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THE R IS THE DIRTIEST SUBWAY LINE IN THE CITY

That’s rancid with a capital R.

The R subway line is the dirtiest in the entire system, with only 25 percent of its cars in clean condition at any given time, according to the Straphanger’s Campaign newest Subway Shmutz study released today.

The line — which hits four of the top ten busiest stations in the system — managed to fall from already-abysmal 2007 rating of 45 percent, the study found.

The 7 is the spiffiest subway line, with researchers finding 84 percent of its cars in Spic-and-Span condition.

Cleanliness in the entire subway system was at 57 percent in 2008, an improvement of seven percent from 2007.

But Gene Russianoff, of the Straphangers Campaign, issued a warning that those numbers might not last: the MTA is currently cutting subway cleaners though attrition as a way to save cash.

Next year’s study will show if “fewer elbows result in less elbow grease,” he said.

“It is encouraging to find an increase in clean cars,” he said. “But we are very concerned that cuts in cleaners will result in dirtier cars.”

The most improved line was the J, going from 33% clean cars in 2007 to 78% in 2008.

The largest fall from grace was the N, which fell from 63% in 2007 to 29% in 2008.

The group observed 2,200 subway cars on 22 lines between September and December 2008, rating the cleanliness of floors and seats.

“Cars were rated as clean if they were ‘basically dirt free’ or had ‘light dirt,'” the report said.

It went on to say that cars were rated not clean if they had “dingy floors,” “one or two sticky dry spots,” “heavy dirt,” “opened or spilled food,” “rolling bottles,” or “sticky wet spots,” — or if it smelled bad.

Transit officials said they were happy the that overall system was rated as cleaner in 2008 than in 2007, and added that in 2010 workers will have hand-held devices that will help break down litter and cleanliness information in the subways.

But still, the MTA said keeping the same level fo cleaning staff wasn’t in the cards.

“In order to achieve and maintain a uniformly high level of car cleanliness throughout the system achieved on the 7 and the L, NYC Transit would have to hire 400 additional cleaners, an extremely unlikely prospect given current budget constraints,” said spokesman Paul Fleuranges.

Russianoff said he would like to see the MTA use a new law allowing transit agencies to use some federal money on day-to-day payroll costs.

“We urge the MTA to seriously consider using these funds to restore the proposed cuts subway car cleaning staff,” he said.