1

Mayor Bloomberg Just Doesn’t Get It

Posted by
on December 9th, 2008 at 4:38 am

While I usually don’t let Mayor Bloomberg get to me as I can usually understand his thinking, I must admit he has me saying WTF to myself. As you all know by now, part of the MTA’s “doomsday scenario” called for express bus fares to rise from $5 to $7.50. However Mayor Bloomberg has informed his MTA Board representatives to come up with a way to keep the fare at $5. Pete Donohue of the New York Daily News has more in this report:

Mayor Bloomberg has told the MTA board members he appoints to look for ways to save express bus riders from sweeping planned fare hikes and service cuts, sources said.

The mayor wants the four city-controlled board members to push to keep the express bus fare at $5 and limit service reductions, even as subway and commuter rail riders face big looming fare hikes, sources said.

Bloomberg has told aides that express bus riders should get priority because they often lack readily available transit options to get to and from their jobs in Manhattan.

Click here for the complete report.

It is about 4:30 in the morning so I will keep this brief as I have meetings to attend this morning. I have to ask WTF is Bloomberg thinking with this? After reading his logic, I can understand why many feel he is out of touch with the everyday New Yorker.

His logic is flawed in feeling express bus riders are more deserving of a fare break versus non-express bus commuters. Not all customers have other options outside of their local bus or subway route. So should the fare stay the same for them as well? He would obviously answer no but I would immediately grill him as to why not. Most express buses do not get that high of ridership as it is. Lets couple this with the fact that some routes travel in areas that have other options for commuters.

Yes, the commute for some might be longer taking the subway into Manhattan but should that be enough of a reason to warrant a fare break? I say absolutely not as in this case their use of the express bus is a luxury, not a necessity. I am more sympathetic to lines that serve areas with next to no other options. However I can’t sympathize for riders of lines who have many other options.

A good example of what I would call “luxury lines” are just about every express bus that serves Southern Brooklyn. Most of those lines are a mere few blocks away from subway service almost their entire runs in the borough. Why should riders of these lines get a break when they are using a service out of luxury instead of necessity. Mayor Bloomberg really needs to get with the program & realize that helping out those who need it the least is not the right thing to do.

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Drivers & Politicians Prepare For Bridge Toll Fight

Posted by
on December 9th, 2008 at 3:35 am

A little over a week ago I wrote about how motorists in Broad Channel & the Rockaways were planning civil disobedience if the MTA went through with plans to eliminate their Cross Bay Bridge toll rebate. Motorists from the respective areas pay $1.03 with resident E-Z Pass tags when crossing the bridge. They receive their money back in the form of a rebate. Yestderday’s print edition of the New York Daily News has more on plans to stage two large protests as well as packing the MTA’s Bridge & Tunnel meeting tomorrow. Brendan Brosh has more:

Rockaway and Broad Channel motorists are planning two large-scale protests this week to dissuade the MTA from abolishing toll rebates for the Cross Bay Bridge.

Queens Borough President Helen Marshall and other local leaders plan to demonstrate Monday near the toll plaza, and six busloads of residents are slated to pack Wednesday’s MTA meeting in Manhattan.

The MTA is facing a budget crisis and hopes to save $3.6 million a year by rescinding the rebate.

“We fought this battle once already, and thought it was over,” said Frank Harnisher, 70, a Broad Channel resident who was a vocal leader against the tolls in the 1990s. “People will only be bitter if they have to pay that toll again.”

Rockaway peninsula and Broad Channel drivers with E-ZPasses are charged $1.03 every time they cross the bridge, and the fee is remitted back to them in a rebate.

The program was instituted in 1998 after decades of protests.

Click here for the complete report.

The idea of them eliminating this rebate seems ridiculous. Yes, I understand that the MTA has financial issues but is $3.6 million really going to make a dent in their deficit? The answer is obviously no. The residents in these areas use the bridge to connect to the main part of Queens & driving is the best means of transportation considering the subpar bus & subway service available. Why screw them some more by taking away the rebate program? I am 100% sure they can find ways to make up this amount by eliminating the monumental amount of waste within.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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0

4 Train Results Tell The Same Story

Posted by
on December 8th, 2008 at 6:31 pm

Woodlawn bound 4 train approaching the 161 Street-Yankee Stadium stationWoodlawn bound 4 train approaching the 161 Street-Yankee Stadium station. Resized photo courtesy of Eye On Transit.

Many things have happened over the last year. However one that that did not happen was an improved grade for the 4 Train train in the Rider Report Cards. The 4 Train which finished with a C last year followed up that average performance by finishing below average this year in earning a C-. What is even more disturbing is the total voter turnout which dropped by over 1200. Now onto the complete breakdown. Let me start with the:

4 Train Riders’ Top 10 Priorities; 2007 priority rank will be in ( ):

01. Adequate room on board at rush hour (1)

02. Minimal delays during trips (2)

03. Reasonable wait times for trains (3)

04. Station announcements that are easy to hear (4)

05. Cleanliness of stations (6)

06. Sense of security on trains (5)

07. Sense of security in stations (7)

08. Train announcements that are easy to hear (8)

09. Cleanliness of subway cars (13)

10. Comfortable temperature in subway cars (10)

———-

Now here is the entire order of 4 train riders’ priorities:

