The Second Avenue Subway may be taking its sweet time (and may take even longer than expected) but at least it is great for merchandising! According to the MTA's Transit Museum Shops, since the Authority started selling T line gear last March the stuff has been flying off the shelves. The T line, whose color will be teal, is already the tenth most popular (by sales) in the city.
Still more popular than the trendy T? In order: A, 1, F, 6, 7, J, G, E, and (tying for ninth) N, R and L. So, really, you could argue the T is the 12th most popular. But still. Suck it, other 11 train lines!
There are lots of possible reasons that T stuff is selling so well, but the fact that the color teal is apparently "trendy" doesn't hurt. And how did the MTA come to pick such an au courant tone? Not because they were reading color forecasts. Teal was the color of the now-defunct JFK Express train, so it was already in the MTA's color wheel. Easy peasy.
Anyway, we're really happy to hear that the MTA has been able to successfully market a non-existant subway line, but you know what would make us even happier? If that easy-to-market subway line were as easy-to-build. A recent FTA audit estimates that the first section of the Second Avenue Subway, which the MTA says should open in December 2016, won't start shuttling riders until something more like February 2018. So, Second Avenue, look forward to years-and-years more of the singing construction worker!
