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MTA To Continue On The Go Project

Posted by
on March 15th, 2013 at 6:50 pm

Back in September 2011, the MTA introduced “On The Go”, an interactive touch-screen kiosk that contained travel information & more.

After a successful pilot run, the agency recently announced that will continue with phase two of the project which calls for the installation of at least 77 more. Here are the details:

MTA New York City Transit announced today that it will move ahead with the second phase of a pilot project for On the Go! Travel Stations, adding at least 77 of the interactive touch-screen kiosks throughout the system that offer MTA travel information and a whole lot more.

The initial pilot launched in September 2011 has been a success. Placed at the Bowling Green, Atlantic Ave-Barclays Center, and Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Ave subway stations as well as Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal, the On the Go! Travel Stations have been offering customers information about their entire trip, from planning with Trip Planner+, real-time service status, escalator & elevator status and local neighborhood maps. In addition, the MTA partnered with third party developers to include applications which provide additional information, such as local history, shopping and nearby dining options. The sleek, stainless steel enclosures support a large screen with a colorful display and also provide news and weather information. The original On the Go! Travel Stations were designed by Antenna Design New York Inc. and are extremely durable and easy to clean and maintain.

“Taken together, this is an unprecedented amount of information made available to subway and commuter rail customers. These state-of-the-art customer communications kiosks provide instant information that makes using the transit system more efficient,” said MTA Interim Executive Director Thomas F. Prendergast. “The positive feedback we have received via our website or Twitter account has confirmed that our customers have embraced this new technology improving their riding experience.”

MTA NYC Transit’s marketing research team conducted research to quantitatively and qualitatively determine the use and customer response to the devices. Intercept surveys (550) were conducted at all five locations asking participants about the device and its functionality. In addition, passenger observations were carried out to determine the number of people using the device, and the length of their interactions.

Based on positive customer feedback to the kiosks, and the desire to determine if the network could work on a larger scale, the decision was made to move forward with the second phase of the pilot. In February 2012, MTA Real Estate issued a Request for Expression of Interest (RFEI) soliciting responses from entities interested in being an advertising agent or sponsor of a future, large scale network of On the Go! Travel Stations.

The MTA will enter into license agreements with CBS Outdoor and Control Group Inc. requiring that the two licensees purchase the kiosks and deliver them to NYC Transit for installation. In this unique public/private partnership, the companies will each retain 90% of gross advertising receipts and pay 10% of the gross receipts to NYC Transit until they recoup their capital investments in the pilot. After they recover their costs, the companies will keep 35% of gross receipts and pay 65% to NYC Transit. Title to the kiosks transfers to NYC Transit upon installation and acceptance.

As part of this proof of concept phase of the pilot, the licensees will have the creative freedom to design the customer interface and to customize the transit-related applications that will reside on the kiosks, while also selling and displaying advertising to defray the related capital and operating expenses. During this phase, NYC Transit will evaluate customer perceptions, the ability to post and update information quickly, and advertising revenue opportunities. This information will inform decisions regarding deployment of additional kiosks, customer communication strategies and future advertising contracts encompassing digital media and platforms.

The kiosks, going into an additional 16 stations, will provide NYC Transit with a Digital Out of Home Network that will allow NYC Transit to communicate with customers at the station level, especially in times of planned and unplanned events, reducing the need to plaster stations with paper signage. It is estimated that the hardware cost of each kiosk will be under $15,000. CBS Outdoor will provide 30 kiosks and Control Group will provide anywhere from 47 to 90 kiosks.

The On the Go! Travel Stations can be customized for a specific location and by time of day. For example, at the Penn Station Travel Station, during the morning, the screen will default to subway information and in the evenings it will default to LIRR service. All content is remotely managed from a secure web-based management system and applications can be changed or updated as needed.

In my original post in 2011, I mentioned how I would try to go to Bowling Green & try the kiosk out. I never got a chance to do so & to this day, I have yet to try these kiosks. Off the top of my head, I can’t recall ever seeing anyone actually use these. However I did ask my friend & she told me that she sees it used all the time in Grand Central.

I can support the agency continuing this project since it is costing nothing on their end while they get to share in the advertising revenue. The best part is they don’t have to maintain them which is great as we know if they did, they would be broken most of the time.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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MTA Ridership Increases In 2012

Posted by
on March 15th, 2013 at 5:56 pm

Even with the devastation & subsequent lost trips caused by Hurricane Sandy, the MTA managed to have ridership increases again in 2012 as they totaled over 2.6 billion trips between all of their divisions. Here is more via their press release:

Despite the historic disruptions caused by Hurricane Sandy, annual ridership on the subways, buses and railroads operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) rose in 2012 by more than half a percent. The agency provided more than 2.6 billion trips to customers throughout the downstate region.

