We all know that the primary reason behind train delays are those rude New Yorkers who force the door open (myself included) so that they won’t be late to work. Each of these incidents add like three seconds to the delay, and it starts to add up when it happens multiple times at every station. But more importantly, the trash (or objects) left on the tracks are responsible for much of the delay that we experience. In July of 2017, there was a track fire in Upper Manhattan D line, resulting in a complete halt to the D line and caused several people to suffer from smoke inhalation. Throughout 2016, there were 707 fires caused directly by excessive trash on the tracks. This is much worse than just some people holding the doors because it stops an entire line until the incident is resolved. It may take minutes, but it can also take hours. As a city striving to become a more sustainable and resilient home, I think we should direct more of our focus on transportation. According to the MTA, New Yorkers ride the MTA 5.65 million times daily. If, on average, a New Yorker rides the MTA twice per day, then nearly a quarter of NYC population rides the MTA daily. And let’s be honest, we experience these delays everyday.
Interesting statistics on the effect of MTA delays:
The Human Cost of Subway Delays: A Survey of New York City Riders
I’m wondering if there is a way to keep trash off the subway tracks to minimize or eliminate this as a cause of delays. Some subway stations in different cities have platform edge doors, which separate the train platform from the tracks and which do not open until the train has come to a complete stop. Though they are common in new metro systems, they can be retro-fitted in old systems, and can decrease trash debris and increase passenger safety.