Watch One Mesmerizing Day Of All The Public Transit In New York

This video, made using MTA data, shows the city as defined by its subways, buses, and trains. New York is a city defined by its public transportation system. It’s why, when large parts of it were taken out during Sandy, it was so palpable: It was an easy touchstone for the damage done throughout the city. If the subways weren’t working, the city was truly in trouble. This video, which shows one day of the MTA’s entire system, shows just why: The public transit that keeps the city running is an insanely complex dance that’s also mesmerizing to watch. There’s so much happening in the video that it can be a little hard to parse. It begins at 4 a.m., when there isn’t enough activity to make it entirely clear what’s going on. As rush hour begins, though, you begin to see the outlines of the subway map and the city taking form. Each square on the...