4 ms·

The line about overcrowding being one of the major drivers behind delays doesn't hold much water. Ridership has essentially been flat or even declining in some

The line about overcrowding being one of the major drivers behind delays doesn't hold much water. Ridership has essentially been flat or even declining in some areas[1] (peaked in early 2010s). Decreasing mean distance between failures in cars [2] (as well as mismanagement of crews & trains as mentioned in article) are among the main culprits. [1] http://web.mta.info/nyct/facts/ridership/ridership_sub_annual.htm http://web.mta.info/nyct/facts/ridership/ridership_sub_annua... [2] http://web.mta.info/mta/news/books/archive/160725_1030_NYCT.pdf http://web.mta.info/mta/news/books/archive/160725_1030_NYCT.... <-- See page 29

rb808 9y ago
Are you sure? nytimes recently said its doubled. (thougcomparison to 40s is interesting) > Subway ridership has risen dramatically since the 1990s, when about four million people used the system each day. Now it is nearly six million riders each day — the highest level since the 1940 https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/06/28/nyregion/subway-delays-overcrowding.html https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/06/28/nyregion/subw...
- Nelkins 9y ago
  They said it's risen since the 90s, which is true. That chart in the middle is a bit misleading (not granular enough). Scroll to the bottom of my first link to see the MTA's own figures on annual ridership for the past few years, you'll see it's down .3% since 2011 (although has gone both up and down in the intervening years). And just for the sake of completeness, I'll counter your NYT article with one of my own ;) [1] [1] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/23/nyregion/new-york-city-subway-ridership.html https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/23/nyregion/new-york-city-su...
- mulmen 9y ago
  What caused the spike in the 1940s? Wartime fuel rationing?
  - kevin_thibedeau 9y ago
    The spike was in 1946. Whenever this statistic is trotted out I always wonder how they made the trains run back then but MTA can't figure out how to do it today. Their handwaving about narrow doors slowing down passengers doesn't hold water.
    - mulmen 9y ago
      That's interesting. By 1946 most soldiers would have been back in the states but automobile production would still have been ramping up. New car designs didn't really hit the market until after 1948. Maybe that contributed?

rb808 9y ago

Are you sure? nytimes recently said its doubled. (thougcomparison to 40s is interesting) > Subway ridership has risen dramatically since the 1990s, when about four million people used the system each day. Now it is nearly six million riders each day — the highest level since the 1940 https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/06/28/nyregion/subway-delays-overcrowding.html https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/06/28/nyregion/subw...

Nelkins 9y ago
They said it's risen since the 90s, which is true. That chart in the middle is a bit misleading (not granular enough). Scroll to the bottom of my first link to see the MTA's own figures on annual ridership for the past few years, you'll see it's down .3% since 2011 (although has gone both up and down in the intervening years). And just for the sake of completeness, I'll counter your NYT article with one of my own ;) [1] [1] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/23/nyregion/new-york-city-subway-ridership.html https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/23/nyregion/new-york-city-su...
mulmen 9y ago
What caused the spike in the 1940s? Wartime fuel rationing?
- kevin_thibedeau 9y ago
  The spike was in 1946. Whenever this statistic is trotted out I always wonder how they made the trains run back then but MTA can't figure out how to do it today. Their handwaving about narrow doors slowing down passengers doesn't hold water.
  - mulmen 9y ago
    That's interesting. By 1946 most soldiers would have been back in the states but automobile production would still have been ramping up. New car designs didn't really hit the market until after 1948. Maybe that contributed?