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5 Train Service Alert (Updated 1:43 pm)

Posted by
on January 9th, 2008 at 1:05 pm

The MTA has a service alert posted about delays on Bowling Green bound service due to a smoke condition at the Gun Hill Road station. However there is some breaking news that is related to 5 train service but not due to the posted smoke condition.

There is no service on the between East 180th Street & Dyre Avenue due to a tree falling on the tracks approximately 1000 feet south of the Baychester Avenue station.

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Updated: 1:43 pm

The area has been completely cleared. A train is about to go through the area as a test & service should be restored in the next couple of minutes.

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1

It Deserved Better!

Posted by
on January 9th, 2008 at 12:04 pm


Pelham Bay Park bound 6 entering Parkchester during the Feb. 06 blizzard. Resized photo courtesy of Eye On Transit

Here we are, the final 2007 “Rider Report Card” grade & low & behold it is my home line. The earned a C from the 7,261 riders (myself included) who filled out a report card. Let me first say that I am not biased with what I am about to say because the is my home line. The deserved a better grade as this line is not close to being average. Before I get into my feelings about the report card results, let me post the full breakdown.

Top 10 priorities that train riders would like to see improvement on:

01. Adequate room on board at rush hour
02. Reasonable wait times for trains
03. Minimal delays during trips
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. Station announcements that are informative
09. Train announcements that are easy to hear
10. Working elevators and escalators in stations

Now here is the entire order of train riders priorities:

01. Adequate room on board at rush hour
02. Reasonable wait times for trains
03. Minimal delays during trips
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. Station announcements that are informative
09. Train announcements that are easy to hear
10. Working elevators and escalators in stations
11. Courtesy and helpfulness of station personnel
12. Cleanliness of subway cars
13. Comfortable temperature in subway cars
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. Lack of scratchitti in subway cars
19. Signs in subway cars that help riders find their way
20. Lack of graffiti in stations
21. Lack of graffiti in subway cars

Now here is the graded breakdown of all 21 categories:

Minimal delays during trips C
Reasonable wait times for trains C
Adequate room on board at rush hour D
Sense of security in stations C+
Sense of security on trains C
Working elevators and escalators in stations C
Signs in stations that help riders find their way C+
Signs in subway cars that help riders find their way B-
Cleanliness of stations C-
Cleanliness of subway cars C+
Station announcements that are easy to hear C-
Station announcements that are informative C-
Train announcements that are easy to hear C
Train announcements that are informative C
Lack of graffiti in stations B-
Lack of graffiti in subway cars B-
Lack of scratchitti in subway cars C+
Courtesy and helpfulness of station personnel C+
Comfortable temperature in subway cars C+
Ease of use of subway turnstiles B-
Availability of MetroCard Vending Machines B-

Now let me start off by saying that in my honest opinion I felt the deserved at worst a B-. Quite frankly the is the most consistent line in the entire system. The only line that I would consider close is the in terms of service. Let me go into a few categories.

I will not disagree with the majority of riders who feel “Adequate room on board at rush hour” is a problem. Even with all the service the has, finding free space is usually an issue. I am a veteran of the line so I know little tricks to get seats such as proper standing location depending on the stop & time of day for starters. However I do not expect many people to think like me so I can see why they feel this is an issue. During the morning rush hour, getting a seat is tough & I board at a station towards the beginning/end of the line.

I will completely disagree with priority #2 being “Reasonable wait times for trains”. As I have said, I feel the is the most consistent line in the system bar none. The service on this line is quite high in terms of the number of trains per hour at one’s disposal. If you consistently ride the line during the rush hour, it is quite common to have trains come every 30-60 seconds for a long stretch of time. The only time I ever waited a long time for a to come during the rush hour is because of an incident that caused delays throughout the line.

I would be curious as to what time of the day were the majority of riders basing their grade on for this category. If the has a weak spot in terms of wait times, it is the weekends where here & there the wait feels like it is about 10-15 minutes during the day. However most times it is less than 10 minutes but I feel there is plenty of room for improvement. I am going to assume the majority of riders were basing their grade on rush hour service. If so they are completely off base as a C is completely out of whack with reality. I would give the a B+ or at worst a B- for rush hour service & a B- to a C for weekend midday service.

Now before I go on to the next grade, I would like to bring up another possible angle for the “Reasonable wait time for trains” grade. I would love to know the grades received by people from a select number of spots. The reason I say this is because for all the experience I have with the , I have picked up all the tendencies for the line. I have noticed that if there is a weak link in service based on line chunks, it would be stops below Grand Central-42nd Street.