The largest numerical increase came on the New York City Subway, which provided 13.7 million more trips in 2012 than 2011, an increase of 0.8%. The subway’s annual ridership of 1.654 billion was the highest in 62 years. Average weekend ridership on the subway grew by 3.0%, matching the all-time historic high for weekend ridership set in 1946.

“MTA ridership has been growing for 20 years, and this positive trend reflects New York State’s improving economy and continuing improvements to the MTA’s services,” said MTA Interim Chairman Fernando Ferrer. “With capital program investments of nearly $78 billion since 1982, riders today enjoy shiny new trains and buses. Train cars have clear automated announcements and visual displays that show your current location. Crime has plummeted. Many stations have digital signs letting you know when the next train is due. As the MTA has rescued the system from the days of graffiti and breakdowns, riders have continued to come back.”

“Our ridership growth has been strongest among discretionary riders and during off-peak times,” said Thomas F. Prendergast, MTA Interim Executive Director. “Recent trends, like the younger ‘millennial’ generation increasingly gravitating toward transit around the country, are building on older trends, like the introduction of unlimited cards and free transfers between subways and buses, to continue the long-term ridership growth over 20 years.”

The largest percentage increase came on bus routes operated by the MTA Bus Company, which had year-over-year ridership growth of 1.2%, or more than 1.45 million rides. The MTA Bus Company was created in 2004-2006 by consolidating the operations of seven private bus companies that had previously operated under subsidy from the City of New York. The MTA Bus Company has worked in the years since then to improve route performance by amending service plans through routings used, frequencies of service and hours of service.

Metro-North Railroad last year had its second highest ridership in history, providing nearly 83 million rail rides. The increase in 2012 was not quite enough to allow the railroad to top 2008 when, Metro-North provided a record-breaking 83.6 million trips. Metro-North estimates it lost 1.8 million rides because of Sandy, the most severe weather impact on ridership it has ever experienced. Had Sandy not occurred, the railroad was on track for a new record of 84.9 million rides. Ridership on the New Haven Line did set a new record in 2012 with 38.8 million rides, up 1.3% breaking a record set in 2011, when the line carried 38.3 million people.

Long Island Rail Road ridership also rose last year, boosted by a steadily improving economy and popular new service to Barclays Center. LIRR usage had risen for 13 straight months until October, when Sandy ravaged the region, forced temporary service reductions. With service restored and new service investments implemented in March, the LIRR is poised for further growth in 2013.

Ridership Table:

New York City Subway: 1,640,434,672 (2011) 1,654,157,543 (2012) +13,722,871 +0.8% increase

New York City Transit Buses: 665,314,040 (2011) 662,247,182 (2012) -3,066,858 -0.5% decrease

MTA Bus Company: 118,281,292 (2011) 119,731,634 (2012) +1,450,342 +1.2% increase

Metro-North Railroad: 82,037,786 (2011) 82,953,628 (2012 +915,842 +1.1% increase

Long Island Rail Road: 80,983,003 (2011) 81,745,989 (2012) +762,986 +0.9% increase

Staten Island Railway: 4,583,452 (2011) 4,445,112 (2012) -138,340 -3.0% decrease

The MTA estimates that it lost 49.7 million trips because of Hurricane Sandy, comprised of 43.8 million at New York City Transit, 2.4 million on the Long Island Rail Road, 1.8 million on Metro-North Railroad, 1.6 million on the MTA Bus Company, and 100,000 on the Staten Island Railway.

The first thing that pops out to me when seeing these numbers is how important transit is to our region. Of course this is nothing new to me or other transit advocates. However based on the actions of those in power, the obvious nature does not seem to sync in.

Perhaps it is the class warfare mentality that public transportation is inferior economically & socially to private options. Or maybe it is because the follies of the MTA get all the attention while the good they do & serve gets swept under the rug. Either way, it is clear that the continued ridership growth shows how important it is that we maintain transit in the region.

If elected servants were smart, they would tap into what is a huge base & help deliver what riders deserve, a well funded MTA with proper oversight to make sure they are running as efficently as possible in all ways. Will this happen? I have my doubts on most days but I & others who understand the importance of mass transit can’t give up!

xoxo Transit Blogger

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Historic Metro-North Expansion Coming Soon

Posted by
on March 15th, 2013 at 5:36 pm

Catching up on some transit news over the past few days, the Metro-North has announced that the biggest expansion in agency history is coming April 7th. The expansion calls for 187 added off-peak & weekend trains each week. Here are the details:

Schedule changes that represent Metro-North Railroad’s biggest and most ambitious service expansion in its 30-year history begin Sunday, April 7, 2013. The new timetables will include increased off-peak and weekend train frequencies as well as faster service to many customers.

