NEW YORK — There’s a relief for the New York City subway system as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said it will double the number of open restrooms at stations across the city.
Also, a new survey suggests that more passengers are satisfied with the transit service.
On a day when many trains were delayed by signal problems, Virginia Madrey celebrated the idea that when she has to go to work, it’s okay if she has to go to the bathroom, too.
“We need it. Sometimes these trains are late. We need that bathroom,” Madrey said.
Yes, the rarely celebrated comfort of the subway bathroom. More than 100 of them closed during the pandemic. Nine stations finally reopened their toilets in January, and 12 more will reopen on May 2. That would return the total amount to about 30 percent of the pre-pandemic level.
Here is a list of stations where the baths will open once more in May:
- Norwood
- Woodlawn
- 168th Street
- 72nd Street Q train (Upper East Side)
- Brooklyn Bridge
- 57th Street
- The Barclays Center
- 36th Street D and R lines
- Coney Island
- Euclid Avenue
- Flushing
- Queensboro Plaza
These are the nine stations that reopened their bathrooms in January:
- E 180th Street
- 161st Street-Yankee Stadium
- 42nd Street-Bryant Park
- 14th Street-Union Square
- Fulton Street
- Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue
- Forest Hills-71st Avenue
- Jay Street-MetroTech
- Kings Hwy
Here is a map of all the stations with renovated facilities, strategically located throughout the system:
“This is an important service that New Yorkers have said we should do more of,” said the president of NYC Transit, Richard Davey. He added that passengers are not only relieved by the bathroom situation, but are also breathing easier from their commutes of late.
After months of safety concerns following a spike in crime in 2022, transit officials have noticed a new trend: Passengers are feeling safe once again.
“For the third month in a row, customers tell us they feel more secure than the month before,” Davey said.
Subway satisfaction for March 2023 is at 65 percent, according to the MTA Customer Survey, up from 52 percent in June 2022. Bus ridership satisfaction also increased, from 63 percent to 69 percent, according to results shared Wednesday.
Ask the station managers and they will tell you what the difference is: security. Not only is traffic crime down 21 percent this year so far, but the public sees the police more often.
When asked if she thinks a visible police presence has made a difference, MTA station manager Germaine Jackson gave an emphatic yes.
“Big difference. Probably a 99% difference,” Jackson said.
As for the return of the station’s restrooms, Jackson also addressed what may be passengers’ biggest question: Will they stay clean?
“We have a higher frequency of cleaning in our bathrooms and we inspect them every hour,” he said, assuring that they will be clean.
Of course, challenges remain. One in three users is still not satisfied with the system, which has liquidity problems, signal problems and needs modernization.
