34. Because the Rats Are in Retreat

This year’s survey of our subway stations by the Straphangers Campaign showed a 3 percent drop in rats observed. One reason might be a new-for-2013 weapon in the rodent war: birth control. Working with the company SenesTech on a research project, the MTA introduced ContraPest, a bait that gradually leaves the females sterile. Official analysis hasn’t been released yet, but “anecdotally, it definitely has been successful,” says the MTA’s Kevin Ortiz.

34. Because the Rats Are in Retreat