Upward of 6 million people pack onto the subway in New York City each and every day. And for a number of New Yorkers who may not have enough time (or money) to go to the gym every day, that commute is a primary source of exercise, whether it’s walking to the subway station, running up and down stairs, squeezing up next to the door, or leaping to catch the next train. It may not be intentional, but it is a reality. (Yes, there are even workout tips for NYC commutes available online.)

But the commute is much more than that. How long it takes you to get to work or school has serious implications for your mental health, employment status, productivity, and personal relationships—just to name a few. A recent report, which VICE covered, showed that declining subway service had a negative impact on all of these categories, with overwhelming numbers of respondents saying their commute is often a point of pain and frustration in their daily lives. And in 2019, the L train shutdown will be, perhaps, the largest case study so far of what a subway line, or lack thereof, can mean for the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people.