You’re standing on the platform at Union Square. It’s 11:30 PM. The air is thick with that specific metallic, humid scent only the MTA can produce. Then, out of the corner of your eye, you see it. A blur of gray fur darting over the third rail. Most tourists scream. New Yorkers? We just move our bags. The rat on subway in New York isn't just a pest; it’s a permanent resident, a meme, and a massive logistical nightmare that the city has been fighting for over a century. Honestly, if you haven’t seen a rodent dragging a slice of dollar pizza down a flight of stairs, have you even really visited Manhattan?
It’s gross. It’s fascinating. It’s also a sign of a much larger infrastructure battle that the city is currently losing, despite "Rat Czars" and millions of dollars in baked-in budget costs.
The Reality of the Rat on Subway in New York
People think the rats live in the trains. They don’t. Not usually, anyway. The subway system is basically a giant, climate-controlled highway for Rattus norvegicus, the brown rat. These guys are remarkably sturdy. They can fall 50 feet without getting hurt. They can swim for three days. They can even chew through lead pipes. So, a little electrified rail? It’s barely a deterrent.
The subway tracks provide everything a rat needs: warmth from the machinery, protection from predators like hawks or stray cats, and a never-ending buffet of discarded Shake Shack fries. When you see a rat on subway in New York tracks, you’re looking at an animal that has evolved specifically to thrive in our mess.
Why the numbers are exploding right now
You might have noticed they seem bolder lately. You aren't imagining it. According to city data and various health department reports, rat sightings spiked significantly following the pandemic. During the lockdowns, when restaurants closed, the rats lost their primary food source. They got desperate. They started moving into residential areas and deeper into the subway tunnels looking for scraps. They became more visible because they had to be.
Then there’s the trash. New York is one of the few major global cities that still piles its garbage in loose plastic bags on the sidewalk. It’s an "all-you-can-eat" situation. The MTA tries to mitigate this with high-tech vacuum trains—literally giant vacuums on rails—that suck up track debris. But they break down. Or they can't keep up with the sheer volume of Dunkin' cups and half-eaten bagels tossed by commuters.
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The Myth of the "Giant" Subway Rat
We’ve all heard the stories. "I saw a rat the size of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel at 42nd Street!"
Nope.
Biologically, the brown rat tops out at about a pound, maybe 1.5 pounds if it’s living like a king. They look huge because of their fur and because, frankly, when something is scurrying toward your feet in a dark tunnel, your brain inflates the size for survival reasons. Dr. Bobby Corrigan, arguably the world’s leading rodentologist and a man who has spent more time in NYC tunnels than most transit workers, has debunked the "giant rat" myth repeatedly. They aren't mutants. They’re just well-fed.
The Pizza Rat phenomenon
Remember 2015? That video of a rat lugging a slice of pepperoni pizza down the steps of the L train went viral and changed the "brand" of the New York rat forever. It was funny, sure. But it highlighted a massive problem: food waste. The rat on subway in New York thrives because we are messy. If there was no food on the tracks, there would be no rats. It’s that simple, yet that impossible to achieve in a city of 8 million people.
How the MTA is (Trying) to Fight Back
The city isn't just sitting back and letting the rodents take over. In 2023, Mayor Eric Adams appointed Kathleen Corradi as the city's first-ever "Rat Czar." Her job? Total rodent annihilation. But the subway is a different beast than a park or a basement.
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- Pigeon-proof bins: The MTA has been swapping out open trash cans for high-tech, lidded versions.
- Mint-scented bags: There was a pilot program using trash bags infused with mint oil. Rats hate the smell. It worked, kinda, but it’s expensive to scale.
- Structural sealing: Workers are constantly trying to fill the "rat holes" in the station walls with steel wool and concrete. Rats just find a new way in.
It’s a game of whack-a-mole. You fix one station, and the colony moves two stops down to a station with more cracks in the foundation.
The Health Risk Factor
Is a rat on subway in New York dangerous? Mostly, they just want to be left alone. However, they do carry diseases. Leptospirosis is the big one. It’s a bacterial disease spread through rat urine. While rare, cases in NYC have been ticking up. In 2023, the city saw a record number of cases. If you see a rat, don't try to touch it or feed it. Just move away. They aren't aggressive unless cornered, but they aren't your friends either.
What You Should Actually Do if You See One
First, don't panic. If you’re on the platform and see a rat, it’s almost certainly more afraid of you than you are of it. The vibration of an oncoming train usually sends them scurrying back into the wall voids.
If there is a rat on subway in New York train car with you? That’s a different story. Usually, this happens when a rat hitches a ride at a station.
- Don't Corner It: If it’s in the car, it’s stressed. Give it a wide berth.
- Change Cars: At the next stop, just get off and move to the next carriage. It’s the easiest way to deal with it.
- Report It: Use the MYmta app. Seriously. The MTA tracks these sightings to decide which stations need deep cleanings or "rat abatement" treatments.
The Future: Will They Ever Leave?
Short answer: No.
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The subway was built over a century ago. It’s a porous system. Unless we completely rebuild the infrastructure with modern, sealed materials—which would cost trillions—the rats are staying. We are basically living in a shared ecosystem.
The goal isn't "zero rats." That’s a pipe dream. The goal is "suppression." We want to get the population low enough that they stay in the shadows and out of our commutes.
What most people get wrong
Most people think the rats are a sign of a "dying" city. Honestly, it's the opposite. Rats follow the money. They follow the people. A city with no rats is a city where no one is eating, no one is commuting, and no one is living. They are a gritty, unpleasant tax we pay for living in the most densely populated city in the country.
Actionable Steps for the Modern Commuter
If you want to do your part in the war against the rat on subway in New York, it starts with individual habits.
- Carry it out: If you have a bag of fast food, don't drop it in the platform bin. Take it to a street-level bin that has a lid.
- Report structural damage: If you see a massive hole in a station floor or wall, report it on 311. Those are the gateways.
- Support containerization: The city is moving toward "trash containers" instead of bags on the street. This is the single most effective way to starve the population.
- Stay alert, not anxious: Use your eyes. Don't sit on a bench if there’s a pile of trash next to it.
The presence of a rat on subway in New York is a reminder that we live in a massive, aging machine. It's a bit gross, very New York, and a problem that requires more than just poison—it requires a total rethink of how the city handles its waste. For now, just keep your feet up and your bag closed. We’re all just trying to get home, humans and rodents alike.