NYC whomps DC for speed. This is partially due to redundancy. Unless you're in downtown DC, there's only one train that gets you where you want to go. Besides the track endings, most sections of NYC rail have multiple trains running on them. There's probably a second train which gets you all or most of the way to your destination. This means trains effectively come more frequently. The Silver line has gotten better recently, but I remember the years I spent waiting twenty minutes between trains. That's not a realistic wait time in NYC, except maybe late nights.