New York Transit Systems

[Electroliner 1935]

Just saw the videos on the Trains News site about 

If You See Something, Say Something - 2016

and noticed how none of the equipment therein had any grafetti on them. Has the systems truly been totally cleaned up? Looked great.

[daveklepper]

Yes!   As long as 20 years ago, the Transit Authority adopted a "No Graaffiti" policy.  This includes paint that makes removal easy, where stainless steel isn't the finish, and stainless steel is most of the exterior on most of the fleet; solvents that don't damage the finish yet remove the graffiti; immediate attention when trains are yarded with compact portable washing equipment; police patrol of yards to catch trespassers, including use of dogs, and vastly improved fencing around yards.   Altogether, these mesasures have worked.  In my opinion, from a distance but seconded by New York freinds, the subway system has never had better management than now since the 1940 Unification, and is certainly one of the very best rapid transit systems in North America.

Note the quick and intelligent respose to the problems caused by Sandy. The countdown clocks and other information at stations, the readible maps, comprehensive website information, etc., etc.

[Metro Red Line]

Graffiti on the NYC Subway was mainly during the 1970s and 1980s. When I visited NYC for the first time in 1991, I was surprised to see absolutely no graffiti on the trains. It does happen, but it's removed ASAP, which deters graffiti as graffiti itself invites more graffiti.

[Electroliner 1935]

That's what Disney found out at his parks, If it's kept clean, people don't litter as much. 

I thought about saying something snarky like how can those bureaucrats stifle the artistic development of the individuals of New York. But I thought about it and decided not to stifle myself. Sorry.