The Results Are In! After MTA's 2-Week Effort, Riders Say Tracks Are 'Semi-Clean'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- We were promised cleaner subway tracks and the MTA said it has delivered. Operation Track Sweep ended Friday, after a 2 week push, so did it work?
As CBS2's Dave Carlin reported, trash on subway tracks has been reduced during a 2 week deep cleaning by the MTA.
At South Ferry-Whitehall station regular riders compared the then and the now and said the difference is noticeable.
"I'm here every day and it has gotten cleaner," Peter DePaola said.
Governor Andrew Cuomo got down on the tracks last month and talked about combating Zika by fixing filthy, watery conditions.
Then, came an army of 500 workers cleaning the tracks at 469 stations, mainly to reduce delay causing trash fires.
It seems they missed a few spots. Some say a section of track uptown is unchanged.
Food wrappers, cans, bottles, and more clog the track at East Harlem's 103 Street station.
"Look at them, they are still filthy with the dirt, and people eating and throwing food down there," Nelson Colon said.
Some people were thanking the MTA for the track sweep, but said what about the rest of the station?
"It's nasty, it looks like sugar, honey, and iced tea," Danielle Madison said.
So, what's the verdict?
"It's semi-clean," DePaola said.
Leaders of the MTA will present the final tallies from Operation Track Sweep to the board and the public at a meeting on Monday morning.
The MTA promised shinier stations in the future. New vacuum trains to remove track trash on a roll are on order. The first two arrive next year.