I have noticed many times that there seems to be a sizable gap between trains even during rush hour. I know this isn’t the case but one would think some trains were being turned around at Grand Central-42nd Street for uptown service. I have spent many times standing on a downtown platform at a stop below Grand Central-42nd Street & watch 2-4 uptown trains arrive before a downtown does. If that isn’t happening, then I would see a couple of downtown trains doing battery runs & passing us by. Now if the majority of riders were from such stops, I could start to understand their grading it as average at best.

As far as “Minimal delays on trips” are concerned, I don’t think the has much issues. The only weakness I see is the tendency to do a few battery runs of 2-4 stations between Hunts Point Ave & 3rd. Ave-E. 138th St. or ones below Grand Central-42nd Street. I think with so much service on the line, the slightest hiccup forces the train to have to catch up somehow. I think there is definite room for improvement in this area & hopefully 2008 will see those improvements. I admit though I have smiled at saving a couple of minutes because of the battery run. However I know that is a selfish way to think.

Most of the other priorities do not come as much of a shock. Many of the indoor stations in the Bronx are not in the greatest condition. A humongous scrub job might start to scratch the surface as a complete cleaning overhaul is definitely in order. I do not see many cops frequent the but to be honest I feel safe on the line. This is one line that is never really empty even during the overnight hours which is a time I ride the a lot. The crowd size is usually pretty strong especially in Manhattan. While the numbers do decrease when we enter the Bronx, it is not as big of a drop off as one would think. I know that I usually have a decent size crowd get off with me at my home stop.

One category that I feel does not deserve to be in the top 10 is “Train announcements that are easy to hear”. The ‘s fleet is made up 100% of R142A subway cars. As we know, the announcements on these trains are loud, & clear at all times. So why this category is considered a top 10 priority for improvement is unknown to me.

However I feel that one category that did not make the top 10 but should have is “Lack of scratchitti in subway cars”. While I would not have put it in the top 5 most likely, I do think it has a place in the bottom 5 of the top 10. Over the last year, I have noticed a spike in the amount of “scratchitti” on some of the subway cars. This while not shocking to me is quite disappointing. It is truly pathetic how people continue to show no appreciation or respect for the system that millions depend on daily to get around the best city in the world. I hope the MTA can do something to combat this problem as these cars are not cheap & do not need to start looking beat up when they are still fairly young.

In the end, I feel the deserved a better grade & I will continue to believe that until I am proven wrong by the MTA & more specifically New York City Transit. Lets hope that the people in charge do the best they can to fix the few issues the line has & continue to improve on its pretty consistent level of quality service.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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1

Straphangers Say The 1 Is Not #1

Posted by
on January 7th, 2008 at 6:56 pm

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242nd St.-Van Cortlandt Park bound 1 train approaching 125th St.; Resized photo courtesy of Eye On Transit

According to the almost 10,000 (9.903 to be exact) who filled out the “Rider Report Card”, the is not #1! The line which serves as the Broadway-7th Avenue local between 242nd Street-Van Cortlandt Park & South Ferry earned a D+. Lets go straight to the breakdown.

Top 10 priorities that train riders would like to see improvement on:

01. Reasonable wait times for trains
02. Adequate room on board at rush hour
03. Minimal delays during trips
04. Station announcements that are easy to hear
05. Train announcements that are easy to hear
06. Cleanliness of stations
07. Station announcements that are informative
08. Sense of security on trains
09. Sense of security in stations
10. Working elevators and escalators in stations

Now here is the entire order of train riders priorities:

01. Reasonable wait times for trains
02. Adequate room on board at rush hour
03. Minimal delays during trips
04. Station announcements that are easy to hear
05. Train announcements that are easy to hear
06. Cleanliness of stations
07. Station announcements that are informative
08. Sense of security on trains
09. Sense of security in stations
10. Working elevators and escalators in stations
11. Cleanliness of subway cars
12. Comfortable temperature in subway cars
13. Courtesy and helpfulness of station personnel
14. Train announcements that are informative
15. Signs in stations that help riders find their way
16. Lack of scratchitti in subway cars
17. Ease of use of subway turnstiles
18. Availability of MetroCard Vending Machines
19. Signs in subway cars that help riders find their way
20. Lack of graffiti in subway cars
21. Lack of graffiti in stations

Now here is the graded breakdown of all 21 categories:

