The subways can't be fixed because:
1) New York has a dysfunctional politician-union relationship that increases costs by 5x
2) people using the subway are unwilling to pay fares that will cover maintenance costs
3) New York has a large population of crazy/drugged out/antisocial people who disrupt normal subway operations.
8
It's breathtaking & mystifying to an outsider how New Yorkers can't seem to find the money or the resolve to fix the broken subway system in America's premier city. Reallocating 10% of that massive defense budget to transit infrastructure may be a good place to start. Or get China to fix it for you.
8
Meh. A slight uptick in on-time performance is the bare minimum. It's like praising your kid for a D- instead of an F.
In the meantime, at my subway station - on the shiny new Q line in the Upper East Side - yet another broken escalator. The station is not even three years old, and it's suffered from perpetually broken escalators literally since the beginning (we're talking about a technology here that is a century old and used all over the world...yet somehow the MTA can't seem to figure it out).
The new or newly remodeled stations at Fulton St, Javits Center and 72nd St (CPW) have been leaking from the get go. There was practically a torrential downpour at the 6 stop at Grand Central during the rainstorms last Thursday. For you out of town folks, it rains in our subway stations when it rains outside!
The level of workmanship that the MTA employs is laughably bad. Its customer-facing employees are apathetic and disdainful of the public. It's office drones do the bare minimum (there's something ripe for an expose, NYT). The graft and corruption are ridiculous at all levels of the MTA and its contractors.
I'm a strong advocate of strong public services, but the MTA is so bad that at this point I wonder if privatization might be the key. It is the absolute worst subway system in the developed world - in fact, much better systems exist in developing countries. It remains a shame and a blight.
7
If there is a problem at the MTA it is mismanagement not a lack of money. If we give them more money, they will either waste it or steal it. Cleaning staff and maintenance crews need to be more closely supervised. Homeless people need to be given permanent shelters. I live in a hundred year old house which needs little maintenance as long as normal maintenance is performed. Even if I needed to tear it down and rebuild from scratch, I would do it at a fraction of the cost the MTA management spend. Corruption and mismanagement are the problem not lack of money.
3
The city will collapse if the MTA is not fixed soon with a lot of money. I think the huge rich corporations have to put in a lot of money, not loans but contributions, to fix this system. And someone has to expose again once again the union strangle hold on the MTA.
Who saved Times Square? Disney?
2
How about fixing the buses? Waiting 17 minutes for a #4 bus is simply unacceptable.
5
The governor's clear record on appointing individual's to boards he wants to control is to always appoint people who have close ties to him. And it's unlikely there is anyone who has a closer tie than Pat Foye.
3
I always loved the subway as a lad. It taught me to nap without tilting, got me all around town from the Bronx affordably, and to work on time. New York is a rumble with what must be now 10 million people. If the subway isn't a top priority I can't imagine what is...
10
Cuomo is well-suited to work with the unions - this is very important. This is the toughest part of improving the system - years of fearing a transit strike have paralyzed even the best political leaders. Andy C. has the moxie, the wisdom, and the political smarts to create a collaborative union-management work relationship. It is undeniably tough to break down the barriers - I agree - but Andy C. has the Cuomo blood, the raw strength, and political moxie to make it happen. I wish him all the best "making Andy Byford" successful! Take on the difficulty of "managing" the unions - and using smart solutions like attrition, process improvement, and automation to ensure a gigantic success for making NYC's system the premier of the world.
2
I ride the subways daily commuting from Brooklyn to mid-town Manhattan. Sometimes seven days a week and I’ve been doing it for decades.
Prior to Byford’s arrival, I suffered through constant delays and break downs and found myself leaving for work earlier and earlier everyday to ensure I got to work on time. Some of those rides took close to an hour. Now I’m at work in thirty to 35 minutes and not completely stressed out when I arrive. Yes there are occasional hiccups but it’s a lot better than it was.
I was a bit skeptical when I heard that a guy was hired from outside NYC to fix the mess we found ourselves in, but he brought a European thought process to how a transit system should run and it’s working. I was also happy to hear that he’s not afraid of Cuomo and de Blasio or get caught up in their petty political power grabbing and bickering. Even to the point that he threatened to resign if they didn’t get out of his way.
19
This must be an accident!
3
As a former Transit employee of 24 years, I know how hard it is to implement meaningful and important changes. The environment of state and federal regulations, civil service, and unions ensnares anyone whose goal is improvement, because every other force is against change. This paper has highlighted two of the changes that led to slower trains, hence, delays. It is good that Andy followed up on that insight, and has increased speed limits where warranted. What concerns me is the flight of expertise and talent from the Transit Authority, as they downsize - cutting beneath the bone in areas such as Information Technology and Human Resources. I worked in both, and can tell you that the well of knowledge and capability in those areas WAS strong. But persistent efforts at whittling down these areas is making them less and less capable of functioning. It is particularly sad when you know that in the not too distant past, great progress was made. It is so much easier to destroy than to create, and the new approaches that are consolidating administrative functions are NOT consolidating for efficiency, but for power. Sad
9
If you mention that Andy Byford is "from England," it would only be fair also to say that he came to New York "from Toronto."
