Review: The New NY Subway Cars Are Spacious And Modern But There Is Nowhere To Hide
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Today I took my first ride on one of the MTA's new "open gangway" C-line subway cars. It happened by chance. I didn't know these puppies were up and running. There were whispers of some new, sexy subway fleet that was coming, but as with everything the MTA promises in New York, I didn't hold my breath. I do, however, hold my breath a lot on the subway these days. Because at least 60% of the time, my commute will be graced by someone who smells like a bioweapon.
The MTA on Thursday debuted a new version of its modern R211 subway cars -- one that features what is known as an "open gangway," allowing passengers to move freely from one car to another.
The cars also have wider doorways. Proponents say the cars help with overcrowding and also allow for more accessibility to riders with wheelchairs or strollers. They'll deter the dangerous trend of subway surfing, as well, because there are fewer places to climb up or down and no open space between cars.
It's trite at this point to bag on the subway system in New York. Nobody needs to hear another horror story. Thus, I'm going to give this new train as fair of a review as I can.
First, I'm pleased to hear they've removed the foot and hand holds often used by subway surfers for viral Tiktoks. I like to read on the subway and if I had a nickel for every time I've had to re-read a paragraph because some teenager is distractedly screaming "OPEN THE WINDOW, OPEN THE FUCKING WINDOW" before a tunnel stalactite mercifully decapitates him, I'd probably be taking Ubers by now. Luckily, the MTA has taken strides to streamline the outer shell of the train. What a relief.
The train was, indeed, spacious. Apparently the intention is to create more room for baby strollers and wheelchairs. The reality is that we'll likely see more dudes with their motorized bicycles taking up five human spots at rush hour. I've never understood this phenomenon. Unless those bike motors broke down, you better be going from one extreme end of the line to the other buddy. Ride your fucking bike. It's like bringing a horse onto a goddamn school bus.
The biggest change was the open, interconnected car system. Gone are the sliding doors and connecting exterior spaces between cars. This will solve for the trouble of getting on to a car and realizing there's a rotting foot turning the air green, making you breathe through your mouth as you brave the wobbly, terrifying switch to another car mid-journey. But it also means there's no compartmentalization, no way to truly escape a bogey. Which brings us to the biggest plus/minus of the whole change:
-You can see bogeys lurching toward you from five cars away. So you have plenty of time to prepare yourself. But… there's really nowhere to go. They can roam with impunity now. Before, that sliding door provided some deterrent to roving bogeys. Now, they can legitimately do laps of the train from one end to the other. Try following the prose of Faulkner's Light in August while one of these guys lurches past you five times in a single page. You're putting that literary masterpiece down and switching to Block Puzzle like everybody else.
All in, the new cars are definitely a step in the right direction for New York's public transit system. That said, it's only a matter of time before these shimmering subway cars are covered in fecal matter and viscous discharge. Out with the old, saturate the new.