NYC subway on-time performance drops as MTA pushes 2050 improvement plan

According to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, weekday on-time performance for the city’s subway system dropped to 82% in the first half of 2026, down from 83.7% a year earlier. The decline left nearly 20% of trips arriving late, with the B, N, 2 and F lines posting the poorest punctuality rates, just above 70%. Riders such as Sal Padellaro recalled being stranded on a stalled F train, while a lifelong Manhattan rider known only as Ana complained about the 6 line’s nine-point fall to 76.3% on-time service.

The MTA’s most dependable routes were the 7, J and L, each exceeding 85% punctuality, and short shuttle services topped 96%. Chairman Janno Lieber emphasized efforts to speed up signaling and incident response, noting that severe winter storms had previously depressed performance. However, a presentation titled “Eliminating Bottlenecks: Speeding Up Your Ride” outlined infrastructure projects that will not be finished until between 2030 and 2050, well after the planned fare hike in March 2027.