Century-old tunnels and track routes are crubling, but the Times found that the MTA's budget for subway aintenance has barely grown, in inflation adjusted terms, since 1992.
Signal problems and equipment failures are occurring twice as frequently as they did a decade ago - a sign of just how rapidly the transit system is deteriorating.
What's worse, is that hundreds of mechanic positions have been cut even as the century-old system groaned under the damage caused by Superstorm Sandy. Meanwhile, compensation for managers has ballooned to nearly $300,000 a year.
Daily ridership has doubled in the past decade to 5.7 million people. Yet, New York City is the only city in the world with fewer miles of track than it had during World War II.
Given the unconscionable state of neglect paid to its budget, it should come as no surprise that New York City's subway system has the worst performance of any major urban transportation system in the world. Only 65% of weekday trains make it to their destination on time.
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