Is it getting crowded in here? 

If by here you mean the subway, and by crowded you mean shoved up against random humans with absolutely zero concept of personal space, then yes, it's crowded in here. 

The New York City subway system has reached record ridership, struggling to deal with the rapidly growing concerns of safety and efficiency in the face of massive overcrowding. 

According to the New York Times, subway ridership has steadily risen to about 1.8 billion rides a year, which haven't been as extreme since the year 1948, when cost of a ride was a mere nickel. 

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Unfortunately, due to massive overcrowding on many lines during peak hours, many straphangers are forced to watch multiple trains stop at their platform with only enough room for one or two passengers. 

Additionally, overcrowding has caused more than 20,000 delays per month, with no real solution as to how to accommodate such a massive amount of riders without halting services for updates. 

Although the MTA's board approved $14.2 billion for the subway as part of their five-year capital spending plan, there's really no way to adequately improve the subway's infrastructure without causing closures and delays. 

The MTA NYC Transit President Veronique Hakim stated that "The Mta's 2015-19 Capital Program provides a critical resource to meet this increasing demand by reducing disruptions, improving infrastructure and increasing the number of subway trains in service when ridership requires it."

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However, the MTA already stated that they're running as many trains as possible on popular lines like the 7, L, and Q during rush hours, but are being force to add trains during off-peak hours. 

Though the Second Avenue subway line will alleviate overcrowding on the UES, it's not the solution for all of the subways problems. 

The MTA will soon be forced to deal with even more disgruntled, potentially aggressive passengers due to raising temperatures, which could reach heights of 80˚F-90˚F on platforms in the middle of the summer. 

Both drivers and passengers are frightened of the possibility that overcrowded platforms could cause people to fall, be pushed, or faint onto the tracks of an oncoming train, causing the MTA to warn subway operators to approach busy platforms at speeds as slow as 10 MPH. 

brooklynmom

With $2.75 a trip and over 1.8 billion trips a year, we're hoping that the MTA can use the extra influx in cash to pay for the necessary changes to the system, but we're not optimistic... actually, we'd be shocked to the core if the MTA made ANY changes without raising the fares... again. 

That's why you need to enter our giveaway to ride the subway for free for almost two months, giving you a free monthly MetroCard, a free $100 MetroCard, and a free phone from Very Kool smartphone. 

That'll save you over $300. Boom. Cash. Money. Enter the giveaway above.

Check out This Map That Shows Subway Stations Closest to the Cheapest Apartments in NYC.