More than 5.6 million New Yorker’s ride the subway each day. This averages out to more than 1.75 billion riders each year. Another 2.3 million riders depend on the city transit system to take them where they’re going. Taxi cabs are seen stacked 12-deep in some districts and The truth is New Yorkers depend on public transportation far more than a personal vehicle like residents in states like neighboring New Jersey, Tennessee, Virginia, and even Rhode Island.
It all boils down to these figures:
– 39% of people use the subway
– 11% take the bus
– 23% drive
– 9% walk
– 7% use other forms of transportation
The NYC MTA is far from perfect, as anyone who’s ever used the system will tell you. A lot of the system is old and outdated and so are the safety policies, rules, and the regulations. And, there’s also the delays that riders experience frequently these days due to increased ridership and old, worn out vehicles and trains. MTA has plans to repair and upgrade the subway in the coming years but for the time being, it leaves public transit riders enduring the frustrations.
So why are so many New Yorker’s dependant on public transportation when it has so many flaws? Ask most New Yorkers and they’ll tell you they couldn’t imagine a city without the subways, buses, and taxis all over the place. People depend on public transportation because, in a city as massive as NYC, it’s just easier to use to get around. When you can get around the city a little bit easier, you don’t miss out on that opportunity.
Buses and the subway operate 24-hours per day, 7 days per week and run through each of the city’s five boroughs. No matter where travelers are headed, the public transportation options offered in NYC can get them there with ease. Most people prefer using the subway to get around. It’s 10x faster than attempting to travel the roads in the city and certainly quicker than public transportation.
With NYC’s expensive costs of living, purchasing a car is an expense most people don’t want to endure. There’s a lot of added expense that comes with car ownership in addition to the purchase price, like auto insurance, vehicle maintenance, etc. Since so much of the city is walkable and public transportation is there, why add another expense to an already tight budget? It seems silly to spend years buying a car when you have NYC zip code.
There’s really no reason to buy a car if you’re a New Yorker. You’ll get where you’re going just as quickly using public transportation whether you choose to head out on the subway or use the city bus to get where you are going. The frustrations that come from sitting in long lines of traffic are also obsolete when using public transportation, plus you won’t endure the expensive costs of auto insurance in the city (which averages $965.12 per year!) vehicle maintenance, or other expensive headaches that occur when you buy a car.
There are so many reasons why New Yorkers depend on public transportation!