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State of Collapse

A series on New York City's crumbling subway system

Gothamist reporters spent three months investigating the state of New York City's subway system, going behind the scenes at transit facilities and interviewing more than 100 riders and MTA employees along the way. They found the city's subways aren't just on the brink of collapse — the breakdown of the aging system has already begun. Part 1: How the MTA put riders on the fast track to ruin Part 2: NYC subways use electrical equipment that's so old it frequently explodes Part 3: Driving blind: NYC subways steered by 1930s tech, paper maps and a lot of hope Part 4: 'A lot more breakdowns': NYC's oldest subway cars are fixed in crumbling repair shops Part 5: ‘Like cancer’: MTA’s trains depend on rusty, corroding columns from the early 1900s Part 6: To fund NYC subway fixes, MTA must undo decades of distrust
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Latest Articles Tagged "State of Collapse"

News

To fund NYC subway fixes, MTA must undo decades of distrust

MTA Chair Janno Lieber is heading to Albany on Thursday to ask lawmakers to fund the largest construction program in the agency's history.

By

Stephen Nessen

and

Ramsey Khalifeh


News

‘Like cancer’: MTA’s trains depend on rusty, corroding columns from the early 1900s

New Yorkers can clearly see their city's mass transit system is rotting before their eyes.

By

Stephen Nessen

and

Ramsey Khalifeh


News

'A lot more breakdowns': NYC's oldest subway cars are fixed in crumbling repair shops

MTA officials say they need to renovate or replace century-old subway repair shops before they can replace vintage train cars.

By

Ramsey Khalifeh


News

Driving blind: NYC subways steered by 1930s tech, paper maps and a lot of hope

Ever experience a subway delay at DeKalb Avenue near the foot of the Manhattan bridge? Thank Great Depression era-tech.

By

Stephen Nessen


News

A state of collapse: How the MTA put riders on the fast track to ruin

The city’s subways aren’t just on the brink of collapse — the breakdown of the aging system has already begun.

By

Stephen Nessen

and

Ramsey Khalifeh


News

The NYC subways' electrical equipment is so old it frequently explodes

A Harlem substation is full of so much old equipment that MTA managers look for parts on eBay. A black rotary phone is the only line of communication to the outside world.

By

Stephen Nessen

and

Ramsey Khalifeh



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