I think it comes down to fares. You can travel between any two stations on the subway for $2.75. In contrast, the HK metro charges a fare between ~$0.50 to $7.00 depending on destination. Many other metro systems across the world use a zone-based fare scheme as well.<p>There&#x27;s always a public outcry when MTA announces they&#x27;re going to raise fares, and any attempt to introduce a distance&#x2F;zone-based fare would be denounced as unduly burdensome on the poor, since they tend to live further out. In any case, I don&#x27;t think the current MetroCard-based system could support such a scheme anyway.<p>The number one thing to improve straphangers&#x27; &quot;quality of travel&quot; would be to implement CBTC[1] so that we can get countdown clocks to remove the uncertainty that comes with waiting for a train. If I know the next train is coming in 15 minutes, I can hang out above ground or by the stairs and use my cell service rather than standing on the platform not knowing whether the next train is 2 minutes or 20 minutes away.<p>1: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Communications-based_train_control" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Communications-based_train_con...</a>