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Nov 25, 2007 12:00 am US/Eastern
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NYC Subway Delays On The Rise
Transit Chief Cites Construction Work
NEW YORK (AP) ―
The subways built to rush passengers beneath the city's streets are increasingly bedeviled by delays, according to new statistics.
On average, nearly 7 percent of weekday trains ran late during the 12-month period that ended Sept. 30, New York City Transit figures show. That compared to about 3 percent in 2003.
The agency counts trains as late when they reach the end of their lines more than five minutes behind schedule.
President Howard H. Roberts Jr. said Friday that many delays were due to construction work aimed at improving the system, but the agency was exploring what "we might be able to manage better."
One possible solution could be a slight cutback in the number of rush-hour trains, which might lessen backups, he said.
Track work and other construction projects were by far the biggest factor in slowing subways, accounting for an average of 2,235 delays a month in the 12 months that ended Sept. 30, the statistics show.
Signal problems were responsible for an average of 657 delays per month.
Riders also played a role. By holding doors open, they held up an average of 518 trains per month.
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