By almost every standard the MTA uses to measure subway performance, the system is struggling to keep pace. Delays are up, on time performance is down, and older car models need to be repaired more often.

The overburdened Lexington Avenue line is especially feeling the pain. Just 66 percent of 5 and 6 trains meet agency headway standards — the scheduled interval between trains. The 4 is only slightly better, at 71 percent.

"The 4/5/6 is a very intense line," said MTA operations manager Peter Cafiero. "We're meeting weekly on [it]."

But all lines are feeling the crush. In October 2015, there were over 20,000 subway delays due to overcrowding. In October of 2014, that number was...13,805.

MTA board member Fernando Ferrer says waiting for a train during rush hour these days is not for the faint-hearted.

"The good news is a lot more people are using the subways," he said. "The bad news is an awful lot more people are using the subways."

Despite delays, ridership continues to boom. There were 15 days in October where more than 6 million people rode the subways. And the system set a one-day record on Oct. 29, when 6,217,621 people swiped their MetroCards.

The last time weekday subway ridership averaged more than 6 million people a day was back in 1948.

Meanwhile, crime is ticking upward as well. Major felonies on the subway system have increased by 9.2 percent this year over last. So far this year, there have been 699 sex crimes in the subway system — that's 106 more than last year.

Deputy Chief Vincent Coogan of the NYPD's Transit Bureau said the bulk of the crimes involved forcible touching, lewdness or unlawful surveillance. He also chalked up the increase to a combination of a public awareness campaign — and more cops being on the lookout for it.

"The reason there are more reported sex offenses this year is due to increased enforcement," Coogan said. "Many of these crimes come to light when officers observe elements of a crime and intervene."

But Coogan said the system remains safe — at least as evidenced by the number of people willing to whip out their valuable smartphones. "You notice when you get on a subway now," he said, "how safe the passengers feel. You go into a car at 1 or 2 in the morning, people are looking at their iPhones, listening to music, playing games."

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this web story listed the incorrect number of subway delays due to overcrowding in 2014. This post was updated at 11:45 a.m., Dec. 15, 2015.