NYC subway
Shares rank 3 of 4 public transit systems by recommenders
Recommended as an easy-to-understand network that forms a coherent grid with regional rail and is often the least bad option. One critic says service has declined in recent years.
Recommended as an easy-to-understand network that forms a coherent grid with regional rail and is often the least bad option. One critic says service has declined in recent years.
7 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 5
- criticize it
- 2
- approval share
- 71%
Recommended in 4 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 5 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 2.5 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 4 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Coherent grid with regional rail
“The LIRR, Metro North, PATH, and the subway form something resembling a coherent transit grid.”
Comment from 10 Jan 2026 in “Caltrain shows why every region should be moving toward regional rail” Easy to understand for visitors
“I went to NYC and also various other countries, easily understood the train/subway system”
Comment from 18 Jun 2026 in “How Madrid built its metro cheaply” Worth paying for, helps low-income riders
“I’m happy to pay more in taxis for it to exist and subsidize lower income residents.”
Comment from 23 Sep 2026 in “Transit rewards” Often the least bad option
“It's the least horrible option in many cases.”
Comment from 19 Jun 2026 in “The AirPods Effect”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Service has declined in recent years
“The subway is shit compared to where it was only a handful of years ago.”
Comment from 8 May 2026 in “SingleRide: Longest route on NYC Subway without visiting the same station twice”
Other public transit systems people recommend
The three most recommended other public transit systems, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BART | 23 | 19 | 55% | 8 | — | — |
| Caltrain | 19 | 11 | 63% | 8 | — | — |
| NYC subwayThis page | 5 | 2 | 71% | 4 | — | — |
| Elizabeth Line | 5 | 3 | 63% | 3 | — | — |
What people said
6 of the 7 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“I’m happy to pay more in taxis for it to exist and subsidize lower income residents.”
“It's the least horrible option in many cases.”
“I went to NYC and also various other countries, easily understood the train/subway system”
“The subway is shit compared to where it was only a handful of years ago.”
“The LIRR, Metro North, PATH, and the subway form something resembling a coherent transit grid.”
“Take a ride on Njtransit or the NYC subway to appreciate the difference.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.