This second round of service investments provides an additional 187 trains per week in addition to the 56 trains added last October. Together this is an increase of 5.6% in the number of trains Metro-North operates each week.

“By adding off-peak and weekend trains and by adding stops at key stations, we are able to increase frequency and provide faster trip times systemwide,” said Metro-North President Howard Permut. “Coupled with Metro-North’s reputation for reliability, we expect that this extraordinary service expansion will make the railroad more attractive than ever and that it will become the travel mode of choice to millions more in New York and Connecticut.”

Key improvements include: 85 additional weekday and 22 additional weekend trains on the Hudson Line; 65 additional weekday and 6 additional weekend trains on the Harlem Line; and 9 additional weekend trains on the New Haven Line.

On the Hudson Line the improvements will:

• Provide new half-hourly service at Spuyten Duyvil, Riverdale, and Irvington stations during weekday off-peak times and most of the day on weekends. This increase is warranted as ridership continues to grow at these stations. To accomplish this at no additional cost, about 20 trains per day on weekdays and about 30 trains on Saturdays and 23 trains on Sundays will make these additional stops.

• Provide three trains per hour at Ossining and Tarrytown, which are two of the highest ridership stations on the Hudson Line.

• Provide additional service at most Hudson Line Bronx stations in the key reverse commuting time periods.

• Provide additional Upper Hudson Line service on weekdays and weekends at key high-ridership and reverse commuting time periods.

On the Harlem Line the improvements will:

• Provide new half-hourly service at larger stations during the key higher-ridership times of the day on weekdays between Southeast and GCT.

• Provide additional PM Peak service between GCT and Southeast.

• Provide three trains per hour during select off-peak hours at Scarsdale and Hartsdale, and four trains per hour at White Plains and North White Plains stations, all of which are the highest ridership stations on the Harlem Line.

• Provide additional half-hourly service on Sunday between North White Plains and GCT.

New Haven Line:

• Provide additional half-hourly service on Sunday between Stamford and GCT.

In addition, a rock slope remediation project will take place from April 8 through June 2 on the Harlem Line between Pawling and Harlem Valley-Wingdale. To accommodate this project, trains will be replaced by buses between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM on weekdays, and between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM on Sundays. The bus schedules will be included in the April 7 Harlem Line timetables.

In the railroad’s West-of-Hudson territory, Port Jervis Line trains will return to the pre-Hurricane Sandy schedules effective Sunday, March 24, as NJ TRANSIT continues to improve service as the post-Sandy recovery continues.

In the AM peak, five trains that had been making stops in New Jersey will no longer do so, resulting in travel time savings of up to eight minutes. In the PM peak, two trains that had been making extra stops will no longer do so resulting in travel time savings of up to nine minutes.

NJ TRANSIT schedule changes system wide will result in minor adjustments to connections between Secaucus Junction and New York-Penn Station for Port Jervis Line and Pascack Valley Line trains. Check NJTransit.com for details.

The next schedule change is planned for July 1, 2013 on the New Haven Line only, to accommodate a capital construction project. The next full East of Hudson schedule change is planned for November 3, 2013. The next schedule change for the Port Jervis and Pascack Valley Lines is planned for May 2013, with an exact date to be determined.

Well these changes sound like good news for Metro-North riders as ridership on it continues to grow with each passing year. A good PR move would have been to highlight these changes as much as possible before the fare hikes kicked in but this is the MTA we’re talking about so times do exist where common sense is forgotten.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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Sick Of Stolen Fares

Posted by
on March 8th, 2013 at 4:10 pm

I like many straphangers are sick of the outdated & flawed MetroCard system. While I can’t vouch that the majority prefer to go back to tokens like I do or perhaps a more updated & with the times system, we definitely agree that the MetroCard has to go!

My biggest gripe comes with the repeated stolen fares that plague pay per ride MetroCard users from turnstiles that are needing a severe cleaning. This was the case yet again when I boarded at the Broadway-Lafayette station on Wednesday morning to catch a D Train train to Harlem. I knew what time to get to the station by to catch the particular train I needed.

I arrive with time to spare & 1 fare left on my card. Of course the turnstile steals my fare. Thankfully that booth is staffed 24×7 so the agent took a look & saw that the fare was eaten by the turnstile & she let me in. However dealing with that caused me to get down the stairs to see my train pulling out of the station.

