The New York subway system is a quick and easy way to get in, out, and around the city. Thousands of people take the subway everyday whether it is to go to work, travel downtown, uptown, to get to a show, or to visit sites. The subways are cheaper than cabs, so more people are likely to take them. The average ridership is 5.7 million for a weekday.  Having as many people on it a day can have a negative toll on the subway. It is not the most sanitary way to get around New York City. There are rats around the tracks, and trash all around the stations.

The subway system has worsened over the years in the sense that it is not as sanitary, the subways are getting over crowded, and that subway system is old and breaks down a lot. “The worst stations have water damage, exposed wires, rodents, foul odors, and clogged track drains”. There are constant repairs going on that lead to delays, or completely shutting down the system.  “From a sanitation perspective the subways are not in good condition” Andrew Falduto ‘19. There is also the issue of overcrowding. This is leading to people crowding into the little cars, with nowhere to sit. Extra passengers end up having to wait for another train, and end up crowding the stations even more. Overcrowding makes the train take longer to get from station to station. It is because of the fact that it takes longer to get on and off because people are getting on while people are getting off. Water damage and unsanitary conditions are taking a toll on New York City visitors. “” The condition of a subway sets the tone for users and impacts the perception and vitality of the area it serves””. The New York City Riders Councils are trying to fix these issues before they get even worse, but it will take a lot of time and money to fix.

Some solutions to these problems could be that the New York City government could pay more attention and more money into the repairs of the subway. They could also hire workers to clean the water puddles and trash that are attracting the rodents. For the overcrowding issue they could add more cars to each train, or build a new model of subway trains. One that can hold more passengers from point A to point B. “I think the subway is a good way to get around, however it would be even better if they made it cleaner and safer for New Yorkers” Olivia Colantuono ‘20. The subway systems just need more attention and cleaning up, and there will not be as many problems.

The similarity with New York subways, and Beijing, Moscow, Tokyo, and Paris subways is that they are more reliable and faster than a taxi cab or bus, which causes them to be overcrowded. All those subways systems have billions of people riding it yearly. The New York Subway does have more track compared to other cities. Even though New York has some of the dirtiest stations, it is one of the best subway systems in the world, making it extremely popular.

The subway systems are used all over the world. Even though New York’s are not the cleanest, it is the most reliable and covers the most ground. It may need some time and attention, but that does not stop millions of people riding it daily. If you ever end up in New York City make sure you end up traveling on the subway, it is an experience like no other… especially in New York.