On a brisk March morning during my eighth grade year, I sat at the bus stop for nearly twenty minutes. Two Bx8s passed my stop, so when a third one came, I was eager to get on. However, the bus driver was hesitant, as his bus was also packed. He assured us at the stop that an emptier bus was right behind him.
The next bus came 10 minutes later. And it was still packed. It was the first time that I was late to school during my entire middle school career.
A story like this is common amongst New Yorkers who use public transportation, whether they use trains or buses. Despite our best efforts to stay ahead of inconsistent bus and train schedules, we always seem to be running for a train that leaves without us. Some may say that these are hallmarks of any transit system around the world, but for many, the MTA is a whole new level of inadequacy. Its service is marred by delays, high fares, safety concerns, and an overall lack of satisfaction from the general public.
But have these problems been bubbling up recently, or has New York City’s transit been flawed since its inception?
Placing the Tracks
While many may think of the MTA as a single homogenous organization, it is actually composed of six different agencies that conduct business from Queens to Connecticut. These agencies are as follows: MTA New York City Transit, MTA Bus Company, MTA Long Island Rail Road, MTA Metro-North Railroad, MTA Bridges and Tunnels, and MTA Construction & Development. Despite its interstate span, the MTA headquarters lie in Lower Manhattan.
Before the MTA’s inception, the subway lines of New York City were owned by the city government, and in 1940, they became the New York City Board of Transportation. Then, the organization known as the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) started in 1953. However, the MTA didn’t exist until it was created in 1965, then known as the Metropolitan Commuter Transport Authority (MCTA), by the New York State Legislature. Governor Nelson Rockefeller requested its creation in order to benefit the transit system of New York City and beyond.
The establishment of the MCTA was merely one step towards unifying the many agencies that supervised New York Transit. It wasn’t until March 1st, 1968, when the MCTA took control of NYC’s subways and its Triborough Bridge. It dropped Commuter from its name and became the MTA.
While it may still seem like the case today, the MTA of the 1970s and 80s was notorious for the poor maintenance of its systems. Trains were often dark and covered in graffiti, and buses were not much better, with their inconsistent arrival times. All of this was due to a severe lack of funding. This problem persisted until Richard Ravitch, a man who had previously worked with New York City’s finances, was hired by the city to reform the financial system of the MTA. Over the course of his 4-year tenure with the MTA, he created a plan in which private companies would buy MTA buses and cars, and then lease them back to the MTA at a lower price so the authority can repurchase them, which would save money in the long run.
Other improvements to the system throughout the years include newer fleets of buses and subway cars, and an increased police presence in the system. Despite the improvements, people still express contempt for the system. In a survey conducted by the MTA in the Fall of 2024, only 49 percent of subway riders were satisfied with their service, and only 53 percent were satisfied with the local buses in the city. So now the question becomes, what can the MTA do to further improve its services in New York City?
Crime Within the System
New York City is painted as a dangerous place in modern media; we often hear stories of violent crimes throughout the five boroughs. And the city’s transit system, usually the subways, are seen as a prime example. It feels like every day a person is pushed onto the tracks, a stabbing occurs on a bus, or a shooting happens in a train car. Well, across the NYCTA, for the past three years, an average of 181 felonies were committed each month. The majority of these crimes are grand larceny and robbery.
But still, many New Yorkers have a fear of being assaulted rather than being robbed in the transit system. In 2023 there were 557 felony assaults, though there was a three percent decrease in 2024. And news reports of people being randomly attacked or even killed while in the subways has further hindered public perception.
To combat this perceived increase, there has been an increase in policing throughout the subways. As a part of Governor Kathy Hochul’s State of the State address in January, she vowed to have two officers on each train between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. In addition, platform barriers are to be installed in more than 100 stations by the end of this year in order to protect people from falling onto the tracks. As for buses, while there has been an increase in policing on them, it’s mainly in service of stopping fare beaters, and less about keeping people safe.
Of course, the mental health of these attackers bears importance, as some of these assaults come from individuals who need psychiatric help and/or sleep on the platforms. In fact, last year there were 2,047 homeless individuals living in the subways, based on research from the Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) conducted in January of 2024. While this is a four percent decrease from 2023, the problem is, of course, still apparent. Police enforcement against homeless individuals isn’t necessary in the subways. Instead, outreach programs like the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) and HOPE are better suited for outreach to get these people help, rather than simply moving them. Governor Hochul has realized this, and created the Safe Options Support (SOS) initiative that aids those who need it with psychiatric and medical care, as well as housing. Since its launch in 2022, it has helped over 1,000 people by paving the way to permanent housing.
As with most problems, homelessness in the subways can’t be solved with just heavier policing, but with empathy for those it affects.
Fare Evasion
Despite its illegality, fare evasion is extremely common within the transit system. We’ve all seen people simply hop onto buses without paying, or circumvent the turnstiles of a train station, whether in person or in viral videos. Many of us may have done it ourselves. In fact, I see lots of Bronx Science students hop onto buses without even thinking of using their OMNY cards. Well, these practices have cost the MTA millions of dollars. For instance, the MTA estimates that they lost over 800 million dollars to fare evasion. This becomes detrimental to service because around 40 percent of the MTA operating budget comes from fares and tolls.
To their credit, the MTA has implemented multiple strategies to combat fare evasion. In the early 1990s, they became more aggressive when it came to arresting those who don’t pay the fare, at least in train stations. They placed numerous police officers in stations to arrest those who skipped the fare, even when it was their first offense. A fine for fare skippers was also introduced around this time, which started at 60 dollars, but as of this year stands at over 150 dollars for those with three offenses or more. In addition, fare inspectors ride the buses to enforce these protocols.