I have lost count on how many times I will properly swipe my card yet the turnstile will not accept it & then claim insufficient fare. Many of the station entrances I use are not staffed by anyone so if I lose a fare, I either have to buy another one, jump the turnstile or find the entrance where someone is.

The first option is completely unfair as why should I when I technically have paid for the fare already but had it stolen by the turnstile. The third option is not always feasible as it could be a couple of blocks away or sometimes no one is on the side of travel you are on as they are in the booth going the opposite direction. The second option is illegal but I personally have zero issue with someone who does it when they have had their fare stolen. What about situations where you don’t have enough money left on you to buy another fare?

What really drives me crazy is how I mysteriously never have a problem with single ride or unlimited MetroCards as one swipe & I am good to go, even in the same exact stations I always seem to have issues in. We are paying more for the same service & malfunctioning equipment. It is 2013, better ways exist to pay for fares. I would be just fine with going back to tokens as I have never missed a bus or train because of one. The same can’t be said for the outdated & troublesome MetroCard!

P.S. One of the worst stations with this problem is the 2nd Ave entrance to the 2nd Ave station as no booth is there & those turnstiles repeatedly eat fares. Forget jumping as the cops hide in the room to the far left against the wall by the staircaise to the Queens-bound platforms.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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MTA To Restore Old South Ferry Service

Posted by
on March 8th, 2013 at 3:51 pm

Commuting in Lower Manhattan has not been easy since Hurricane Sandy pounded our region a few months ago. One of the biggest transit victims was the rebuilt South Ferry station complex which was flooded 80 feet deep making the station unusable. Since then, the 1 Train train has been terminating at Rector Street. However this is about to change.

Earlier this morning, Gov. Cuomo announced that the MTA will be restoring service to South Ferry via the old loop. Here are the complete details:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that 1 train service will return to one loop platform of the storm-ravaged South Ferry subway station in the first week of April, making commutes easier for more than 10,000 daily riders at the southern tip of Manhattan while a full rebuilding continues.

“The MTA has a long, tough job ahead as it tackles the immense job of virtually rebuilding the new South Ferry terminal station that was flooded 80 feet deep during Superstorm Sandy,” Governor Cuomo said. “For the extended period of time it will take for this work to be completed, we are returning the old station in the complex to service, making travel easier and more convenient for Staten Islanders and others who work and visit this area.”

Sandy’s storm surge sent a torrent of salt water into the South Ferry station on October 29. Some 15 million gallons of water filled the area from the track level to the mezzanine, destroying all electrical and mechanical systems and components and rendering the station unusable. As a result, 1 trains now terminate at Rector Street, a major inconvenience for thousands of daily commuters and sightseers.

Faced with an estimated two-year timeline for restoring the new South Ferry station, MTA New York City Transit studied the former loop station directly above it which served South Ferry until 2009. The station is on a sharp curve and requires moveable platform edge extenders to bridge gaps between the platform and the cars, and it can accommodate only five cars of a 10-car subway train.

“As MTA New York City Transit assessed the extent of damage to the new South Ferry station, it became clear that the time necessary to repair it would be too long a period to deny our customers a direct link to lower Manhattan,” said MTA Interim Executive Director Thomas F. Prendergast. “We are working to ensure that all elements and systems are fully operational, safe and reliable before restoring service to the old station, but our primary goal remains restoring the new South Ferry station as soon as possible.”

Work to reopen old South Ferry includes opening a new connection point between the new station mezzanine and the old loop station, which will allow a transfer between the 1 train and the R train’s Whitehall Street station.

Other work includes refurbishing the moveable platform edge extenders and replacing pistons and other components. Crews must install electrical feeds, closed-circuit television systems to monitor the platform, customer assistance intercoms, security cameras and radio communications in the dispatcher’s office. Additional work will be required to rehabilitate the fare control area, restore lighting in the station and adjacent tunnels, install new platform lighting, and repair and repaint station walls. The estimated cost of returning the old South Ferry loop to service is $2 million.

The Federal Transit Administration has reimbursed MTA New York City Transit for an initial $629,100 of recovery work at the new South Ferry station, which included pumping out water, removing debris, assessing damage and inspecting equipment.

This initial FTA funding reimburses the MTA for costs incurred during preparation for the storm through January 29. It is the first round of funding the MTA has received to help recover from Sandy and rebuild stronger.

The MTA is working closely with the FTA to pursue reimbursement for the costs of rebuilding the devastated station.

While I expect the South Ferry work to take quite some time, it is good to know that they will be reopening the old loop to help facilitate the commutes of thousands in that area. Hopefully this will help get things back to normal as much as possible.

The railfan in me is looking forward to going down there to see the loop in revenue action again for old times sake.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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