01. Adequate room on board at rush hour

02. Minimal delays during trips

03. Reasonable wait times for trains

04. Station announcements that are easy to hear

05. Cleanliness of stations

06. Sense of security on trains

07. Sense of security in stations

08. Train announcements that are easy to hear

09. Cleanliness of subway cars

10. Comfortable temperature in subway cars

11. Station announcements that are informative

12. Working elevators and escalators in stations

13. Courtesy and helpfulness of station personnel

14. Train announcements that are informative

15. Availability of MetroCard Vending Machines

16. Ease of use of subway turnstiles

17. Signs in stations that help riders find their way

18. Signs in subway cars that help riders find their way

19. Lack of scratchitti in subway car

20. Lack of graffiti in stations

21. Lack of graffiti in subway cars

———-

Now here is the graded breakdown for all 21 categories; Their 2007 grade will be in ( ):

01. Minimal delays during trips C- (C-)

02. Reasonable wait times for trains C (C)

03. Adequate room on board at rush hour D- (D)

04. Sense of security in stations C (C)

05. Sense of security on trains C (C)

06. Working elevators and escalators in stations C (C)

07. Signs in stations that help riders find their way C+ (C+)

08. Signs in subway cars that help riders find their way C+ (C+)

09. Cleanliness of stations C- (C-)

10. Cleanliness of subway cars C (C)

11. Station announcements that are easy to hear D+ (D+)

12. Station announcements that are informative C- (D+)

13. Train announcements that are easy to hear C (C)

14. Train announcements that are informative C (C)

15. Lack of graffiti in stations C+ (B-)

16. Lack of graffiti in subway cars B- (B-)

17. Lack of scratchitti in subway cars C+ (C+)

18. Courtesy and helpfulness of station personnel C (C)

19. Comfortable temperature in subway cars C (C+)

20. Ease of use of subway turnstiles B- (B-)

21. Availability of MetroCard Vending Machines B- (B-)

For starters is anyone shocked by the overall grade earned? I am not really as I expected it to fall albeit to a D. Ignoring the disturbing lack of rider participation which I feel is the MTA’s fault, the line is in a no win situation. Many of the issues plaguing the line is the lack of ability to add more service to the Lexington Avenue corridor along with a lack of the Second Avenue Subway.

However lets look at it a little more. The first thing that caught my eye was the top 10 priorities, especially the first 3. You do not have to be a rocket scientist to tell there is a problem when the top 3 priorities are in the same exact order from 2007 & overall 9 of the 10 appear from last year’s list overall.

I feel that the issue of cleanliness must be looked into as it is alarming to see that priority rise 5 spots to earn a spot in the top 10. This is extremely concerning when the 4 Train has a newer fleet of cars compared to most lines in the system. Although I do wonder if the priority jumped up 5 spots, how come its grade stayed the same from last year? I think it is safe to assume it would be lower.

I have not ridden the 4 Train as much as I did in the past. Has anyone noticed an upswing in the amount of graffiti inside stations? I would think an upswing must have occurred for this priority to have the biggest grade shift. Lets hope this is not becoming a bigger issue than it already is. I respect people who choose to use graffiti as a form of art but only in proper locations where they are authorized & welcomed to do so. The subway system has & never will be such a place!

Overall I don’t know what the MTA can do to improve the 4 Train. The most logical improvements are not ones that can just be implemented overnight or anytime soon for that matter. Unfortunately for 4 Train train riders, I expect more of the same for the next few years.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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1

MTA To Introduce New Talking Kiosk At Penn Station

Posted by
on December 8th, 2008 at 4:13 pm

Earlier this afternoon, the MTA sent out a press release via e-mail to announce the introduction of a new talking kiosk at Penn Station. Here are the complete details:

Elliot G. Sander, the Executive Director and CEO of the MTA, Helena Williams, President of the Long Island Rail Road, and others will cut the ribbon on the new “talking kiosk” at Penn Station. The new kiosk assists the visually impaired customers find their way around Penn Station’s network of concourses, tracks and platforms.

WHO: Elliot G. Sander, Executive Director and CEO of the MTA; Helena Williams, President of MTA Long Island Rail Road; Steven Landau, Research Director at Touch Graphics, Inc.; Karen Gourgey, Director of Baruch College’s Computer Center for Visually Impaired People.

WHAT: Officials cut the ribbon on a new touch-activated “talking kiosk” for visually impaired MTA customers.

WHEN: Tomorrow, Tuesday, December 9, 2008, at 11:15 a.m.

WHERE: Pennsylvania Station, Long Island Rail Road Main Concourse between Tracks 14 and 15. (Subway: 1, 2, 3, A, C, or E to 34th Street-Penn Station; LIRR to Penn Station.)

xoxo Transit Blogger

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Ravitch Commission Report Reactions

Posted by
on December 8th, 2008 at 1:44 am

Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that the Ravitch Commission released its long awaited report this past Thursday.

Some of the proposals recommended by the commission were leaked via various outlets such as the New York Times & Tri-State Transportation Campaign’s “Mobilizing The Region” blog. I opined on a couple of the proposals but planned on doing so more in depth when I had a chance to view the entire report. Unfortunately I have not had the chance to read the report completely due to business matters occupying my time.

However in the meantime, you can check out an entry by Sewell Chan in the New York Times City Room blog which got the reaction to the proposal from some elected officials, local leaders, & transit advocates. You can check it out by clicking here. I also recommend checking out a breakdown of where the local newspapers stand on the proposals. You can view a detailed breakdown by checking out Benjamin’s latest Second Avenue Sagas entry.

I will try my best to offer my full thoughts on the proposals within the next 24-36 hours.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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