Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Subway Fares Are Up, And So Are Delays
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 23, 2015
Modified Mar 23, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Courtesy Billy Devine
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 23, 2015
Modified Mar 23, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
As you may have noticed, subway fares rose from $2.50 to $2.75 per ride on Sunday, which is still a bargain considering how much time we get to crochet during our lengthy commutes. But if you're thinking, "Man, it seems like subway service has gotten shittier and now I'm paying more for it?" you are not wrong. Subway riders have been enduring more delays and more crowded conditions, according to the latest report from the MTA.
26% of trains arrived at their final destinations late on weekdays in 2014, on average, compared to 19% arriving late in 2013. (The MTA defines a train as "on time" as long as it arrives less than five minutes late—or less than five minutes early—so it's technically possibly some of these trains were actually ahead of schedule LOL.) The most-delayed subway line was the 5 train, which was on time just 43% of the time in 2014. The line with the best on time performance (other than the S shuttle lines) in 2014 was the L, which still struggles with overcrowding issues.
Overcrowding remains the biggest source of delays by far, but the MTA says you can't really blame them for being so darn popular. "We are seeing a system that is bursting at the seams in terms of increased ridership," one MTA spokesman told the Times last week. MTA officials blame the increase in delays to ongoing repairs resulting from Hurricane Sandy and tighter track inspections, among other things, like the miserable weather.
To be clear: this latest fare hike won't do anything to make more trains run on time. The MTA is highly subsidized—subway fares only amount to 40% of the system's operating budget, and the MTA's proposed 2015-2019 capital plan features a $15 billion budget gap. Yet this plan, which must be approved at the state level, has been called "bloated" by Governor Cuomo. (The MTA's debt is also bigger than many nations.)
You can read the MTA's full report on its own inadequacies here. And if you're looking for something to do while you wait for the 5 train, consider writing a tortured memoir about your commute and sharing it with the Riders Alliance, a transit advocacy group. They've collected over 400 sob stories since they put out the request last week, according to City Room.
The mood on the Fulton Street A/C platform this morning was predictably grim. Asked how she felt about the fare hike, Taina Arroyo spoke for everyone when she told us, "Well, first of all it sucks. They raised the prices. A lot of people are only making $8.75 an hour... Some people have two or three kids. I have a kid. Pampers and wipes, those cost way more. And the service completely sucks. The A line sucks, the F line sucks, the 7 line definitely sucks."
If you find any of this frustrating, tell your state representatives and Governor Cuomo to stop robbing the MTA of badly needed funding and figure out a way to come up with more cash for a 21st Century subway system.
Reporting by Maud Rozee.
Tagged
despair
fare hike
MTA
our crumbling infrastructure
subway
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
New Yorkers enrolled in SNAP will get more money for fresh produce next year
Residents enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will receive 40% more through the Health Bucks program.
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 29, 2026 at 4:19 p.m. ET
'You can't even look out the window': Asbestos dust coats Brooklyn NYCHA building walls
Nearly two dozen apartments are affected, with residents offered relocation.
By
Catalina Gonella
News
'You can't even look out the window': Asbestos dust coats Brooklyn NYCHA building walls
Nearly two dozen apartments are affected, with residents offered relocation.
By
Catalina Gonella
Trash containers take over Brooklyn parking spaces as NYC gets garbage bags off sidewalks
By
Liam Quigley
Mamdani says he's 'confident' NYC will collect $500 million with pied-à-terre tax
By
Elizabeth Kim
and
David Brand
NYPD won't enforce NYC's bus fare while MTA security force is suspended
By
Clayton Guse
and
Ramsey Khalifeh
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .