The Straphangers Campaign just released its 2015 State of the Subway report card, and—surprise!—New York's transit system is not doing so hot. Gene Russianoff, the Straphangers' attorney and spokesperson, said in a press release, "Disparities abound. Some lines stink; others just need work." That aligns with a recent study that revealed that it would take more than 50 years to get the subway system into a state of good repair. Straphangers ranked each individual subway line according to a "MetroCard Rating," and based on their findings—which take into account amount of service, dependability of service, and comfort and usability—the 7 line is the best in the city (fitting, considering it also has the newest subway station), with a MetroCard rating of $2.15; the B and 5 lines, meanwhile, ranked the lowest, with a rating of $1.45.
Straphangers goes deep with its annual report, releasing not just an overview of subway service, but also a detailed breakdown for each subway line. If you're a G train rider, for example, you can see how the line rates in terms of regularity (good!), cleanliness (also good!), and how often cars break down (not good!), among other findings. Another table ranks the subway lines from best to worst according to all of the criteria Straphangers used in compiling its report—for instance, you can easily see that the 7 is best in terms of amount of service and cleanliness, but the F beats it when it comes to getting a seat. Basically, this is a subway wonk's dream come true.
More key takeaways, aside from the best and worst lines, include the following:
· Subway car breakdowns have increased.
· The cleanliness of subway cars hasn't changed since Straphangers' 2014 report card was released.
· "Accurate and understandable" announcements in subway cars have decreased very slightly.
· There are "large disparities" when it comes to subway performance—there's seemingly no rhyme or reason to which lines perform well or poorly.
The findings were based on data collected in the last half of 2014. But if you're a 7 train rider feeling very smug right now, take note: it still performed poorly when it comes to regularity of service and subway car announcements, so it's not perfect. (Maybe someday!)
· Straphangers Campaign Issues "State of the Subways" Report Card [Straphangers]
· No. 5, B subway trains declared the worst in the city: annual report [NYDN]
· NYC Subway Stations to Remain Crappy for the Next 50 Years [Curbed]
· All NYC Subway Coverage [Curbed]