16
You’re welcome to visit us here in Mexico City and see how a top-notch subway works. On-time, clean, and with (nearly) enough cars to relieve congestion even during rush hour. Of course, nothing comes without cost. Accessing the Metro will set you back the equivalent of a quarter dollar. (That, thanks to substantial subsidies, also known as putting tax dollars to work for taxpayers.) We’re far from perfect, but we know how to make the trains run on time. But what do we benighted sorts know?
31
@Tomas Agree! Mexico City's subways (and its MetroBus network!) are leagues above what we have in NYC.
3
If the NYC residents whose wealth levels make this one of the richest cities in the world were required to ride the subway on a regular basis, it would be in great shape.
30
This column celebrates modest gains in there subway system like they are the Moon Landing. The subways are broken because everything costs billions and takes forever to complete. This is the fault of the unions and the politicians who give in to their insane blackmail level demands in exchange for votes. Until you no longer need 4 workers present to do the job of one nothing in the subways will ever meaningfully change.
31
There is simply no greater asset for the NY region than the mass transit system. Without the subways and commuter railroads the region would come to a standstill. We must do whatever it takes, including transit professional board oversight and labor contract modifications, to increase capacity and on time performance. If we had a better system perhaps people would leave their cars which would in itself lessen congestion. Our leaders must take politics out of the discussion and simply focus on making the system the jewel it needs to be.
14
The subways and other transit systems in New York will never reach their potential quality until their governance structure at all levels is depoliticized and professionalized. In this respect Governor Cuomo is a hindrance. He has demonstrated a lack of competence in transit issues many times over. I personally feel that the MTA board, which consists mostly of political hacks and property development operatives, should be abolished and replaced with transportation professionals.
41
As a child in the 1970's i used to wear a t-shirt that read, " I rode the NY Subways and survived!" Taking in to account the immense political bureaucracy of New York over the years, and the incredible neglect of the subway system through the 70's, 80's, and in to the 90's, the NYC subway system in the last 10 years has improved dramatically, and since Andy Byford has been at the helm these last 2 years, even more. After almost 5 decades of neglect, it's impossible for a system as complex as New York's to improve dramatically overnight, which it seems is what some people expect. It seems the powers that be finally recognize how vital the system is to life in NYC. Does anyone remember what a nightmare it was getting around town during the 2005 transit strike?
Keep up the great work Mr. Byford, and don't let the political bureaucracy run you out of town!
32
And I grew up in NYC in the 2000s, and the subways aren't half as good as when I was in high school. They still have a long ways to go.
1
@robert Disagree wholeheartedly. The subway was running quite well from the late 90s to the late 00s. Much better than it had been in the past. After that it took a precipitous nosedive. Sure it's not as bad as the 70s, but is that what we're going to use as our baseline of quality?
7
Your story reads well, but Cuomo is an obstacle to the improvement and safety of the system. His decision re the L line was more politically motivated than taking into account what the experts recommended. Your article will boost his over inflated ego.
24
Please continue to work together and improve the working of the NYC subway system. I have visited many countries, many of them much poorer than the US and have gone about in subways with bilingual signage, clear announcements, ontime arrivals, not much crowding, electronic ticketing, etc. There is no reason we in one of the richest countries of the world cannot do the same. We have the knowledge, money and ability. We just need the will to solve these problems and cooperate like adults towards the solution.
21
@klsvbm
Most Euro and Asian countries have modern subways. They are not poorer then US , they are richer because they spend their tax receipts on their transit sustems , we spend it on defense.
NY subways will never be world class until and if the Fed. decides to fund a complete rebuild which can only happen when states stop fighting eachother for funding and unite to rebuild our long list of Natl. depleated infrastructure.
No predictions if it will ever happen.
6
As we look for new modes of transportation, some are used more often than others. The subways or trains are considered modes of transportation, but can be difficult to use due to the overcrowding of people and the delays they have. In New York, the subway delays were down nearly 35 percent compared to last year, as stated in the article.
As I was reading this, this interested me because in my experience, I have used the subway before and I definitely have to say that it wasn't a fun or good experience. When I first rode the subway, there were tons of people in it and I got really uncomfortable being squished in the subway and I couldn't really get a chance to have my own space. As I was getting to my destination, the subway stopped and I had to wait a pretty long time for the subway to get to my location. As the subway stops at a given point, there were always more people getting on, but a few people leaving. So yeah, being in a a subway, for me, wasn't a pleasant experience. Reading this article made me relate to the situation I got caught up in. As the article mentions the situation in New York, the government funded money to support the subway system and sought to improve it, such as, "cleaning tracks and drains, strengthening power systems, overhauling train equipment and installing sturdier rails that are less prone to breaking." It's good that New York did something to improve the system. Overall, reading this article was a pleasure to read and was cool to relate to.
