NYC and New York State are offering BILLIONS, freebies, to a company that staddles the trillion dollar mark in terms of worth. Andrew Cuomo continually defunds the MTA and claims that the subway in NYC's problem. He shows his face only when there is a PR moment. Cuomo had his head in the sand for years while the 'L' train was shutting down and he offers an 11th hour solution after hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions, were lost to contingency planning. 'Leadership' like that is what put the subway into the situation it is in. Lack of leadership has made all the corruption, poor construction possible.
You missed Singapore. It has both the scale and reach of New York. But is clean, safe and dependable beyond anything a New Yorker can imagine. I live in Singapore and spend about USD 2,- per day on public transport to and from work. While my taxation is at the top marginal tier of 22 pct. Government service at its best !
22
If the MTA NYCT subway system is to be improved it will only be done through political force of will. For this to occur there needs to be popular support sufficient to incentivize the politicians to choose the riders over the lobbyists. A comparison is a great and necessary start, but it should at least be meaningful. Here a two simple ones: 1: Compare the systems "transit energy" the number of people it moves multiplied by it rate of speed squared (TE=passengers x rate of travel^2). This would help everyone to better understand just how impactful the subway is, when it works and when it doesn't. 2: Compare the subsidy funds (federal, state, & local) per unit of transit energy.
4
This makes sense! Can someone please take this on?
I live in New York, and have lived in San Francisco, London, Paris, Rome and Hong Kong at different times in my life. In my experience, a city's mass transit system reflects the city it serves. New York's subway, along with Paris' and London's is one of the world's oldest, and all these systems have their flaws, including old stations and infrastructure. But they all serve dynamic, living communities and, for the most part, get the job done, which is moving masses of people quickly to all parts of the city. In my experience, the worst of the lot is a tie between the Roman and San Francisco systems, due to years of mismanagement and neglect, and the best is London. New York's isn't perfect, but I've rarely had to wait more than a few minutes for a train, the trains are clean and safe and a far cry from the nightmarish trains I used to ride when I first came to NYC in the 70's. The stations may not be gorgeous as in Moscow, or immaculate as in Hong Kong, but they each have a character all their own. (And I'm a New Yorker now, I like the grittiness!) The New York subway system is like New Yorkers: tough, generally unglamorous, no nonsense, but beautiful in its own way, with the beauty and resilience that only years of living and working hard in challenging conditions can bring. Don't count the MTA out and don't let the state or the city off the hook. There's a lot of work to be done, and the system is too vital to the life of this great city.
19
London is the oldest system, next, NYC. both dirty, and heavily used. For efficiency, both great. my favourite was Washington DC, where I wondered who had designed open entrances with escalators...fall about laughing every time DC gets snow. What were they thinking..
Paris, probably third oldest, very efficient, and much cleaner...
The old lines were fitted in, built before technology available. They do the job in three great cities ( or in DC's case when the government is working, and it's not snowing..Still giggling about that)
3
The biggest difference between NYC subway and the other countries listed in the article, is a cultural one. In all those cities mentioned, the people have good self-disciplines to not litter in the trains and on the platforms, and trash alone can make or break a whole system because it brings along rats, track-fires, stuffed drainages, and multitude of consequences that can lead to delays and maintenance problems. Cultural change is extremely difficult, and not something you can simply throw money at, and a decision by MTA to remove trash cans from many subway platforms is the most ill-advised, ever.
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@Jeff W
Don't blame the riders.
The riders are not to blame for antiquate signal systems, train sets, lack of track maintenance and line extensions/new lines.
Trash is annoying and leads to problems, but chances are your delay is due to the signal system. The fact that your line is overloaded is due to a lack of modernization efforts to increase capacity.
1
@Jeff W, as I noted in response to another comment about the missing trash cans, they were removed as a "security measure" in the paranoia infused aftermath of the 2001 attack on the WTC. Some of our security upgrades were smart but that was not one of them. There are still a lot of places to discretely put an IED in the subway system but now there are very few good places to dispose of trash.
