August 17, 2015
By Tara Jessup
Train delays in New York City have increased as the subway system’s on-time performance has steadily deteriorated. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) should do more to fix the underlying causes, according to an audit released by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.
“The subways are New York City’s arteries yet on-time performance continues to be an issue,” DiNapoli said. “The MTA has actually lowered its own expectations for addressing subway delays. We’re encouraged that MTA has put more money toward improving the ride for straphangers, hopefully it will help improve on-time performance.”
DiNapoli’s audit highlighted the decline in subway on-time performance during 2013 through 2014. The MTA’s Transit division considered a subway train on time if it reached the end of the line within five minutes of its scheduled arrival and stopped at all of its scheduled stops. In 2013 and 2014, the MTA’s goal for on-time performance was for 91.9 percent of trains to arrive on time. It fell far short in meeting these targets.
On weekdays in 2013, subways were on time 80.5 percent of the time. Those delays worsened in 2014, when just 74 percent of trains were on time. Subsequently, the MTA lowered its goal to 75 percent of subways running on time. Five other major U.S. transportation systems had an on-time performance goal of at least 90 percent.
