after: While city subways and buses are far from perfect in 2004, there has been great progress since the early 1980’s. Today, trains are nearly 20 times more reliable. Ridership has bounced back to levels not seen since the 1950’s, increasing an astonishing 50% on buses since 1996. Graffiti was eliminated. Transit crime, fires, derailments - all were dramatically reduced.
In 1997, one decades-old dream was realized, with riders able to transfer for free between subways and buses. Another vision was achieved in July 1998, when the MTA began offering unlimited-ride monthly, weekly, and daily transit passes.
How did the riders win these victories? What worked — and what didn’t — in the struggle for better transit? Inside are some lessons learned, as seen from the viewpoint of the Straphangers Campaign over the last 25 years.
