Month: June 2007

How better to start the week

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Nothing like major service delays to start your week off right. This morning is a morning is a morning of firsts.

To start, I saw a train pulling into the station from my viewpoint up near the token booth. I took my time because the platform didn’t seem crowded. I was also in no rush this morning, so I figured I would be all set. So, that train closed its doors just as I reached the platform. No biggie.

That was my first mistake.

So there I stood, waiting for the next train. Waiting. Waiting. More and more people show up. Still waiting. Getting a little crowded now. Yup, still waiting.

Then an announcement I’ve never heard before. “After an earlier incident, downtown local trains are running. The next train is AT LEAST 20 minutes away.”

I’ve never heard them give an honest time estimate before. It’s always a generic “service is delayed” thing they try to pass off. Yes, I am pissed about the delay, but at least I have a reference to make an alternative plan against.

So now it’s time to hoof it or look for a cab.

Live from the subway, back to you in studio…

Subway Congestion Fare: 50 Cents

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Ok, so this proposal was announced last week, and…well…I needed a few days to ponder my reaction. No matter how hard I thought about it, all I was left with was: “WTF?”

Let’s discuss.

The New York State Assembly basically wants to 1) pick a fight and 2) ride on the “green” coat tails of Mayor Bloomberg. The Mayor announced his congestion pricing plan designed to charge an $8 fee to drive in midtown during peak times. It was met with great approval by New Yorkers, over 80% approval. So of course, the Assembly doesn’t want some great idea to be passed without them being involved, so of course the must tamper.

So, they throw out the idea of lowering the subway fare to 50 cents (from $2) during rush hours. [sigh]

Let’s talk about all the reasons why this might be the worst idea on the planet. First, it is going to do nothing to lower carbon emissions, which is the freaking point. Trying to lure people out of the cars by saving them a buck-fifty isn’t going to work. Drivers are just going to keep driving because it won’t cost them any more to drive. Sure, the might contemplate the savings by taking the subway, but let’s face it, there’s a reason that they like to drive in the first place. Saving them a little change isn’t going to inspire them to hit the rails.

On the flip side, a lot more people will ride the trains and buses for shorter trips. Right now, people walk if their destination isn’t worth the $2 to take the subway. Reducing the fare to 50 cents will encourage more people to take very short trips. The number of one stop riders will skyrocket. “For $2…ehh…I’ll just walk,” will be replaced by, “Hell, it’s only 50 cents…lets ride.”

Also, you’re banking on people flooding into the public transportation system that can’t handle the load as it is. As a whole, yeah, the system might be able to handle a sharp increase in traffic. However, certain lines are going to come to a grinding halt. Just to name a few, the 1, 2, and 3 line and the F line will flood well over capacity. They are already over crowded!

You may argue that the Mayor’s congestion pricing model is going to do the same thing, but you would be wrong. Yes, there will be some increase in usage of the public transportation system, but not an insane increase. Why? Because congestion pricing does not target New Yorkers.

Bloomberg was initially concerned that congestion pricing would have a huge financial impact on outer borough residents coming into Manhattan. However, it turns out that most outer borough peeps are smart, and already rely mostly on the subway to get into midtown. So, congestion pricing really hurt them much. Instead, congestion pricing impacts commercial traffic and people coming into the city from out of town. So, all the people that live out of town, but come in to work will be saddled with most of the fees. Sounds like a plan to me.Read More »

POLL: What kind of rider are you?

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Over the years, I’ve noticed that there are generally a few kinds of riders when it comes to getting on a crowded subway train.

This is expecially ture lately it seems because for whatever reason, the trains seem to run just a little slower in the summer. Why is it that the there just seems to be fewer trains?  It’s not like they’re broken down, they just come spread out by an extra 5 or 6 minutes apart.  So by the time it gets there, it is so crowded that a few women get pregnant by proxy.

Anyway, what’s your story?

[poll=2]

Air Conditioning

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Even though yesterday and today are fairly cool days, it takes a while for the subway to finally cool down. So, the air conditioning is still a must.

However, sometimes the AC breaks down on certain cars. Sometimes, it just gets shut off for no reason at all.

