I’m sure I’m committing heresy by saying this as a New Yorker, but I really dislike the NYC Subway system. Not for the usual reasons you hear: dirtiness, safety, etc. I don’t think either of those are nearly as bad as the media makes them out to be.
A quick visual overview: Osaka vs. New York City
There’s no question that New York City has far more lines and might evn be better compared with Tokyo, but even factoring in PATH, Metro North, etc. ,NYC doesn’t have anywhere near the mix of public and private lines that Tokyo does. I’ve travelled in Tokyo, I find it far easier than NYC
What Osaka has going for it is clarity. If there’s a stop, the train stops. End of story. None of this, it’s a cold Wednesday and there’s a squiggly at the stop name so we’re going to go express.
Not to mention the PA systems actually work in the Osaka trains so you can tell if, for some reason, a stop was going to be skipped. 
No, I didn’t miss my stop, I scooted out the door in time at Union Square so that I wouldn’t have to backtrack from Canal to Astor Place, but I can see how easily it would happen.
Signage is a very good thing.
That said, the NYC system has some definite pluses: the fact that you can get almost anywhere at any time and it’s convenient. Rarely have to walk more than a block or two in Manhattan before you stumble across a line or fiv, but I think there’s a lot of room for improvement.
*And yes, I mean the train, not the restaurant. A similar analysis could apply though, I miss Subway Japan’s free tote bags 
7 responses so far ↓
1 Ute // Apr 18, 2007 at 17:27
Of course I can’t tell about the NYC Subway, but in my opinion, the Japanese systems of public transport in general are exemplary – clean, punctual, easy to understand even for foreigners who don’t speak the language, simple and clear tarif system, …
2 Cari // Apr 21, 2007 at 17:47
I agree!
And it’s funny just as I clicked to comment here I got the sidebar photos with pics from our trip with George to Kyoto to find your noodle bar
3 Ute // Apr 22, 2007 at 11:30
Do you mean the ice cream café?
4 Cari // Apr 23, 2007 at 22:07
Was that what it was? I couldn’t remember the details, just the little place by Ryozen Kannon. I remember eating cold Soba.
5 Ute // Apr 24, 2007 at 06:03
Yes, and I was eating Japanese green tea ice cream with fruits and red bean paste. Yammy!
6 Ute // Apr 24, 2007 at 13:55
By the way: I read about Michael Bloomberg’s plans about making NYC a green city. What do you think about that?
7 Cari // Apr 26, 2007 at 18:06
I think it’s a very good idea, but the mechanisms are not solid. I don’t think the $20 ‘tax’ to travel south of 86th street would be passed, not least of all until they fix the public transport system.
I like the concept because we’re designing a marketing plan for a luxury organic restaurant