1
The article is deficient in many ways. NYC subway carries far more passengers than most of the systems described in the article. Further NYC subway runs 24/365 whereas some of the lines in the article close down at night.
The article makes mention of cars that are solely devoted to women. The articles does not mention the fact that men forcibly touch and fondle women necessitating the segregation.
NYC has probably the most diverse population of any of the lines described. Cultural diversity is great but also leads to different customs and behaviors. The clash of cultures plays out daily on the subway.
17
How lucky that the vast majority of transit systems sprouted up from nowhere in the past few decades. NYC has the responsibility to take care of a hundred years of legacy equipment, on top of 24/7 service. Find a system as old and always-on as NYC and then we'll talk (hint: none exist).
Funny thing is, other transit systems learned from NYC on their way up. This city pioneered much of what people take for granted today.
5
Frequency is a big part of the problem. people often marvel at the NYC subway map, but what good are the lines when trains are routinely scheduled 20 min apart? A city like Toronto may only have a couple subway lines that are not 24 hrs, but the trains run every 2 minutes at rush hour, and the night buses that replace the subway nearly as often.
5
Rarely are trains in NYC 20 minutes apart. That's only during overnight hours. Standard intervals are 5-7 minutes.
5
@Casey Penk Except the frequent times during rush hour when the A is running 10-12 minutes apart.
@Annie
The A train just received new train sets as of Sunday so hopefully service on that line will improve.
I enjoyed taking the subway in Buenos Aires a number of years ago. It's a few cuts below that of NYC in several ways, but then Argentina is economically a few cuts below the U.S. The population of Buenos Aires is more comparable with that of NYC, I think, than with that of some of the cities mentioned in this article. I was there at the end of their summer and was impressed with and sympathetic to the crowds of downtown working men dressed in dark business suits descending the old concrete stairs into rather decrepit stations to board and stand in subway cars whose air conditioning consisted of lowered windows.
Public transportation is usually more enjoyable to a vacationer than to a commuter.
1
DC's metro has its problems, of course, but it is vastly more pleasant than NYC's. And every station has an elevator -- a lesson that NYC's metro could learn from.
7
I will be the first to agree that the MTA needs to greatly improve, however the anecdotal reports in the article and its comments are, of course, total generalizations, unsupported by actual data. For example one report praises a foreign line for electronic displays showing when the next train will arrive; many of the stations I use in Manhattan also have such displays. Likewise, not all the trains I take are antiquated, some have working electronic displays and understandable PA systems. Over-generalization is totally unconvincing.
On the other hand, I am a strong supporter of trying congestion pricing, and other means to fund expansion and improvement of the NYC subway system. I might even venture into no-no land and ask: why do we need taxis anyway ? Aren't they but a nod to the wealthy, who are too snooty to ride the MTA with us common people ? Improve and expand the buses and trains, diminish private autos and cabs, thus making the city more livable for us and our tourist friends.
2
It's been years since I've taken either a bus or the subway in NYC. I would have to confer with some of the criticism from my experience. I live in Chicago and periodically take the EL which may be a notch or two better. i am surprised though that no one mentioned the subway system in Madrid Spain. Had the pleasure of riding that system on a visit there. It was very user friendly, clean and efficient. Easy to navigate evev for a foreigner.
10
@Wesley I used to like the "L" train, but the stops are very smelly and dirty. Maybe that's changed in the last 10 years?
I visited NYC two years ago. When we wanted to visit the Guggenheim, we were told to take a subway that should take us close to the Cental Park from where it would be a short walk. Once on the train, it stoped once, and then - not any more for a very long time. We could hear over the loud- speaker something but it was impossible to understand. When the train stopped a lot of turists got off to find out we were in Harlem. It was interesting but not quite where we wanted to be. But some nice people directed us how to get there so it was ok.
