I recently moved to New York City, and regularly take the subway to get around. I’ve since gotten more interested in various things about the subway, and have done a little bit of reading about it. Here are some articles I’ve read over the past few weeks that I found interesting:
- Subway system decline: This 2017 article from the Atlantic gives a good overview on the decline of the NYC subway. The subway has gotten better since then (thanks partially to ‘Train Daddy’ Andy Byford, who shows up in a different article), but many of the issues still stand. Briefly, the decline can be traced to the age of the system (it’s so old the MTA has to rebuild certain parts because they can’t be purchased), overcrowding (the subway now has nearly as many riders as its peak in 1946), lack of political will for preventative maintenance, and mismanagement of funds.