A hunk of burning love suck on the subway in Paris.
Month: November 2007
Morning 6 Train Jumper at 77th Street
Thanks to SUBWAYblogger buddy Todd for alerting us to this.
Early reports indicate that there was a jumper at 77th Street on or near the 6 train that had suspended service in both directions for a period of time.
The NYPD DCPI reports that there does not appear to be any indication that the person was pushed, or that there was any foul play. Emergency services responded, but the person in question was DOA.
All we know for now.
The Delays Aren’t Just our Imagination
Remember almost a year ago when we reviewed the Top 10 causes of subway delays? Well, it turns out those delays add up. There’s been a significant decrease in “on time” running on the system.
(click for larger view)
The oldest lines appear to be the most unreliable (no shock there). If you notice, though, the reliability has declined year to year. For the 1 thru 6 lines, running at 80-90% on time is a bit embarrassing. Sure, this is just one month (July), but that doesn’t make the situation any better.
(click for larger view)
This is the overall performance of the system. What immediately jumps out at me is how poorly the system does in the summer. SUBWAYblogger has always said that it seems like the trains are always late in the summer, and now we have the data to back it up!Read More »
Get Your iPhone Stolen on the Subway
“Relief” Over Lack of Subway Fare Hike?
I’m I the only one confused over everyone’s “relief” due to the recent news that the $2.00 fare will not be going up?
The mainstream media makes it out to be a reason for citywide celebration. What’s the big deal? The fact is that the other denominations of rides are likely going to go up. They are going to probably go up even more than was originally intended.
Only 15% of riders actually purchase the single ride cards. This must consist mostly of people that live outside the city and drive in. Tourists and workers. Tourists that only need a ride or two to get around for a weekend visit. People that work in midtown, and have a random business meeting downtown might grab a quick subway ride. That’s probably the bulk of your single ride fares.
About 30% of riders get the monthly unlimited (the preferred choice of SUBWAYblogger). Then there’s the 37% that get the $10 + bonus ride cards. That’s the buy 5 rides, get one free deal.
I was surprised to see that the bonus ride cards were the most popular, and I couldn’t figure out why. Then the NY Post explained that the $10 card is the preferred option of lower income residents. That makes sense because it is hard to shell out $76 in one shot for a 30 day unlimited.
So with the anticipated hike on the unlimited cards, we’re looking at $80.00 cards in our future. Ehhh…not the end of the world I guess.
What I want to know is how do you just “all of a sudden” discover an extra $220 million laying around in the MTA bank accounts? Uhhh hellloooooo! That’s not something that just sneaks up on you.
It’s finance operations like this that make me wonder if the system would be better off it were privatized. No multi-billion dollar business would ever let $220 million just sneak up on them. Every minute of every day, there would be a team of accountants tracking every cent that swiped through the turnstiles. If there were even a hint of a surplus, not only would they know about it immediately, but it would probably have been forecasted in the fist place.
So the fact that the MTA just reforecasted, and discovered the surplus only goes to show that a) People weren’t paying attention, and b) the people that did the last forecast obviously don’t know what they are doing.
Those with the Most Money Vote for Everyone Else
Well this just about sums it all up:
At least five members of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s governing panel have seven-figure net worths. That’s nearly a third of the board empowered to vote on proposed hikes in subway, bus and commuter train fares. [Daily News]
You know I’ve always had this idea kicking around in the back of my mind, but I never really got my hands around it. Why do the richest people make all the decisions for the poorest?
I guess that’s just life in all realms of politics, but you’d think there would be a little more flexibility on the local level. Why is it that the MTA Board is made up of wealthy people, a third of which are millionaires? For that matter, why is the MTA made up of so many people that don’t live in New York City? I know the MTA’s reach extends well beyond NYC, but the city sure does account for the bulk of that nugget.
What would it hurt to add a more representative face to the board? There should be members from all the boroughs, of varying economic class.
To be honest, the fare hike isn’t going to have an impact on my life. We’re talking a monthly increase equal to a cappuccino or two. But that’s just me. These millionaires are even more disconnected. It might not be a big deal for us, but I fear we are the minority.
Gag Me
Really? Please tell me this isn’t true.
Apparently, the subway lovers from a couple weeks ago rubbed off on this guy. (Wow, that was an unfortunate wording)
This is just like a Craigslist missed connections, only exclusive for train riders. Gonna vomit.
Don’t Bother Attending Fare Hike Hearings
Because MTA board members don’t even bother attending, and it’s their job. Yes, three board members have managed to not attend a single fare hike hearing, yet they are eligible to vote on the issue when the time comes.
Andrew Saul, Donald Cecil and Susan Metzger are the board members who have not made it to a single hearing. They also happen to be co-chairs of the “Show Up When We Damn Well Please Committee.”
Saul is vice-chairman and head of the finance committee! Head of finance, yet can’t manage to attend hearings on the largest finance measure of the year. He’s also a candidate in next fall’s Republican primary in the 19th Congressional District, so that explains the arrogance.
Some people are just complete nightmares.
[Photos: Daily News]
Way to Vent Your Frustration
I feel like this guy almost every day on the subway, but mostly just in the summer. However, I’ve never really thought to verbalize it quite the way he did. Bravo my friend.
Man launches into torrent of expletives on the train. Warning: Very graphic language.
Bueller…Bueller…Bueller…
Yes, those were probably crickets you heard at some of the recent MTA fare hike public hearings. Why? Well that’s what happens when about half the board doesn’t even bother showing up.
Maybe the missing board members decided to cut school work and go for a joy ride in their father’s prized Ferrari. Maybe? Oh wait, that was Chicago.
Out of 16 voting MTA board members, only half showed up for last Monday’s hearings. Wednesday the turnout was even worse, with only six making an appearance, and only seven showed up on Thursday.
Maybe they all had trouble getting there because their trains weren’t running, and it was days before then next bus came. Just guessing.
SUBWAYblogger 