Opponents of this crackdown on fare evasion say that the policies disproportionately affect lower-income New Yorkers, as many who skip fares are not criminals but rather people who may not have the means to pay the $2.90. The implementation of fare crackdowns is also, unfortunately, racialized. In a report done in 2020, the data showed that fares are more heavily policed in predominantly Black or Latinx communities of lower incomes.
In addition to policing and fines, changes are being made to the stations themselves. The MTA is testing multiple new designs for subway turnstiles, including metal spikes between the turnstiles and varying gate designs. But the most successful change happens to be the simplest one: turnstile armor. The fin-like wedges protruding from certain subway turnstiles have reduced fare evasion by 60 percent in the stations that use them.
Despite an increase in fare evasion over the past five years due to more relaxed policing, data shows that these strategies are working. Compared to 2021, fare revenue has escalated by 67 percent. As such, this money can be used to update and improve the service that the MTA provides.
Speed of Service
No system of public transportation is perfect, but sometimes it feels like the inconsistencies of the MTA are inescapable. On some days, your bus or train will double up, and one will be right behind the other. Other times, you miss it and have to wait 30 minutes for the next one. But is the consistency of our cities trains and buses really as bad as it may seem?
Last year the average speed of MTA buses across the city was 8.17 miles per hour. But nearly ten years ago in 2015, they averaged 8.22 miles per hour. So what happened? Well, throughout the city, traffic and a lack of bus lanes often slows buses down. Especially in Manhattan where speeds are the slowest. Even when there are bus lanes, people still block these lanes and park in them, slowing transit down further. Even Select Service and Express buses, which are known to be faster, can be subject to this phenomenon.
Slow bus times can directly affect whether the bus is staying on schedule, and in tandem, its reliability. Usually, New York City buses are on schedule only around 69 percent of the time. Some of the worst, mainly buses that cross through Queens and Manhattan, are on-time around 30 percent of the time. Ironically, many of the tardy buses are Express buses.
This mediocre performance throughout the system has led to sharp ridership declines over the last two decades. Between 2019 and 2024, ridership decreased by nearly 40 percent. While the initial drop can be attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, ridership has still not recovered, and in fact saw a decrease between 2023 and 2024.
Gaining new riders poses a challenge for the MTA, so they are focusing on retaining their current riders by improving service. Mainly, they are looking towards streamlining routes, and improving the enforcement of bus lanes. For example, in 2023 14.7 miles of bus lanes were implemented throughout the system, which will improve the speed of buses and help them stay on schedule.
The subway system often averages over 4 million riders each day, and as such have a larger user base than buses. And unfortunately, those riders often face delays and long wait times, just like the bus riders. For example, unscheduled wait times at train platforms averages around 1 minute and 20 seconds as of this year. That may not seem like a lot, but when you’re rushing to school or to work, or when you have to make multiple transfers during your journey, it adds up.
Delays run rampant due to numerous reasons. From malfunctioning train doors or motors, to brake issues, to a person or thing falling onto the track, to subterranean crime. Of course, not all of these issues can be immediately rectified, and that makes it harder to get things back on track. The main thing holding the entire system together is the communications system between trains, which is usually controlled by a massive, antique machine with dozens of moving parts.
This analog system, known as fixed-block signaling, accounts for most of the operations of the subway system, and requires a person to push and pull levels in order to change tracks from express to local. If an operator is not at their station, then these track changes will not be made, which can cause excessive delays.
The MTA is tackling this problem by replacing the old system with communications-based transit control (CBTC). This system is more digital but has retained some analog components. The old system tracked trains by knowing what “block” or section the train was in, but it couldn’t pinpoint the exact location. CBTC can tell exactly where a train is when the train hits the electrical currents placed on the track, allowing for better accuracy and more frequent trains.
The track records of the L and 7 lines, gaining CBTC in 2006 and 2018 respectively, show that this new system will improve service all around. These lines are much more consistent than most others when it comes to being on time. But only time will tell if CBTC will be distributed to other lines in the near future.
Next Stops
Many New Yorkers have mixed feelings about the MTA, as shown previously by their satisfaction ratings. From fare hikes that seem to do nothing to fund the system, to inconsistent scheduling, to a sense of danger permeating those that use our city’s transit, the MTA system has failed its users in many ways.
But as new leadership takes hold of the NYCT branch of the MTA, the system may have the capacity to change for the better. Demetrius Crichlow was elected as the new president of New York City Transit in November of last year, bringing 27 years of experience in the MTA with him. He happens to be the first African-American man to enter the position. Crichlow has always admired the work that goes into maintaining the subway system, as his father was a repairman.
Even in his new position, his appreciation for the manual laborers of the system shines through, as he is known for greeting train operators and track workers as they carry out their jobs. The MTS wants this humility to show their system in a better light, and to mark change for the transit system. Though, considering how Crichlow’s most recent predecessors kept the position for under three years, and considering how slow the system is when it comes to change, it may be hard to believe that any change will come from Crichlow’s tenure. But the transit users of New York City will just have to wait and see.
Despite our best efforts to stay ahead of inconsistent bus and train schedules, we always seem to be running for a train that leaves without us. Some may say that these are hallmarks of any transit system around the world, but for many the MTA is a whole new level of inadequacy.