Public transportation is perhaps the most identifiable and iconic trait of not just city life but what it’s like to be an NYC resident. The MTA is the transit system we have all come to know and maybe not love but appreciate for getting us places we want to go in this big and lively city, but very often does it have many issues. Delays are very common due to a number of factors, technical issues, people committing suicide or train surfing, or maybe even harsh weather. Let’s review these issues and brainstorm some possible solutions to bolster the MTA’s efficiency.
Focusing on train delays, they’re uncontrollable and can stem from things like track maintenance, faulty wiring, unruly pedestrians that cause harm to others, and train overcrowding among other things. Delays are really hard to overcome but the MTA does make an attempt to fix this by announcing alternative methods like for instance setting up shuttle buses or substitute trains when a certain train line goes out of commission. The MTA should use shuttle buses more often to alleviate some of the congestion in the subway or when repairs are being made on weekends and help everyone get to where they need to go on time.
Another major easily observable cause for train delays are the people getting hit by trains. It’s often unclear whether the majority of them are accidental or intentionally but it is graphic and remains a big inconvenience for everyone who needs to utilize the service. A lot of these cases can be attributed to playing arounds at the end of the platform, slipping, or just people at the lowest point in their lives. The best course of action is to encourage the MTA to install railings or gates or even officers on standby ready to help avert these horrible crisis or even stop one in progress.
Subway surfing is another widespread issue we face everyday. If you’re not familiar with this term, it entails people, usually teenagers, climbing to the top of a train while it’s moving to sit on the top where there is nothing to grip onto or next to no traction. Many young people do it to seek some type of sick new thrill, expressing the idea that they’re here for a fun time, not a long one. The situation has gotten so out of hand that it’s speculated they have formed a sort of “gang” that wears all black and traveling all over New York. This occurred recently when a sizable group in the described attire rode across the Williamsburg Bridge. The best course of action here is like the track dilemma, include more officer supervision to intervene reduce the chances of these fun activities into tragic and traumatic events. The MTA could also invest in some train redesigns or adjustments to stop people from climbing up or even getting out of the train cart when they aren’t supposed to like locking inter-cart doors in between stops unless its from the outside.