I live in Vienna, Austria, which has one of the best public transport systems in the world: modern, clean, reliable and safe. It's not exactly cheap but students and senior citizens get a good deal and if you get a year-around card it's cheaper and valid on all means of transportation.
10
@ves "It's not exactly cheap..." I'll bet it's probably cheaper than owning your own car (taxes, gas, repairs, parking). European public transportation is every traveler's dream.
7
@ves not exactly cheap??? 365 Euros for a yearly pass is a steal by North American standards
3
The NY subway is very extensive more than almost all other cities but not as extensive as Tokyo for example. Compared to systems I’ve ridden in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Taipei, the most obvious criticism is it’s dirty, no filthy. The stations and trains are old and poorly maintained. It could be that the system is starved of money required for maintenance and upgrading but in addition it could also be that morale of employees is too low to make efficient use of the money it does have. All told, the system looks neglected. One of the nicest new features that exist in some Tokyo lines is the electronic boards which show when the next train is going to arrive. Tokyo, Hong Kong and Taipei lines all have signs and announcements in English as well as Japanese and Chinese respectively.
28
@lester ostroy
A major cause of the filthiness of NYC transit relative to that of Tokyo probably has more to do with the passengers than the employees.
Respect for others above one's self, including keeping things clean, is not a forte of the New Yorker.
32
@lester ostroy, Those electronic boards showing minutes till the next train are have been being deployed in growing numbers of NYC subway stations for several years now. Yes, they are nice.
I'm a native New Yorker who lives in Europe and have been on many subways around the world.
No doubt the NYC subway system needs an overhaul. But comparing the NYC subway to other systems around the world is largely a shallow exercise and ignores the complexity of the NYC situation.
The circumstances that everyone are aware of are the unusual status of the NY subways operating 24/7 as well as being the one of the oldest, most used and largest systems in the world in terms of total tracks and stations. The obviously makes maintenance a logistical nightmare.
Come to Budapest and ride the #4 line that opened in 2014. It's gorgeous, sleek and clean, has ten stops, is underused and closes every night around 11:30PM. It'll remain gorgeous forever.
Tourists go to any given European city and marvel at the great conditions of the subways. But do they travel to the end of the line? City Center subway stations are almost always in tip-top shape while outer line stations are usually spartan, dirty and in disrepair. Gotta keep the tourists happy, you know?
So Moscow stations have chandeliers. Do you really want to live in Moscow??? (You don't).
Probably the nicest subway I've been in was in Beijing. Spotless, modern, flawless operation. Of course. It's all a show, like China overall.
Every year when we come back to New York it's impossible to not see the deficits in the system. But it still gets me where I want to go. And I'm in New York.
147
@Hugh CC Many of your arguments are factually wrong. The only unique feature of the NYC subway compared to the others is the 24/7 operation. Tokyo's network is larger, runs more trains and ridership on many of these are higher than NYC (Tokyo, London, Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong ...) The Chinese networks are not just for tourists or show, the riderships numbers are very high because roads are crowded.
The simple fact is that in the rest of the world the roads are terrible and people find subways the best way to get to work and don't mind being taxed for it. In the US, the car is king and people hate taxes.
65
@Hugh CC- well written. Our subway system like marriage and democracy are terrible institutions but nobody really has come up with a better system.
4
@Hugh CC
Don't compare Budepest to those other grand cities and Moscow in many situations is better than NYC. It is not the old Moscow that maybe you saw on TV 30 years ago. No need to make excuses for disgusting NYC subways and may I add driving cars is 10 times worse than taking subways in NYC with traffic and spending hours inside a box (yeah freedom in a box on wheels stuck on highways and stop lights every 50 meters)
29
Mexico City has 12 Metro lines covering the whole city with additional Tren Ligero (light rail) trains extending the system. Rubber tires, 15 cent fares and trains every five minutes. An excellent system.
I ride the NYC trains every day and really have no complaints except that the cost seems high compared to other systems. Sure there are problems but the system gets a person around without too many problems.
4
there are 3 obvious sacrifices that we could make to improve subways: reduce operation time from 24 hours, raise fares or increase taxes dedicated to subsidizing improvement. there seems to be no appetite for any of these at the State level so, through attrition, we're left with a what we have. Several of the respondents identified their countries' willingness to subsidize transportation, which is what we need to do (and not just for commuter and ferry service. they look pretty but do not move the same quantity of people)
11
@Paul or we could tax all those cars that come in by bridge and tunnel, or we could tax the resident billionaires, or we could get some unemployed clean up the trash...
16
@Paul
I'm sorry but no need for all that as they make more than enough money to imporve the subway. Do not fall for these corrupt officials who want to pocket more money now. Get rid of CEOs as they are the cancer of all companies, get rid of all overpaid pretending to do something suits, those useless individuals are costing NYC billions a year. This includes all spheres from hospitals (can you imagine a hospital CEO making few million dollars doing nothing basically; spare me the reasons and excuses that they deserve it) to subway
8
@Paul easy to say, but realistically, NYC is a 24/7 city...how are the people who clean offices at night, work late at night at hotels, restaurants, and service jobs supposed to get to and from their homes way outside of manhattan, since these workers cannot afford to live *in* manhattan? the subway system has made it possible for NYC to be an all night city... otherwise, we'd be just some podunk town with a waterfront.
1
well the nyc subway is just old. like london and paris. i lived in nyc for two weeks. the train screeches. i had to see a ear specialist after that. it smells, so does the subway system in paris. delays happen all the time. during summer, the tube and the metro in paris are both unbearable. just like the ones in nyc. wearing a tank and shorts does not help stop you from sweating buckets. i pity those who have to go to work in a suit. to fix this, requires a lot of money. a lot of people said that transit systems must learn from japan. clean, on time and goes to far reaching places. but we all know it is not that easy. it's costly.
16
New York's subways may not compare aesthetically with Moscow's, but the 168th Street station, which you show twice, had its own chandeliers, and was as I recall the world's largest brick arch, as well as having elaborate mosaics. You can see a nice photo of the chandelier sconces here:
https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/tag/irt-168th-street-station/
The problem isn't the station, which could be spectacular, but the chronic neglect that afflicts it, as it afflicts the rest of New York's subway system.
31
I am glad to see the Times bringing attention to the state of the subway system, the lifeblood of our greatest city. The comparison to that of other metros is needed to show that things need not be as they currently are. Such as comparison without including that of the magnificent Moscow system would have been jounalistic malpractice, but that was not the case. However, I would have hoped that the spanking new and efficient urban systems in China, especially the maglev line, would also have been included, as by all accounts China has surged into the lead in all aspects of modern train technology, from which there is a lot we can learn.
23
One main component of the complaints concerning the NYC subway is the overwhelming amount of trash, grime and dirt in the system. Granted, nobody in Berlin, Istanbul or Stockholm would get the idea, e.g, to throw leftover pizza, coffee cups, the breakfast bagel, the styrofoam container with chicken on rice, etc, etc. onto the tracks with impunity. Or the cohorts of subway workers who simply leave their trash in the tunnels, All that is primarily not a function of underfunding, but of public behavior. We could have a much cleaner subway without spending a single dollar more, if the users of the system would just behave like people should and not treat it like a trashcan.
214
@Tom Mix Agreed - the systems who don't allow food & drink are much cleaner. I wish we had that here. The comment about the Tokyo passengers making room for others is telling. They could teach a lesson to all of those people who hug the poles and keep their backpacks on during rush hour.
Curious about Moscow - do kids still roll their kopecks down those long escalators to hit the attendant's booth?
7
@Tom Mix
Oh, please. Some of the grime goes back to the 1930s -- just as much of the equipment does.
