Subway ridership IS up! Ha…we knew it.

tokenbooth.jpgGotta love it when our random blurbs about how extra crowded the trains seem to be are validated by the legit press.  The NY Sun reports that many neighborhoods are seeing huge surges in subway ridership! 

In other words, our random (complete lack of coffee) babble about the crowds this morning wasn’t as crazy and incoherent as we first thought. Turns out, SUBWAYblogger was only semi B.S.-ing our way though this morning’s post.  Sweet.

Anyway, many “little” stations that used to only see a few hundred riders a day are now seeing thousands of people wander through their turnstiles. 

At that station, ridership has soared to 1,771 people a weekday entering the turnstiles to access trains on the J, M, and Z lines, compared to just 308 passengers who passed through the station during a weekday in 1995.

The Sun says that much of the increase has to do with parking lots disappearing on the outer rims of the city.  So, more and more riders are turning to the trains.

Are you messing with me?

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Do you ever wonder if train operators or motormen are messing with the passengers? On purpose?

For example, how many time have you arrived at an express stop on a local train when you can see an express train waiting across the platform. However, the express train manages to close its doors just before the connecting local train you are on stops. How annoying is that?!

You get all excited because it is going to be a nice seamless connection, but nooooo. The train you were connecting to gets away.

I think it’s the train operators messing with us. Maybe the guy driving your train says, “Hey watch this. I’m gonna slow down just enough to miss this connection.”

Or the guy running the express train says, “Quick! Let’s get out of here before they stop.”

Live from the subway, back to you in studio…

The Subway Reach Around

hands.jpgAt what point does it become inappropriate for someone to reach around you to grab hold of a rail? That is this evening’s question to ponder.

What the hell am I talking about? Allow me to explain.

We’ve all been on crowded subway trains. As you know, sometimes you have to get creative in order to find a place to hold onto when the train is standing room only. Unfortunately, some peeps take it a little too far.

For example, men always have to be careful with their reach. Why? Because women have boobs, that’s why. It is tricky for a guy to reach around a woman to grab hold of the rail without accidentally looking like a pervert. The last a guy wants is to go for the rail only to get a handful of boob instead. It only get ugly from there.

Then there’s guys that will reach right in your face. All of a sudden, there’s a guy’s hand or arm just inches from your face. Uhhh awkward.

Live from the subway, back to you in studio…

No Stopping in Times Square

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If you are crazy enough to need to get off the subway in Times Square tonight, make sure you get there before 7pm.  After that time, there will be no Times Square stops.  All trains will be diverted away from there for security reasons.  Service will be restored around 12:15am for everyone flooding out of “New Years Central.”

Those planning to brave the insanity should get off at Penn Station and walk north.  Even before the Times Square station closes, it is till way to crazy to get off there.  Also, make sure you are on the side you need to be on since there is NO crossing Broadway or 7th Ave.

The Secret Battle: Online Route Planners

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So maybe “Secret Battle” is a bit dramatic, but it is still somewhat telling. There is growing competition among online travel planners, especially those in New York City.

For years, New Yorkers had to figure out for themselves how to get from point A to point B. Now, there are a handful of online sources to help you out. They are sort of like MapQuest for public transportation…only you don’t end up in the middle of nowhere looking for a highway that doesn’t exist.

The most popular sites:

So which is the best?

HopStop [link] has been out for a little while now, and is probably the most popular of the sites at this point. The site has even managed to establish a partnership with AM New York. AMNY is one of the most popular free newspapers, available in just about every subway station in Manhattan. Hop Stop has set up operations in New York, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington DC. The offer subway and bus directions, but also have expanded into city guides, ratings, trips, and more. When getting directions, you can adjust your search to optimize for more walking, less walking, subways only, etc. depending on your personal preferences. The site is also very PDA friendly.

Public Routes [link] is similar to Hop Stop. They operate out of Connecticut, Dallas TX, New Jersey, New York, and Philadelphia. The directions tool also allows you to narrow your search by transportation method. One cool goodie is there soon to debut Traffic Alert system. Then, you will be able to see what areas to avoid on your trip, so that should be a time saver. The other features are kinda weak compared to Hop Stop, but the mapping/directions are just about as good.

onNYTurf [link] isn’t really a directions site. As a matter of fact, it is an open source blog about all things NYC. More of an online community for bloggers and information. However, they do have a cool Google API that overlays the subway and PATH system on top of Google Maps. It is really sharp, clear, and detailed. You can click on any on of the stops for more information too. It is definately the clearest straight up subway map on the web. It’s even better than the MTA map! It is cool too because it is a noncommercial project, so you gotta love that.