2
The editorial points out the working partnership between Governor Cuomo, M.T.A. chairman Patrick Foye and New York City Transit president Andy Byford as indispensable to successfully implementing billions of dollars in improvements to the transit system. Conspicuously missing from this roster of conscientious public servants is, naturally, the Mayor, in this and so much else affecting the good of all New Yorkers utterly useless.
8
@Edwin Remember that the mayor only has lobbying ability with the Gov and the MTA. The only direct involvement is when the State wants the City to pay. If the State insists that the City pay, then the mayor should also have some say in how (where?) those funds are spent.
The Gov should step away from the micro-managing that he has recently been prone to. He should set some (achievable) goals and let the professionals go about getting to them. And, when the pros make a request for the funding (with appropriate documentation), then let them go about their business and truly improve the system.
5
We were in Moscow in July 2017. The subways were an easy way to get around as this is a large city. The subways ran at fixed intervals that did not vary by even one second. The stations are not only monuments of art and architecture, but also perfectly clean.
24
@Walterk55
As many Americans comment on modern foreigh subway systems they experience in E/A , the superior Moscow system is mentioned here.
How long will it be before our political system will require leaders to speak truth about our collapsed public infrastructure in NYC and most cities.
It won't improve with Band-Aids from single state sources, only when Natl. funding is approved for a rebuild.
Not happening with this fed.admin.
2
@Walterk55
We saw the same type of beautiful subway system in St Petersburg...and the tunnels are so deep they do double duty as a bomb shelter.
Never know when you may need them!!
3
The problem is of course doing everything peace meal, by patchwork and being reactionary, instead of proactive.
The other problem is that legislators (of all stripes) are not being honest or realistic - which swings back to the above.
Infrastructure in general requires massive funding (to the point now that it is going to require the taxes from not only the next generation, but the one after that) The gas tax needs to be raised immediately, not only for road upkeep , but to get people OFF of them and onto public transit.
Trains (very high speed) are going to have to be our future, if we are going to have any chance at reducing climate change through less airline travel.
If we can't figure that out to transport people for any distance (where it is far easier to develop in wide open spaces), then we aren't going to be able to do it far underground, where just a block costs billions.
Keeping clunky little trains on time is the least we can do.
7
@FunkyIrishman
Only in the most densely populated areas would anyone prefer a train to a self-driving taxi. Most of these densely-populated areas already have decent heavy rail service (such as Acela and LIRR) to go with light rail service (such as subways).
Passenger rail systems are prone to being awful because they tend to be monopolies and treat the customers accordingly.
The good climate news is people are starting to realize how terrible jet travel is for the environment, much of jet travel is optional, and self-driving taxis will also replace a lot of short flights.
2
@Alan Self-driving vehicles are about thirty years away from being used at scale. I get that the press loves to rah-rah the idea that we'll all be driven by autonomous vehicles in the near future, but a little digging into the facts show that we're far from such a point. In the meantime it would be foolish to do nothing.
2
On the subject of indefensibly expensive projects: whenever subways are discussed, I hear assertions that the transit workers' union has work rules that are extremely wasteful, with featherbedding, excessive overtime, and so on. I have no idea whether those claims are true, exaggerated or false. I believe strongly that unions are necessary if workers are to have safe and reasonable working conditions and decent pay and benefits. I also believe that unions can abuse their power in the ways I hear asserted. If we New Yorkers are to have faith that the system is well and efficiently run, I think we need some investigation and facts, rather than just the accusations and denials.
22
Why not abolish the unions throughout the public sector, require every employee to reapply for their positions and see if services improve. If issues appear, address them one by one. As far as worker safety, some jobs are dangerous by nature. Those who aren’t willing to face those danders should not apply for those positions to begin with. We shouldn’t be creating bureaucracies to monitor them or allowing the inmates to run the asylum.
4
@From Where I Sit: Wow! I guess you won't be getting up from where you sit to take up a job which is dangerous by nature. Obviously, your punctiliousness will not permit you to benefit from those who do or did: you won't use a high-rise building or even electiricity, take the subway, etc. One must strictly uphold one's values.
10
Assertions about the incredibly inefficient work rules and contractual agreements strangle any attempts for cost efficiencies and drive the astronomical OT are ENORMOUS, hidden in plain sight, and largely ignored by the press.
Governors past and present view the unions as a huge voting bloc and have quietly given away the store for years with no productivity concessions ever!.
We are long overdue for a lengthy investigative report by your paper about all of these deals that Governors including Cuomo have made over the last 20 years that constrain management. Basically the TWU and ATU run the show.
One example among many: union employees in NYCT pay about $500 in premiums for a robust health insurance policy that is subsidized by the taxpayer to the tune of nearly $20k/worker/year.
It really does take 2 hourlies to change a lightbulb or unclog a toilet.
Time to pull back the curtain on this wastefulness and show the public what is really driving the TA’s runaway costs.
It is going to take a full blown NYT investigation to embarrass Cuomo into finally taking on the union.
1