Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Bring Back the Subway Burner!
By
Jacob Dobkin
Published Jan 6, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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 .
By
Jacob Dobkin
Published Jan 6, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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

You may remember Os Gemeos from the work they did in NYC last summer-- particularly their signage in Coney Island and colorful pieces all around Williamsburg. Today, WoosterCollective pointed out an amazing commuter train the twins hit in Brazil. It got us thinking-- if the MTA allows companies to wrap an entire bus in advertising, maybe they should allow artists to decorate specific train cars. It doesn't even have to be in paint-- they could use the same plastic wrap the buses use. We're not arguing for a return to the subway graffiti of the 1980s-- but how cool would it be to see a car like the ones above rolling in to your local station like they did in May? The program could be subsidized by wrapping a few trains in advertising-- which would be cool in its own way-- imagine an entire train wrapped in Red Bull ads! Frankly, it seems strange that the MTA hasn't tried a wrapped train already.
Semi-related: did you know there are more than 20 elevated portions of subway track in NYC? It's true!
Tagged
advertising
art
bus
coney island
graffiti
MTA
nyc
os gemeos
red bull
subway
train
williamsburg
Jacob Dobkin
Jake Dobkin co-founded Gothamist with Jen Chung. In 2019, Jake released Ask a Native New Yorker, a book based on his Gothamist advice column.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Queens man charged with hate crime at Jewish-owned bagel shop displaying Israeli flags
Prosecutors say the 22-year-old damaged property outside the Fresh Meadows shop twice in May.
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 19, 2026 at 6:07 p.m. ET
MTA train yards are in such bad shape plants are growing out of the roof, watchdog says
In some cases, the damage was “clearly not recent."
By
Stephen Nessen
News
MTA train yards are in such bad shape plants are growing out of the roof, watchdog says
In some cases, the damage was “clearly not recent."
By
Stephen Nessen
High-ranking NYC officials to testify in ex-buildings boss Eric Ulrich's corruption trial
By
David Brand
Mamdani launches new team to help NYers keep SNAP, Medicaid benefits
By
Caroline Lewis
Riders at 53rd St. station where man was fatally shot say they worry about gun violence
By
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 .