MTA Trip Planner [link] is brand new. It was just released by the MTA. Not bad for a city job. Unfortunately, it does not incorporate the maps. Just gives directions via public transportation. But, it does seem to work pretty well. One cool feature is that you can plan your route based on handicap accessible stations. So if you need that kind of thing, this will help you plan your route. Also, it incorporates the MTA Service Advisories right into the directions.

Read More »

See the light at the end of the tunnel

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4.5 Days to go. Just keep telling yourself that. 🙂

SUBWAYblogger didn’t take its own advice this weekend. Somehow, I ended up in midtown, crossing 5th Ave too close to the tree at Rockefeller. As predicted, it was pretty crazy.

I figured, what the heck, it’s after 8pm on a Saturday. Most of the shopping crowd is probably gone. Uhhhh nope.

I thought for sure that I could get off well above the heart of Times Square and easily walk across town. Strike two.

The police were in the process of shutting down blocks around Rockefeller. The crowds were litterally spilling out into the streets blocks away. Eventually, there was no way traffic was going to get by, so they began throwing up the barricades.

The subway was no joke around there. At one of the Midtown Lexington Ave stops, the MetroCard machines all stopped working! They all had an Out of Service message on the screens. The line for the booth went all the way up the stairs. Why? Because the tourists don’t know that they could easily walk down to the next stop.

It was an interesting sea of humanity.

Live from the subway, back to you in studio…

Gridlock Alert Days

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Today is a Gridlock Alert Day. 😦 What does that have to do with the subway? Everything.

For example, all over radio and television, reporters are saying, “You’re better off taking mass transit today.” In other words, run for the subways. Unfortunately, in the case of a Gridlock Alert Day, busses don’t count as mass transit. Technically they are mass transit, but you are not going to get anywhere quick on a bus today. You are going to be stuck in traffic just like people in cars.

That leaves the subways and trains. Add in the fact that today’s winds have caused hours of delays at the airports and you’ve got a sh*t storm cocktail.

If you can leave your office 20 minutes early, today is the day to do it.

Here are this year’s Gridlock Alert Days:

Friday, December 8th, 2006
Thursday, December 14th, 2006
Friday, December 15th, 2006
Wednesday, December 20th, 2006
Thursday, December 21st, 2006
Friday, December 22nd, 2006

Forgot my mittens

mitten.jpgDamn. I should have learned from last night. It is a crisp slap in the face when you hit that cold air!

Speaking of mittens, one nice thing about the winter is an excuse to wear gloves on the train. I hate touching the grab rails and seats on the subway, but in the winter you can just wear gloves! No need to touch that gross stuff with your bare hands.

Note to self…mittens mittens mittens.

Live from the subway, back to you in studio…

Holiday crisp and shopping

bryantparkshops.jpgHoly cow it got cold tonight. I walked out of the office on my way to the subway and couldn’t feel my ears!

Anyway…

I’m glad my subway stops aren’t near any of the holiday fairs set up around the city. Too much shopping temptation. It is even harded because many of the have food and treats for sale.

If I had to walk by them everyday, I would probably weigh 300lbs and own more Christmas decor than I could ever need.

Also, I would probably end up going bonkers on someone. It gets so crowded at those things. Plus, they are a tourist trap. All more than I want to handle after a full day at the office.

Live from the subway, back to you in studio…

The Bryant Park tree lights up or maybe not

bryantpark.jpgRumor has it that they are experiencing generator problems at Bryant park for the tree lighting. Some of the production, lighting, and sound gear may not have enough juice! It may even impact the tree lights too.

Anyway, that’s our segue into a transit alert for that part of town. If you ride the 5th Ave lines or the 7 train, you might experience some extra crowding after the tree lights up (or doesn’t).

Your best option is to identify an escape route to get you to the subway as quick as possible when the festivities are over. Thousands of people are going to rush for the cabs, busses, and subways so be ready.

Otherwise, plan on being at the park for the long haul. Just wait it out. Go get dinner or a coffee because the crowds are not worth the battle.

Live from the subway, back to you in studio…