Dec. 30, 2016 By Christian Murray
The NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign issued its 18th annual “State of the Subways” Report Card yesterday and rated the 7 train first equal– along with the 1 and the L– as the best of 20 subway lines.
The 7 was ranked number one for the third year in a row. It also was the ninth time– out of the 18 reports–that it got the top spot.
Straphangers, a transit interest group, evaluates subway lines on six measures of service: the number of breakdowns, car cleanliness, the number of seats available, the amount of scheduled service, the actual regularity of service and the quality of announcements in subway cars.
The 7 train got the top ranking largely because it offered the greatest frequency of service – along with the 6 train– during the rush hour periods and was the cleanest, according to the report.
The 7 train during the AM and PM rush hours is scheduled to arrive every 2 1/2 minutes. The system average is 5 minutes and 35 seconds. Outside of rush hour, the 7 train is scheduled to arrive every 5 minutes, compared to the system average of 8 minutes and 21 seconds.
The report also claimed that the 7 train breaks down less often than the system average. The report says the line experiences mechanical failures every 157,297 miles, compared to the average of 131,325.
The line, however, performed below average on regularity of service. The train arrives 75 percent of the time on schedule, compared to a system wide average of 77 percent. It was also deemed more crowded than other lines, with it being at 101 percent capacity during rush hour, compared to the system median of 94 percent.
The report card was based on an extensive review of transit data, according to Straphangers.
The 5 and the A tied as the worst performers, largely because the rate so poorly in terms of arriving on schedule. The 5 also was at 110 percent capacity during rush hour.
“Passengers on the top lines – such as the 1, 7, and L – hands down get a much better ride for their MetroCard than those on its worst, such as the 5 or A,” said Gene Russianoff, Straphangers Campaign Senior Attorney. “Disparities abound throughout the system.”
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36 Comments
By the end of the day, because of the age of the subway system, from signals to switches, to tracks, to rails, we know that every subway service are always have bad service. It is all about modernizing the subway system into the 21st century.
This would never happen in Britain!
All New York trains suck period.
Except 7 line.
No its the best.
7 Train is the worst line What a Joke!
It is so bad always problems cannot get to work on time or my kids to school if y can get on one
It is so bad always problems cannot get to work on time or my kids to school if y can get on one
This rating is hard to believe, but perhaps a sad comment on the other lines. The 7 was an excellent train, but it has declined so much in the past few years. The endless signal repair that has been going on for a few years, with entire segments not working for the entire weekend, plus weekday time-outs too. Also the fantastic overcrowding. More and more high rise buildings, but no way to expand or improve the subway.
Oh boy what a nut. Get help
woohoo 7!!! this train comes every few mins, we are lucky. the new trains, maybe they repositioned the layout and staggered the doors differently so people dont crowd in one area of the train. it just seems like theres more room
I wish once in a while they would put one of the old redbords on the track, I miss the click and clack of the old ones.
This is why the 7 train riders don’t get treated right with all the closures each weekend. Because the MTA was just told, again, that they are doing a great job. No need for the MTA to change their ways with the #7 train. If it was ranked lower, the MTA might address concerns. Silly!
No, they were not told they are “doing a great job.” Did you actually read the study and see the 6 metrics they used to rank the subway lines? Do you disagree with their methodology? How do YOU rank the subway lines and which one deserves to be called “the best?”
so which bridge do these straphangers use when driving to work? cuz obviously they have never taken the 7 train going to manhattan every morning. sadly, the trains going into queens have excellent service. for every train going to manhattan, there’s like 8 going into queens, one right after the other. funny thing is, its much faster (and more comfy since i always get a seat) going home to take the Q32 from manhattan in front of my workplace to sunnyside 1 block away from home rather than to take 2 trains and wait in the freezing cold at queensboro plaza. i tried taking the q32 in the morning but it was a disaster with traffic.
The trains have to go both ways. It ain’t a magic bus.
I want I want it I want it.
in a consistent way they do. it is currently not consistent service, and never has been.
and in the rain i might add.
It’s an amazing subway line. During morning rush hour the trains arrive full to the station and not 1 passenger gets off. What does this mean? This means you have to wait 3-4 trains to actually have room to board.
That has to do with our location in western Queens: the train is more crowded as you get closer to Manhattan. Sometimes the train is full at 46th and I can barely get on; by 40th, it’s almost impossible. People get off at 36th, QBP, and Court House Square.
Remember when Court Sq, Vernon, and and Hunterspoint Plz had nobody getting on, especially at night? It was onl;y about 15 years ago.
Why do most of 7 trains smell like pee?
Because you won’t hold it in.
Used to like it a lot, now most trains have a urea smell! The using pee to clean the cars with?
the 7 is the best line if you reverse commute to flushing or kew garden….its so easy to find a seat at 830 am
-rikki There is reason why the Flushing bound trains are empty on weekday mornings….There are very few office jobs up that way, you keep spewing the praises of the reverse commute but now if you could only get employers to put jobs outside of Manhattan and up around Flushing then you would be onto something. Until then please spare us your silly and poorly thought out reverse commute opinion.
well get used to the sardine commute for the next 25 years it will take at least that long for anyone to figure out how to build another tunnel under the east river to alleviate the traffic.
or heavens forbid the LIRR might have a stop at say 43rd / barnett and go thru the new tunnel they are building to grand central…you know we cant have nice things and agencies work together to serve the public.
Its been the best the last 50 yrs. You people are spoiled, you need to try another line then you will see a mess
I like how it says its the best line, and the picture has a few dozen commuters waiting
Which means what, exactly? This picture does not indicate poor service: it indicates that a few dozen people were waiting, which can happen within a few minutes at certain times of the day.
Thanks for that information Elmo…
#7 is the best by far
they are so full of bologna it is the worse line and everytime you complain they do not and if you complain to JVB nothing gets DONE ZERO
I guess you don’t get out much, which is sad. If you did, you would know just how good 7 service is compared to other lines.
Why doesn’t the subway wait for me? I hate waiting. Explain it JVB!
Which line do you think is better? This ranking is based on actual data.