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Huge Fare Increases For Express Bus & Access-A-Ride Riders?

Posted by
on November 19th, 2008 at 10:50 pm

The countdown to what is billed as a doomsday scenario will reach 00:00 when the MTA Board is presented with budget proposals to help trim an over $1 billion dollar budget deficit. The New York Daily News has been leaking some of the potential proposals over the last few days & that trend continued with the latest report from Pete Donohue. In his report, he talks about how express bus riders might see a 50% hike on the current $5 fare. Access-A-Ride users would see a hike as well which could be double the base subway fare. Here is a sample of Pete’s report:

The MTA’s bruising budget proposal more than doubles the fare disabled riders pay for a special van service – and socks express bus riders with a 50% hike, the Daily News has learned.

Access-A-Ride users would pay twice the base subway-bus fare, which is now $2 but is headed for a big boost unless the state adopts a bailout plan for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, sources told The News. The doubled fare will be based on the increase, so it will cost more than $4 per van ride.

Express bus riders are looking at $7.50 per trip, up from $5, under the plan being released by the MTA tomorrow, according to sources.

Click here for the complete report.

I can’t wait for the MTA Board meeting so we can get all the facts out in the open & not have to rely on “leaks” for what might or might not happen.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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Fare Hike
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LIRR Statement On Today’s Accident

Posted by
on November 19th, 2008 at 5:45 pm

I apologize for not posting this sooner but I was tied up. Anyhow, the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) issued a statement via e-mail on this morning’s minor accident where 2 trains bumped west of the Jamaica station:

The MTA Long Island Rail Road is expecting normal evening rush hour service.

At 7:30 am today, a Babylon train and a Port Jefferson train traveling at under 15 mph sideswiped each other just west of Jamaica Station due to a train possibly going through a stop signal. The exact cause of the accident remains under investigation. Under federal regulations, the employees involved are undergoing routine drug and alcohol testing.

Approximately 1,000 customers from both trains were safely evacuated at Jamaica this morning. There were five reported injuries, including two passengers who complained of back and neck pain and who were taken to local hospitals for further examination.

Four cars of the Babylon train and one car of the Port Jefferson train were damaged during the accident.

We apologize to our customers, many of whom experienced significant delays this morning due to the accident.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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MTA Statement On Lexington Avenue Corridor Crowding

Posted by
on November 19th, 2008 at 3:47 pm

Just a few minutes ago the MTA released a statement on crowding of the Lexington Avenue corridor:

As the sole subway corridor serving the east side of Manhattan, MTA New York City Transit’s Lexington Avenue Line is the busiest in the system. On an average weekday, 1.3 million customers board trains. To handle the rush hour crowding, the 4, 5 and 6 trains operate on two-minute headways—among the shortest in the system. With only two minutes between trains, the line is operating at its capacity, meaning that during the height of the rush period, no more trains can be added. However, work is currently underway on the construction of the Second Avenue Subway. When opened, this state-of-the-art rapid transit line will add significant capacity to the east side of Manhattan.

In order to keep customers informed of delays and service changes, NYC Transit is in the process of expanding its customer communication efforts through the use of text messaging, email alerts and the installation of Public Address Customer Information Signs, which will be installed in more than 150 stations on the numbered lines.

MTA Metro-North Railroad is currently building a new commuter station adjacent to the new Yankee Stadium and it is scheduled to be ready next spring. This new stop will provide additional capacity beyond the Jerome and Concourse subway lines, which already serve the Stadium.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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4 Commuters Hurt In Minor LIRR Accident

Posted by
on November 19th, 2008 at 3:01 pm

Earlier this morning, my sister sent me a text message saying she was stuck on her LIRR train due to an accident. I did not notice the text message until sometime later but decided to poke around to find out what happened. As it turns out, local media outlets had the story. The cause for my sister’s delay along with thousands of others was due to a minor accident. The minor accident occurred when 2 LIRR trains bumped when they reached a signal at the same time west of the Jamaica station. John Valenti of Newsday has more in this report:

Two Long Island Rail Road trains bumped into each other while leaving Jamaica station during the morning rush on Wednesday, resulting in four minor injuries and subsequent delays of more than an hour, the LIRR said.

A railroad spokesman said service was back “on or close to” schedule at 11:45 a.m. The accident was the second in eight months involving a collision between two trains, also just west of Jamaica station.

The accident occurred at 7:30 a.m. as the two trains were leaving Jamaica station.

It was then that the 5:59 a.m. train from Port Jefferson, due in at Hunterspoint Avenue at 7:41 a.m., struck the rear car of the 6:42 a.m. train from Babylon, which was scheduled to arrive at Penn Station at 7:49 a.m.

According to Mendelson, the two trains were leaving the station and “got to a switch at the same time.” Mendelson said the front of the westbound Port Jefferson bumped into the rear of the Babylon train.

About 770 passengers were evacuated from the Babylon train, while another 230 were evacuated from the Port Jefferson train, Mendelson said.

Click here for the complete report.

This issue has to be looked into since this is the second known accident in the area this year.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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MTA Might Look To Increase Fare & Toll Revenue By 23%

Posted by
on November 19th, 2008 at 3:00 am

Astoria-Ditmars Boulevard bound W train departing the 36th Ave station. Will the W seen here departing the 36th Ave station on its way to Astoria-Ditmars Blvd turn into a thing of the past? Resized photo courtesy of Eye On Transit.

Yesterday afternoon I wrote about the huge service cuts bombshell provided by New York Daily News reporter Pete Donohue. The bombshell included specific details of some of the possible service cuts including the complete elimination of two subway lines. Well the news continues to trickle out as to what might be in store for riders as part of the MTA’s plan to close their huge budget deficit.

This time the scoop comes from William Neuman, Colin Moynihan, & Rebecca White of the New York Times. In their report which will appear in today’s print edition, they talk about the MTA’s plan to increase fare & toll revenue by 23 percent:

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority will seek to increase fare and toll revenues by 23 percent next year to plug a yawning budget gap, according to a person briefed on the plan.

But the increase will not be enough on its own. Faced with its worst financial problems in more than two decades, the authority has also drafted proposals for deep budget cuts, including reductions in service that call for the elimination of two subway lines and cutbacks on bus routes and commuter trains.

The result is straightforward and grim: Many riders will have to pay more to wait longer for trains and buses that are more crowded.

The fare and toll increase is intended to raise about $600 million next year, about half of the $1.2 billion deficit projected for next year. The increase would go into effect in June or July.

The authority will outline the budget proposals at a meeting of its board on Thursday, but officials said they had not yet worked out details of how the changes would affect different types of MetroCard fares on subways and buses, as well as fares on the commuter railroads.

It appears likely, however, that the base subway and bus fare would increase to at least $2.50, from $2, and that a monthly unlimited-ride MetroCard could rise to about $100.

Click here for the complete report.

Well who knows how accurate the recent reports by the New York Times & New York Daily News are. So at this time, I will take everything with a grain of salt & wait for the official details which will come during tomorrow’s much anticipated MTA Board meeting.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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