We can't fix Penn Station or update the subway's signal systems. But we can give voice to your frustration, hold those in charge accountable and find creative ways to make commuting more pleasant. Patch is partnering with WNYC and Gothamist to do just that. Join "We the Commuters" and you'll receive tips, inspiration and a megaphone for your voice this summer.

NEW YORK CITY, NY – MTA boss Joe Lhota said the long-suffering commuter is partly responsible for wrecking the subway. Just days after he wrote a memo telling his staff they needed to do better, he blamed a track fire in Harlem Monday that injured nine people, crippled trains and left platforms dangerously crowded on passengers dropping trash.

And he said the solution could be barring people bringing food onto the platform. "There have been a lot of recommendations about what foods are appropriate and what foods are not," Lhota told reporters at Penn Station on Tuesday. "So there's a debate going on."

Asked if the MTA would ban food from stations, he said "wait for the 30-day waiting period," an apparent reference to a review the authority is currently undergoing. On Monday morning, trash on tracks between 135th and 145th Streets caught fire, sending plumes of smoke through the system and shutting down the A, B, C and D lines in Harlem.

A 30-foot long heap of trash had piled up on tracks near 145th Street, according to the Daily News.

Lhota said MTA officials discussed Monday what to do about food waste while talking about cleanliness on subway cars, trains and stations.

He suggested some types of food – like styrofoam boxes brimming with takeout – might be banned, while other kinds would be permitted. "Early in the morning, if you're a smart student, you may live in Queens, you may live in Brooklyn and you're so smart you're able to get into the Bronx High School of Science and you want to take a protein bar in the morning on the way in," Lhota said.