As New Yorkers brace for the holiday season, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) grapples with a surge in trash and an unsightly issue that’s hard to ignore—the grimy state of the L train cars. Commuters have expressed their dismay at the L line’s condition, coated in a mix of dust and black grime, with one train recently stained with what seemed to be spilled coffee. “It’s horrible that this is the condition of our public transportation right now,” an L train rider, Gabriella Hermalyn, told Gothamist, mirroring the sentiment of many others who now avoid the line due to its uncleanliness.
The root of this dirt dilemma lies in a broken car-washing station in Canarsie, Brooklyn, which crippled during a summer storm and isn’t slated for repair until the following year. Meanwhile, the MTA has confessed that there is no alternate way to clean the exterior of the L trains until the facility is fixed. The trains can currently only receive interior cleaning, resulting in the external filth accumulation. An MTA spokesperson offered assurances that rigorous interior maintenance continues while they await the revival of the exterior wash service, as reported by Gothamist.
Not all the subway cleaning news is grim, though; there’s a proactive approach in some areas of the metro system. Midtown subway stations, notably the 47-50 Streets-Rockefeller Center stop, will experience increased track cleaning—weekly rather than biweekly or monthly—extending from Thanksgiving through the holidays. This comes in the wake of Midtown stations being overwhelmed by trash in past holiday seasons. “It’s unpleasant to see debris on the tracks, so we don’t want people seeing that buildup,” Bill Amarosa Jr., head of subways at New York City Transit, explained to THE CITY. He highlighted the risks associated with litter accumulation, which can lead to fires, emergency brake activations, and even signal system disturbances.
The MTA has recognized significant increases in waste during the holidays compared to other months. Average garbage bag weights at Rockefeller Center station surged from 44.3 lbs to 62.4 lbs over a year, indicating an alarming uptick in waste disposal challenges during the festive period. In light of this, additional customer service workers will be stationed to aid tourists and ensure a cleaner environment across Midtown stations. Despite these efforts, daily commuter Joel Perez seemed resigned to the reality of a temporarily dirtier transit system during his interview with THE CITY, saying, “It’s New York, it’s always going to be dirty.” Yet, he couldn’t ignore the fact that “it’s because of people being outside all the time, partying or getting drunk” that contributes to the grime wave.
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