The Straphangers have released their latest "Subway Schmutz" survey, and the verdict is the subways are dirtier for the first time in five years. The drop in cleanliness (currently 61%, down from last year's 66%) is attributed to MTA cuts in subway cleaning crews. The recommendations the Straphangers make are for the MTA to:
(1) set a high goal for cleanliness (95% or more cars having no or "light" dirt);
(2) produce more timely information on cleanliness (use hand-held computers to do the surveys, whose information could be updated in "real time"); and
(3) post the results of its surveys where riders can see them (give line by line information).
The Straphangers also note that the MTA's internal audits of the system show a decline in cleanliness; the MTA said they were unhappy with the Straphangers' and their own results and hope they can make improvements. Gothamist wonders if the MTA would be interested in giving people plastic gloves and bags in train cars, because when we see newspapers strewn on the floor, we're tempted to pick them up and throw them out...but we don't want to touch them. Also, if the NYPD is really increasing its presence in the subways, why aren't they ticketing people for littering?
Anyway, the dirtiest trains are the 1/9 trains (14% clean) and the cleanest is the N train (86% clean). Here's the PDF of subway car cleanliness, plus another table of dirtiest to cleanest subway lines, and the always enjoyable methodology for the survey ("light dirt" is "Occasional “ground-in” spots but generally clean" and "heavy" means "Heavy dirt; any opened or spilled food, hazardous (e.g. rolling bottles), or malodorous conditions, sticky wet spots, any seats unusable due to unclean condition"). Here are stories NY Times and
