Transit Pros Rebuild the NYC Subway—in an Online Game
We asked transportation experts to take their (digital) shovels to NYC's subway system.
Jason Wright, Brand New Subway
Click: Uproot century-old steel tracks. Drag: Set them down so your commute's more efficient. Click: Build a new station outside your favorite pizza place. Yes, the fate of New York City's subway system—660.75 miles of track, 469 stations, 5.7 million weekly riders—is up to you. You can thank electrical engineer Jason Wright, creator of the new online game Brand New Subway, for the power trip. Starting from scratch or a template, you can mold the subway system into your own piece of transit heaven. But no one commuter should have all that power, which is why we asked some responsible grown-ups—as in, people who think about and design transit systems professionally—to give the game a go. Here's how they'd make New York's subway, already one of the world's best, even better.
Jason Wright, Brand New SubwayBeyond the Subway
Overall, the subway system is fantastic. But some changes will make it more accessible and efficient for all New Yorkers. Build up service in areas lacking sufficient transit access, like the western half of Staten Island. By adding transit to areas with quickly-growing populations, we can reduce driving and the congestion that it brings to urban centers. New subway service in transit deserts, like the southern part of East New York, would open up hundreds of thousands of jobs to local residents. New York features more than 20 modes of transportation. The subway is the lifeblood of this city, but access to buses, Citi Bike, taxis, app-based car services, ferries, and the walkability throughout the city are what make it even better. - *Sarah Kaufman, NYU Rudin Center for Transportation*
Jason Wright, Brand New SubwayGetting New Service to People Who Need It
In planning a major system expansion we should be thinking about bringing the diverse benefits of transit to the greatest number of people, especially to disadvantaged communities that do not already have transit access. I started from the 2025 network and constrained myself to keeping the fare close to $3.25. I had to remove the \[proposed Brooklyn-Queens connector\] because it was too expensive and didn't seem to be adding as much value to the network. I added some transfers here and there (e.g. Livonia to Junius on the L train) and extended a couple lines to make connections. I dramatically extended the N train, added a shuttle across the Bronx, and extended the W train into Staten Island. I mostly prioritized population density but also considered major trip-generators like hospitals and universities. - *Zak Accuardi, TransitCenter*
Jason Wright, Brand New SubwayThe Best Old Ideas
I started with the \[[iconic 1975 Massimo\] Vignelli subway map](http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/06/arts/design/the-subway-map-that-rattled-new-yorkers.html), because it is a classic. Then I mashed it up with the [Triboro RX](http://gothamist.com/2013/08/21/the_dream_subway_line_with_20_conne.php) \[a line proposed in 1996 but never built that would connect the Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn\]. I also added a 7 extension across the Hudson to New Jersey, to take advantage of [already done \[but abandoned\] ARC tunnel work](https://www.propublica.org/article/chris-christies-tunnel-tango). - *Anson Stewart, MIT Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Transportation*
Jason Wright, Brand New SubwayNew Lines, New Poop-free Elevators
Extending the Staten Island railway to Lower Manhattan would give the 400,000+ people on Staten Island access to the rest of the city. To serve the west side of Manhattan, I created the lucky 13 Line to the Bronx, which would significantly cut travel times along the Upper West Side and give subway access to the west side through Greenwich Village. Much of South Brooklyn is a transit desert when it comes to the subway, but not if L service is extended to Brighton Beach. Oh, and I would add two high speed elevators to every station. The elevators would also be guaranteed to be poop-free under this dream scenario. - *Chris Pangilinan, TransitCenter*
Jason Wright, Brand New SubwayIt's Better in the Boroughs
My fantasy subway only scores out to a C+ by my own algorithm, is inferior in many ways to our current system, and costs a lot more. But it was fun to make. My new subway reimagines major employment and transit centers of NYC in Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn Heights/DUMBO, Astoria, Jamaica, and Bronxdale. The bustling Tillary Street and Borough Hall stations are the center of a revitalized downtown Brooklyn, which rivals Lower Manhattan for jobs and tourism. Ditmars-Steinway and Astoria have been transformed from quiet, peaceful neighborhoods into the city's financial center, with quick access to LaGuardia Airport driving international commerce. - *Jason Wright, Designer of "Brand New Subway"*
Jason Wright, Brand New SubwayNew Yorkers Need Things That Don't Show Up on Maps
I started with the existing subway map and incorporated some of the system improvements that have been most seriously discussed by policymakers: the full Second Avenue Subway, the restoration of the 10th Avenue 7 train extension station \[[canceled in 2007](http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/19/no-7-extension-wont-include-10th-ave-station/)\], and the Utica Avenue extension. The map may not look radically different from what's already proposed, but it preserves high ridership and affordability, a key consideration for many lower-income New Yorkers. But there are also investments riders need that you can't see—like an upgraded signaling system that allows for more trains to be run per hour. - *Nick Sifuentes, Riders Alliance*
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Aarian Marshall is a staff writer covering transportation and cities. Before joining WIRED, she wrote for The Atlantic’s CityLab. Marshall is based in Seattle, where she’s learning to love rain. ... Read more