Try under-funding London, Moscow, Tokyo or Berlin the same way we underfund NYC subways and see what happens. Including "public behavior".
OTOH, if you really think pizza and bagels are what's wrong with the system, it's plain you don't actually depend on the subways to get anywhere.
2
@Tom Mix
In the last ten years, the little bit of subway travel I've experienced has been in four places: NYC, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Madrid. And what I found glaringly obvious was this: in the above named European cities, the speed, air quality, noise level, lighting and general comfort levels were consistently admirable. Excuses about age aside, the fact is that the NYC system fails in all those criteria.
12
And, take look at Boston, DC, and Philly — 3 I am familiar with.
It’s not just NYC. The US pays lip service for advocating mass transit.
Want to slow climate change — put money into mass transit!
118
@Sharon
and don't overlook Chicago's hideous El system, one of the dirtiest and ugliest in the nation.
3
Friendly and helpful workers? What a concept! Maybe one of the common threads is that other cities don’t have to contend with the likes of the TWU Local 101.
Another good question to ask is why the corrupt and incompetent construction practice here, which makes expanding the NYC subway cost 3-5x per mile than London, is allowed to exist. Hint: it has something to do with politicians feeding at a trough.
42
A few years ago I traveled to Kuala Lumpur on vacation. The transit system there and airport were amazing. Clean, on time and friendly. This made me think of systems I've experienced in the US "The greatest, richest country on Earth" or so they say and I had to shake my head in shame. No one here wants to pay even a little bit more in taxes to have a better system. Mostly because we have bought into the fairy tale of "you can decide better for yourself what to do with your money" except how many times have you and your neighbors gotten together to pave the roads in your neighborhood? Or to build a transit stop in your town? For some things we need a working government and yes taxes.
95
I live in Medellin, Colombia. The metro here is first class. It's remarkably clean and people take pride in it. There is no eating or drinking on the trains or platforms. It is crowded during rush hour but overall not too bad. The main metro connects to cable cars and a tram, included in the price of a ticket, which take passengers up to the neighborhoods in the surrounding hills. The metro is also integrated into bus lines that go to surrounding neighborhoods accessed by a "civica", a card which can be recharged.
14
I feel that many of the European systems, however appealing, offer less meaningful possibilities for New York as the volume of people the MTA is trying to move is higher. London, because of when it was built, and Moscow, because of the number of passengers, perhaps can offer lessons. Systems like Tokyo seem beyond the realm of possibility. That system does have a feature worthy of adoption: it's not 24 hours, which makes it possible to do construction and repair on a daily basis that doesn't affect commuters. Two underrated systems: Chicago and Mexico City. A few years ago the Chicago system was in the news as being on the brink of failure. And yet they must have done something right, as when I've visited in the past few years the system seemed to offer what NYC might: an unremarkable yet seemingly functioning transportation system. No fancy stations, no beautiful trains, but entry gates that you tapped to go through efficiently and trains that came reasonably quickly and didn't make people mysteriously wait in tunnels. How did the fix the system? I also recently rode on the Mexico City system extensively and found it to be impressive. That feeling is expected in Asian or European cities, but I didn't realize Mexico would offer it as well. The system is extensive, serves as many passengers as New York, and the trains simply run. What better recommendation can I offer than that I opted to take it on an early morning trip to the airport, something I wouldn't risk in New York.
20
If wishes were fishes, beggars would eat and New Yorkers would have a clean, safe and on-time subway system. If only...
New York is presenting itself as the economic model with $284 million apartments in the sky and a hideous hellhole underground for the unwashed. It never dawns on the rich that their wealth comes from those willing to get up in the morning ad do real work.
A simple 1 cent per share transaction tax on stock trades, perhaps could help revive it. Wall Street would have a tough time operating without the transit system. However, mention that and the rich begin their weeping and wailing.
