Author: subwayblogger

MTA Online Hearing Fails?

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No shocker here.  Jen at Gothamist attempted to join the MTA Webinar today.  Without any major surprise, there were technical issues that were not able to be solved.

Did anyone else attempt to attend?

Unfortunately, SUBWAYblogger had back-to-back meetings straight through lunch, so we were unable to login.  However, we were looking forward to taping the audio portion.  Too bad.

But it looks like we may not have missed much.  I wonder if only certain users were unable to connect.  I also wonder if there were way too many people attempting to connect.

They used GotoWebinar, which is a major online conference service.  I’m sure they should have been able to handle the volume.  However, the MTA would have had to purchase the correct plan to allow tons of users at any given time.  Wonder if that was actually done.

Looking forward to the reports.

Enjoy the Next Fare Hike Hearing Online

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Haven’t been able to make it to any of the recent fare hike hearings?  Don’t worry, you’re not the only one.

Tomorrow night, you can participate in the next hearing, aka Public Engagement Workshop, from the comfort of your own home.  I suggest a you get a 6-pack, throw on your PJ pants, and dial in.  I think the questions could get quite “colorful” if people aren’t in front of a large group of people.

CLICK HERE to register on the MTA website for the webinar.  You’ll need to connect through your computer and dial in to a phone number to participate.  Not sure what they will be showing on the computer, but whatever.

Subway Lines to be Managed Individually

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Finally, a little business sense over at the MTA.  Today, they announced plans to make each subway line operate as it’s own, autonomous rail line.  Each line will have it’s own manager that can focus on the needs of that specific line.

Howard H. Roberts Jr., president of New York City Transit, will announce an overhaul today of how the subway system is run. The changes are designed to give individual subway lines a greater degree of autonomy by putting each one under the direction of a manager who will be responsible for almost everything that happens on the tracks, in the trains and in the stations. [NY Times]

Currently, there are single managers that handle multiple lines.

Of course, with everything the MTA does, there has to be a pilot.  Can’t just do it, we need to test it until the end of time.

So first guinea pigs will be the 7 line and L lines.  They were chosen because they are fairly self contained (unlike other lines that share tracks). 

The plan is to then release another batch of subway rider report cards to see if there was any improvement noticed by riders. 

Catch a Ride in a Time Machine

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Every weekend this month, the MTA Transit Museum is going to roll out some of the old “antique” trains for people to ride along the V line.

First of all, I think this is very cool.

Second, I think it would be hysterical to see the look on people’s faces when these trains pull up, and they have no idea what’s going on.  You have to figure that most people would know in advance that a pre 1970 train car is about to approach.

They even decorate them!  See the photo here on AMNY.  Boy, would people be pissed if one of these old clunkers broke down and caused delays.

Morning 6 Train Jumper at 77th Street

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6_shad.jpgThanks 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

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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.

On-Time Performance By Line
(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.

Subway: Weekday 24-Hour Terminal On-Time Performance
(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 »

“Relief” Over Lack of Subway Fare Hike?

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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

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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.