Minimal delays during trips C
Reasonable wait times for trains C-
Adequate room on board at rush hour D
Sense of security in stations C+
Sense of security on trains C
Working elevators and escalators in stations C
Signs in stations that help riders find their way C+
Signs in subway cars that help riders find their way C
Cleanliness of stations C-
Cleanliness of subway cars C
Station announcements that are easy to hear D
Station announcements that are informative D+
Train announcements that are easy to hear D+
Train announcements that are informative C-
Lack of graffiti in stations C+
Lack of graffiti in subway cars C+
Lack of scratchitti in subway cars C
Courtesy and helpfulness of station personnel C
Comfortable temperature in subway cars C+
Ease of use of subway turnstiles B-
Availability of MetroCard Vending Machines B-

The grade says it all for the which might be one of the most frustrating lines in the entire system. If you want to see a true conga line, watch the especially during rush hour. The fact that “Reasonable wait times for trains” is #1 comes as no surprise to me. The issue with the is not scheduling as there is plenty of scheduled service. The problem arises when just one little hiccup can cause a chain reaction up or down the entire line! Unfortunately for riders who depend on this line, this scenario plays out way too often.

One can count on some sort of major issue at least once a day which is unacceptable especially for a line that never shares track space. These delays cause severely inconsistent service where the is either coming every 1-2 minutes or it will come every 8-10. Unfortunately this kind of inconsistency seems to be a daily occurrence especially during rush hour. I don’t think adding trains will help as that will only add to the problem. The main issue is mostly track space but that is a problem that won’t be getting addressed anytime soon if ever in our lifetime.

When the service is operating without issues, there is hardly any room. Now add on delays which cause a train to not be in service or be forced to do a battery run to catch up & you can see how this problem gets magnified. The is definitely a line that you should expect to stand at just about any time of the day or night if you are not boarding near any of the terminals. I don’t see this issue improving too much to be perfectly honest.

“Minimal delays during trips” is clearly aligned with the first two issues & quite frankly I don’t see much changing. Maybe having a line manager will help but I would take a wait & see approach on that one. Until the 1 finds a way to avoid a typical hiccup in operations, riders should continue to expect inconsistency for a line that greatly needs changes.

Look at the bright side, at least the got 2 above average grades although they were in the freebie “Ease of use of subway turnstiles” & “Availability of MetroCard Vending Machines” categories!

xoxo Transit Blogger

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1

Ehh Shuttle, You’re Average!

Posted by
on January 7th, 2008 at 4:18 pm


Franklin Avenue Shuttle about to depart Prospect Park; Resized photo courtesy of Eye On Transit

Continuing with the “Rider Report Card” update, the next in line is the Franklin Avenue Shuttle. The shuttle was considered average as it scored a C from the 247 people who bothered to fill out the report card. Lets go straight to the breakdown.

Top 10 priorities that null train riders would like to see improvement on:

01. Reasonable wait times for trains
02. Sense of security in stations
03. Minimal delays during trips
04. Sense of security on trains
05. Adequate room on board at rush hour
06. Cleanliness of stations
07. Cleanliness of subway cars
08. Station announcements that are easy to hear
09. Working elevators and escalators in stations
10. Availability of MetroCard Vending Machines

Now here is the entire order of null train riders priorities:

01. Reasonable wait times for trains
02. Sense of security in stations
03. Minimal delays during trips
04. Sense of security on trains
05. Adequate room on board at rush hour
06. Cleanliness of stations
07. Cleanliness of subway cars
08. Station announcements that are easy to hear
09. Working elevators and escalators in stations
10. Availability of MetroCard Vending Machines
11. Courtesy and helpfulness of station personnel
12. Comfortable temperature in subway cars
13. Station announcements that are informative
14. Lack of scratchitti in subway cars
15. Signs in stations that help riders find their way
16. Train announcements that are informative
17. Ease of use of subway turnstiles
18. Lack of graffiti in subway cars
19. Train announcements that are easy to hear
20. Signs in subway cars that help riders find their way
21. Lack of graffiti in stations

Now here is the graded breakdown of all 21 categories:

Minimal delays during trips C+
Reasonable wait times for trains C-
Adequate room on board at rush hour C
Sense of security in stations C
Sense of security on trains C
Working elevators and escalators in stations C
Signs in stations that help riders find their way C+
Signs in subway cars that help riders find their way C
Cleanliness of stations C
Cleanliness of subway cars C
Station announcements that are easy to hear C-
Station announcements that are informative C-
Train announcements that are easy to hear C
Train announcements that are informative C
Lack of graffiti in stations C
Lack of graffiti in subway cars C
Lack of scratchitti in subway cars C-
Courtesy and helpfulness of station personnel C
Comfortable temperature in subway cars C+
Ease of use of subway turnstiles B-
Availability of MetroCard Vending Machines B-

