The Straphangers Campaign's State of the Subways report card is out and to the surprise of many, the 7 train tied with the 1 and L trains for the top spot on the list. The 7 earned high scores for its cleanliness, less frequent subway car breakdowns and having the most generous amount of service. Some riders agree.
"I love the 7 train,” said rider Calvin Pickett. “Having the 7 train if you're asking me is definitely the best train."
"I take it once a week. It's always been very good," said rider Tony Cunniffe. "12 years ago it was filthy. Now it's clean."
But other commuters have a different view.
"It does shock me because...I've spent a lot of money on taxis when that pink tape is blocking me because the train is down and I had no way of knowing that," said rider Hunter Peress.
Reps from Access Queens, an advocacy group for Queens’s transit riders, say the report card isn't accurate.
"What we would like to see is someone from the Straphanger’s Campaign come and join us on the train. Come experience what the riders experience every day because we don't believe the methodology that they use for their report card reflects the riders' experience," said Melissa Orlando with Access Queens.
The report's methodology says 30% of the score came from the number of scheduled trains. But Access Queens says the number of trains doesn't make a difference if the riders can't get on them. They moderate a Facebook group of nearly 2,300 people called the "7 Train Blues," and its members are frustrated with the service.
"Platforms backup, they are dangerously overcrowded [and] people wait for multiple trains before they can get on," said Orlando.
Access Queens says overall the 7 train doesn't reflect the best of what the subway system could be. We reached out to Straphanger's Campaign for a comment. We're still waiting to hear back.