The subway system is officially in a "state of emergency," and it lived up to the hype this week. A track fire broke out at 145th Street Monday morning, causing extensive delays and exceptionally crowded platforms. The man in charge of the subways blamed the situation on littering. And the other man in charge of the subways is being hammered for spending state money to put colorful lights on bridges and tunnels.
On our end, we've been collecting your comments and questions about the subway, which our We the Commuters ambassador will deliver at the MTA board meeting next Wednesday. Turns out, the trains have given you plenty to comment on. Here are We the Commuters' three major takeaways from week two.
1. Heat's On
Commuting is so hot right now, and not in a fun way.
Second most popular reason rush hour train car has seats: No air-conditioning #WeTheCommuters pic.twitter.com/3DbJLZ80Vz
— Jen Chung (@jenchung) July 20, 2017
Just to make life better, my downtown 6 train has no AC and is hotter than the platform which is hotter than outside #WeTheCommuters
— Kiki Rodriguez (@kj4000000) July 19, 2017
Shoutout to the dude who warned me there was no a/c in the train car I was about to go into in this lovely 90 degree heat #WeTheCommuters
— Liz Smith (@Liz_JSmith) July 19, 2017
Hundreds of you have sent in comments for next week's MTA meeting, and many ultimately come down to safety. It's not just an inconvenience to board a hot car, or stand on a hot platform while you wait for a delayed train. It's dangerous. Especially for commuters who aren't well-hydrated, able-bodied adults. Which brings us to our second takeaway.
2. Inaccessibility Is a Problem
Not every commuter is capable of an impromptu "cardio session."
Unexpected cardio session when both up escalators become regular-ass stairs. @MTA @NYGovCuomo ? #wethecommuters #screwtheMTA #NYC #Revolt pic.twitter.com/gqXMDB3Mdp
— Justin Gregory Lopez (@JGregoryLopez) July 19, 2017
For older riders and people living with disabilities, decaying infrastructure can make commuting near impossible. We got this voicemail from a listener named Susan in Brooklyn. "My husband can't commute on the MTA subways...due to a lack of elevators."
3. Clear Messaging Is Helpful
@NYCTSubway this is not helpful at all #wethecommuters pic.twitter.com/g1C9N7GtpU
— William Hung (@whung) July 20, 2017
Delays happen. One way to make them bearable, according to many of you who sent in comments, is for a conductor or an MTA message board to clearly and accurately explain what's going on. Garbled announcements, vague boilerplate messages, or plain silence is less than ideal.
You can see legit fear on people's faces when the train randomly stops. #WeTheCommuters #
— Saved by Sasha (@AshaWithAnS) July 19, 2017
A bus rider named Carmelina highlighted a positive example of disruptions gone well, saying her bus driver was courteous and willing to answer people's questions.
I was commuting dur this. Shoutout to the bus driver of the M2 @ 168 around 8:38am who turned an ugly commute around. #kudos #WetheCommuters https://t.co/gWfjgaYzrb
— Carmelina Speaks (@CarmelinaSpeaks) July 17, 2017
What Now?
When We the Commuters send our ambassador to the MTA's board meeting next week, she'll be armed with an important question, submitted by a commuter named Bon Champion:
"What can the average commuter do to help improve the state of the subway, beyond complaining to Gov. Cuomo's Twitter account?"
No commuter's goal is to complain. The goal is to get where you're going on time without hassles. And when things go wrong, you want answers. Which is a major reason We the Commuters are taking your questions to the MTA. So, please keep submitting them here, and keep the conversation going on Twitter using #WeTheCommuters.