I honestly do not have much to say about this report card. I have rarely ridden the Franklin Shuttle & when I did, I had no issues with the trip. The only thing I will say is I am not surprised that both a “Sense of security in stations” & “Sense of security on trains” made the top 5. When I have ridden the shuttle, the cast of characters riding it with me would definitely fit in the “shady” category. When I would be on the B or Q & look at the people waiting, I would think the same thing. This is not to say some decent people don’t ride it but there is no denying the quality of people is questionable at best.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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1

Like George, The W Has Failed Miserably!

Posted by
on January 7th, 2008 at 3:54 pm


Whitehall Street bound W train pulling into Queensboro Plaza; Resized photo courtesy of Eye On Transit

The “Rider Report Card” updates continue with the train which failed miserably. The line serving as a weekday only backup to the between Astoria & Lower Manhattan earned a D+. Lets go straight to the horrendous results.

Top 10 priorities that train riders would like to see improvement on:

01. Reasonable wait times for trains
02. Minimal delays during trips
03. Adequate room on board at rush hour
04. Train announcements that are easy to hear
05. Station announcements that are easy to hear
06. Cleanliness of subway cars
07. Station announcements that are informative
08. Cleanliness of stations
09. Sense of security in stations
10. Sense of security on trains

Now here is the entire order of train riders priorities:

01. Reasonable wait times for trains
02. Minimal delays during trips
03. Adequate room on board at rush hour
04. Train announcements that are easy to hear
05. Station announcements that are easy to hear
06. Cleanliness of subway cars
07. Station announcements that are informative
08. Cleanliness of stations
09. Sense of security in stations
10. Sense of security on trains
11. Train announcements that are informative
12. Lack of scratchitti in subway cars
13. Working elevators and escalators in stations
14. Courtesy and helpfulness of station personnel
15. Comfortable temperature in subway cars
16. Availability of MetroCard Vending Machines
17. Ease of use of subway turnstiles
18. Lack of graffiti in subway cars
19. Signs in subway cars that help riders find their way
20. Signs in stations that help riders find their way
21. Lack of graffiti in stations

Now here is the graded breakdown of all 21 categories:

Minimal delays during trips D+
Reasonable wait times for trains D+
Adequate room on board at rush hour D+
Sense of security in stations C+
Sense of security on trains C
Working elevators and escalators in stations C-
Signs in stations that help riders find their way C
Signs in subway cars that help riders find their way C
Cleanliness of stations C-
Cleanliness of subway cars C-
Station announcements that are easy to hear D
Station announcements that are informative D+
Train announcements that are easy to hear D+
Train announcements that are informative D+
Lack of graffiti in stations C
Lack of graffiti in subway cars C
Lack of scratchitti in subway cars C-
Courtesy and helpfulness of station personnel C-
Comfortable temperature in subway cars C
Ease of use of subway turnstiles C+
Availability of MetroCard Vending Machines B-

This grade comes as no surprise to me as I am sure is the case for many others. The is clearly a secondary line & the service clearly reflects that. While many argue that the is underutilized, there is no arguing that it needs to do a much better job. Wait times for the line are unacceptable as it sometimes is a 3-1 ratio of trains to trains. While the service is primarily a backup, such a ratio does not provide assurance for the which is inconsistent to begin with.

The delays on the line are to be expected since it backups a line that is quite inconsistent. So when the usual delays pop up, what line do you really think will take priority? The answer is obvious, it will never be the . Quite frankly as much as extra service is warranted along the 31st Street corridor, the sure could be more effective if it had a better terminal. However I will leave that issue to another entry or you can poke around on “Rider Diaries” or “Subchat” for varying opinions on this issue.

I will say one thing, I usually have never had a problem getting a seat on the W even as inconsistent as it can be in arrival times. I think it is mainly due to the mental issue many people have with riding the “local”. I have seen many people pass up on the to wait for the to go to a stop that the serves. I guess they really needed the express run down Broadway to survive. I won’t complain about the mindset as it gives me a seat but I can’t help but question the intelligence & logic of riders who constantly do this.

The rest of the categories speak for themselves & the grades seem justified. You know that things are not going well when the only above average grade earned was the “Availability of MetroCard Vending Machines” freebie. Seriously that category needs to be removed for next year’s report cards.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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