No. 7 Flushing line ranked second best

The Queens No. 7 train made the honor roll this year on the 2008 State of the Subway Report Card.
According to New York Public Interest Research Group’s Straphangers Campaign, the No. 7 train ranks second best of the 21 subway lines rated by the Straphangers Campaign. They gave the No. 7 line a $1.30 out of $2.00 in the “MetroCard Rating.”
The actual rankings are based on data collected from MTA New York City Transit, and compiled by a system from the Straphangers Group.
Their report card has three separate parts that include a comparison of service on 22 lines, detailed in four tables, an overall “MetroCard Rating” to 21 lines, and finally a one-page profile on each of the 22 lines.
People want short waits, trains that arrive regularly, a chance for a seat, a clean car and understandable announcements that tell them what they need to know, according to a poll done by the Straphangers Group.
Queens commuters should be thrilled over the results of the report card. The No. 7 train came in second; only to be outdone by the L train.
According to the report, the No. 7 line performed above average on four measures: frequency of scheduled service, regularity of service, delays caused by mechanical breakdowns and chance of getting a seat during rush hour. The line did not get a higher rating because it performed below average on its percentage of dirty cars and adequate announcements.
Another plus for the Flushing No. 7 train is that it tied with the No. 6 line in having the most scheduled service, with two-and-a-half minute intervals between trains during the morning rush hour.
Overall, the report found a weak showing for subway service throughout the city.
Car breakdowns worsened from a mechanical failure every 156,624 miles in 2006 to one every 149,646 miles in 2007. Subway car announcements deteriorated from 90% in the second half of 2006 to 85% in the second half of 2007.
For more information on this report, or to see the any report of the 22 NYC trains evaluated go to https://www.straphangers.org.