How the MTA Moves Millions of New Yorkers Each Day
The 120-year-old subway system runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and sees over 4 million passengers daily.
Every single day, the New York City subway system moves approximately 4 million commuters, a feat that would not be possible without the essential workers behind the scenes who ensure passengers reach their destination. "We're working hard. We're not robots," MTA conductor Etanya Tisdale said. "There's actual people operating [the trains] to get [the passengers] to where they need to go."
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has a workforce of nearly 30,000 people. From the conductors operating individual trains to line superintendents overseeing train routes and the control room staff who see all train movement to the custodial staff who clean each and every train car, each MTA employee plays a crucial role in helping the city's public transportation systems run smoothly. "Moving four and a half million people everyday, it's an amazing challenge," Senior Vice President of the Department of Subways and third-generation transit employee Demetrius Critchlow said. "New Yorkers can ask for and deserve a lot."
Watch this episode of The Extra Mile for a behind-the-scenes look into how the country's most expansive subway system runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.