177
NYC residents are taxed at exorbidant rates. The effective sales tax in Manhattan is 8% (city + state).
Income is taxed in Manhattan at 2.9-3.8% on TOP of the existing state income tax.
Property taxes are 1.9% of assessed value.(so those bankers with $2.5M condos are paying $50k in taxes / year).
All of these taxes and yet the subway/MTA somehow runs worse than it did 50 years ago.
...maybe more taxes aren't the solution?
@Arturo And yet it doesn't stop them from doing business here
1
I lived in Vienna, Austria last year for 2 month. My primary source of transport was the Ubahn train system. The trains are never late or early, exactly on schedule with well lit overhead timetables/destinations. No crowding on cars, all is calm, polite and civilized. The stops are well lit and immaculate with stairs, escalators and elevators to different levels. All modern and working. Absolutely no crime whatsoever, no guns, against the law. Amazing way to ride to anything in Vienna!!
50
and the same applies to busses and trams that you can easily enter in a wheelchair or with a stroller! and no rats!
8
@susan Blanchard
"... All modern and working." Remember, parts of the New York subway system are a century old or older. That's one important point. Disinvestment and deferred maintenance; archaic work rules mandated by the Transport Workers Union; city and state politics; and the fact that everyone believes the fare is too high and is unwilling to pay more taxes, are other points.
After I had to live with and tolerate the system for 40 years, the shabby and dirty conditions and crowded platforms and trains now strike me as horrendous when I visit "the city." Advancing age may also be a reason for my repulsion.
Thanks for the nice collection of impressions. I wasn't aware that the NYC subway is in such a sad state.
But in Berlin you have to validate your ticket (unless it's some long-term ticket like month or year subscription) on the platform. It's a typical "visitors mistake" to forget that, and controllers can be rather unforgiving about not following that rule (which is a pretty German culture thing, too...)
24
I have some experience with the London and Paris subways which are very good. I have a lot of experience with New York's subways over the past fifty both as a resident of New York and now a frequent visitor. Now and then there have been annoying delays, but I can't recall any major inconvenience. I love it. It's far easier to get around in New York than Los Angeles.
4
For decades, cities in the United States experienced disinvestment. Residents and jobs (including taxes and political influence) fled to suburbs, where the automobile is typically the only reasonable mobility option. The federal, state, and city governments failed to provide the necessary funding to keep public services functioning adequately (especially mass transportation). The NYC subway, in particular, suffered greatly from this phenomenon.
Now there's been a reversal in the movement of people and jobs and it's long been time to reinvest heavily in our mass transportation networks. Congestion pricing is the start, but it's going to take a lot more than that revenue to make the NYC subway system competitive with the top international systems in several categories.
But it is possible.
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@Nick
"Congestion Pricing" is just another way of saying I want somebody else to pay for my benefit.
"Congestion Pricing" favors the wealthy over the middle class. It gets the unwashed masses out of the way of the wealthy so they can speed to their destination without delay.
The best solution is to have the subway run at a profit.
7
@Bob in Pennsyltucky
And in what country do subways run at a profit? Almost everywhere else the subway is in the capital city and is subsidized by the national government. So how are we do to that?
17
@m.pipik @Nick Congestion pricing never got off the ground, the upstate politicians shot that down. Comparing New York's problems to others in the transit business is nice fodder for discussions but only rubs salt in the wound. How many of the complaining transit riders would give up their commute as it is now for a year or more in order to update one station much less an entire "SUBWAY LINE"? Where would you find the room to expand an existing line, Subway entrance and exit and worst of all the added vehicle traffic.
There are probably many fixes that would make sense and could be put into place BUT the cost of this is prohibitive. For all of those who point out the NICE NEW SYSTEMS what was the cost to build them in, under around an field? Best IDEA thrown out was to rip out the SUBWAY TRACKS and LAY DOWN MOVING SIDEWALKS like you have in the AIRPORTS. ;-)
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