MTA Scraps Subway Car Sinking Plan

A Train
Subway cars like these will still run instead of being sunk for reef use due to the MTA’s financial crisis. Resized photo courtesy of Eye On Transit
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Over the last few years, MTA NYC Transit has found a useful way to retire subway cars whose run in passenger service was up. Instead of the cars just rotting away & serving no purpose, the agency would have them sunk into the ocean to become reefs.

However during these tough financial times, even the best of intentions face the powerful budget axe. The agency has scrapped their latest plan to sink 290 subway cars. Eyewitness News has more in this extremely brief report:

The MTA has put the brakes on a plan to go out with the old and in with the new when it comes to hundreds of subway cars.

The cash-strapped agency has decided to keep 290 old subway cars in service instead of sinking them into the sea as planned.

The cars date back as far as the 1960s and are mostly used on the A and C lines.

The move will save the MTA $1.3 million in shipping and cleaning costs associated with sinking them to become artificial reefs.

While unfortunate, I applaud the agency for saving money wherever it can. While $1.3M is a mini drop in the bucket, every dollar counts in the bigger picture. Hopefully they can continue to find ways to save money while not hurting the riders or its operations.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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Comments

I have an idea. I was watching a clip on YouTube and the TV show Seinfeld made up a fake subway car for an episode but was smashed in a truck accident. How about selling a slightly used subway car or two to a Hollywood studio or to Toronto, etc. so they could film a New York “subway” scene with an authentic subway car?

Screw a hollywood studio I got a better idea… RUN EM INTO THE GROUND – if it still works USE IT. Once a subway car becomes so old and it MUST be pulled from service, recycle it, rip the wheels off and turn it into a bus shelter. This type of bus shelter will have full wind protection and a full view of outside. Artificial Reef??? What good is that for anybody?

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