On those occasions, getting on to an air conditionless train car is like walking face first into New York’s smelly, hairy arm pit. Yummy.

There you are, expecting cool relief when you step aboard. Nope. Instead, warm, musty grossness that smells like 1978 plus every year since. That’s what I enjoyed this morning.

Live from the subway, back to you in studio… .

Survey Survey SURVEY!!

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Here’s an important survey about blog readership.  It is designed to capture information about readers of this blog as well as blogs all over the Internet.

Ok, ok…it’s a little on the long side.  Shouldn’t take you longer than 10 minutes or so.  It’s something interesting to do on your lunch break!

Also, it’s got interesting questions about whether or not you floss, and what kind of Gin you like to drink.  So it’s not all that boring.

So CLICK HERE TO PARTICIPATE.  C’mon…do it for the team!

An Underground Movement to Extend V Line (Pun completely intended)

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Sorry, couldn’t help myself.  On with the point.

There’s an underground movement afoot to get the V line extended to Brooklyn, and to restore express service to Brooklyn on the F line.  I have to say, I agree with much of the frustration.

The F line is super crammed with riders during peak travel time, and it doesn’t have to be.  There’s a line of express tracks sitting there literally rotting away because they aren’t being used.  There was even a plan put together back in 2003.

Meanwhile, the V train is virtually empty at all times, but it does not extend into Brooklyn.  It stops on the LES.  So, it conceivably continue onto the F line tracks.  Meanwhile, the F train could use the currently unused express tracks.

This would shift much of the load off the F train and onto the barely used V train.  Seems fairly logical, and probably would not be that expensive to renovate the infrastructure to allow the changes.

But of course, it would have to make it’s way though the bureaucracy.

Very cool musical subway awesomeness

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Ok so this post is a multimedia, multistep process. So before you continue, please make sure you have a few minutes. We promise it will be worth your time.First, I want to introduce the beatboxing flautist, Greg Pattillo. Watch the video below. It might blow your mind.

Cool, huh. My favorite part is when he kinda breaks into the Beverly Hills Cop theme.

Ok, now here’s the subway relation.

And if you want even more, here’s an interview with the two of them. If you’d like more beatboxing flautist, here’s your fill. There’s plenty more that are just as entertaining.

Ok, time to refocus! (and a secret riding tip)

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Platform Edge

Sorry for the lack of posting today. It was just “one of those days” that you wish you just stayed in bed.

In any event, it seems that I managed to dodge a complete sh*t show of a day on the subway. The Lexington line was all out of whack apparently. The trains were only running express from 125th Street South or some craziness.

I was on 1 train today, or at least I should say, I attempted to be on one today. I waited on the local line (No 1) as 2 train after 2 train came down BOTH the local and express tracks. I thought I was stuck in some sort of time warp where trains that are supposed to be express kept coming on both tracks.

Then, I said to hell with it, and I got on one of the plentiful 2 trains. They kept coming, so I was shocked at how full it was. I guess I wasn’t the only one that finally gave up. So eventually, it came time to get off and wait for the local for real. I had ridden as far uptown on the express (running local) as I could. So me, and every other person on the train, decided to get off. What was fun was the fact that there was probably already two trains worth of people already waiting on the platform. Yay.

I had to break out one of my most top secret tricks to get on the first 1 train that finally came by. The secret is, you have to look at the ground. Yup. That’s it. Look at the ground near the edge of the platform. Usually, you want to look at the ground where the yellow warning part is near the edge. Look for the area on the ground that is the most “worn out.” Or look for the area with the least grim. Why? Because that’s where the door is going to line up.

Most trains stop within a couple feet of the “target.” So the doors will generally always line up at the same point all day long. So naturally, a worn area starts to become visibly notable. That’s where the door is going to be. So get yourself right up to that area, and you know the train is going to stop with the door right in front of you. Just make sure that you are near one side or the other of the door. Generally, try to place yourself with your shoulder lined up with the door frame. That way you won’t be in the way when people get off, and you will be in perfect position when it’s time to board.

That secret’s just between you and me.