The New York subway system received high praise in the latest Customer Satisfaction Survey for Spring 2026, conducted by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), with the L and 7 lines topping the charts with a satisfaction rate of 72%, after surveying nearly 94,000 passengers.
Both the L and 7 lines benefited from the upgraded Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) system, known for its frequent train schedules, short waiting times, and extremely stable service, earning rave reviews from commuters.
The overall satisfaction rate of the New York subway system has steadily increased from 57% last year to 63%. The safety rating has also reached a new high since the online surveys began in 2022, with 62% of passengers feeling secure inside the train cars.
Most surprisingly to New Yorkers, the previously notorious G and Q lines, known for their unreliability, have unexpectedly surged to the top of the rankings. The G line, after undergoing signal modernization upgrades and car replacements in 2025, saw a significant improvement in both cleanliness and reliability. Both the G and Q lines received high scores in passenger safety ratings.
The survey indicates that “sense of safety” has consistently been the primary factor influencing passenger satisfaction over the past years, but now “train reliability (timeliness of arrivals)” has emerged as the core indicator most valued by New Yorkers.
As for which subway lines are the least popular among citizens, MTA has chosen not to disclose that information in this round of survey to be considerate.
Translation provided by Virtual Assistant