InsideTransit

The transit management in NYC, known as the MTA, has posted a press release noting that they will be terminating more than 1,000 positions. The MTA says this is more than 15% of the administrative payroll. Over 500 transit station agent positions will also begin to be cut – at my station. I’ve often wondered what the station agent does but sit there or stand outside and talk on their cell phone all day. Why not give them a broom and some bleach and let them clean the stations.

“The State’s economic crisis demands that the MTA move quickly and decisively to cut costs, and that is exactly what we are doing,” said Jay H. Walder, MTA Chairman and CEO. “These layoffs are extremely painful, but we must live within our means and make the tough decisions that businesses and families across New York are making.” Walder continues, “We will be reducing overtime, consolidating redundant functions and working with suppliers to lower costs. We will not stop until I can say that every dollar the MTA receives is spent wisely.”

I’m just wondering how long before we hear that the prices will be increasing – I say somewhere around mid-April.

Amtrak has announced cancellations for Sunday February 7th due to the massive snow that fell between Washington and New Jersey. I can only imagine what a zoo Penn Station must be with all of the canceled trains! Here’s a partial list of the canceled trains – view all of the changes on the Amtrak website.

• Carolinian trains 79 and 80 will operate only between Raleigh and Charlotte with no alternate transportation between New York and Raleigh. 
• Palmetto trains 89 and 90 are canceled in their entirety between New York and Savannah.

Read the rest of this entry »

Over my many years riding the NYC subway, I like to think I’ve seen it all. From having a gun pointed at me, to watching a man take a pee off the edge of the platform, to a woman changing her clothes between two cars as we crossed the Manhattan Bridge, nearly nothing could shock me.

But today I have a video that I never thought I would see. Below is a video of a man playing with his chicken on a Bronx-bound 6 subway train. The video shows a man on the floor playing with his chicken (yes a clucking chicken) while others look on. You see, most people probably weren’t pissed that a chicken was on the subway, but that they were missing some seats!

So leave a comment, what’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen on the subway or bus? Make sure to note your city as well.

The NYC MTA has posted a pdf of the latest version of their proposed service cuts. The major changes are:

• W eliminated – replaced partially with Q and partially with N – I think this is a good change although I would route the N through the tunnel
• M eliminated – replaced with V – this is a railfans dream I think – I think this is a good change as well as it will provide M and J/Z riders with access to midtown
• elimination of the Staten Island Rail special train to the ballpark
• too many bus changes to note – see the PDF below 

Here’s the guiding principles the MTA used to determine the proposed cuts:

• Affect the fewest number of riders;
• Minimize the negative effects to riders (e.g., longer waiting time);
• Maintain network coverage (even if it requires lower frequency or altered routings);
• Operate service within existing service and capacity guidelines (except where otherwise noted); and
• Improve the cost-efficiency of the service provided.

You can download the service cuts pdf here.

For 9 years the Improv Everywhere group has completed a train ride they call “No Pants!” Basically what they do is have a bunch of people ride the subway with no pants on. It’s a hoot! And no pervs, the people aren’t naked down there – they just ride in their underwear. You can read the history of the No Pants! movement here. Last year about 20 cities participated including Atlanta, Amsterdam, Sydney and Seoul.

It’s not just a few people running the mission but a load of people. The 2010 edition will take place on January 10th. More details on the Facebook signup page. So far they show about 5,000 registered attendees but I doubt that many will actually show up. The requirements for participation are:

1) Willing to take pants off on subway
2) Able to keep a straight face about it

Here’s a video from last year’s No Pants! event.
Read the rest of this entry »

Everyone moans and complains about how late the subways are here in NYC. But are the subway lines really that late? Subchat has posted the latest stats for on-time performance in the New York City subway system by line.

Here’s the breakdown:

1 Line: 91.7%
2 Line: 81.9%
3 Line: 85.2%
4 Line: 82.5%
5 Line: 89.2%
6 Line: 92.0%
7 Line: 96.3%

A Line: 84.5%
B Line: 91.8%
C Line: 94.6%
D Line: 89.2%
E Line: 87.0%
F Line: 76.2%
G Line: 95.6%
J/Z Line: 98.6%
L Line: 97.0%
M Line: 99.1%
N Line 91.0%
Q Line: 95.8%
R Line: 92.4%
V Line: 91.7%
W Line: 96.6%

Grand Central Shuttle: 99.6%
Franklin Shuttle: 99.8%
Rockaway Shuttle: 98.6%

It looks like the longer the line, the more often the train is late. Also, lines that share the track with other lines also seem to have poor on-time performance. Sorry to those F train riders! For reference, a train is considered late if it arrives or departs more than 5 minutes 59 seconds past the scheduled time.

This might be the cutest thing you will see today – scratch that – this year! NewYorkSh*tty has a set of photos of a hamster on the number 4 subway. There are several very interesting points about these photos:

• the train is empty – I’ve never seen an empty 4 train
• the destination sign is blank – I guess this train just goes on forever!
• the hamster appears to be posing for some of the pics – he probably thinks the photos will be placed on Facebook

NewYorkSh*tty has an interview with the person behind the photoshoot and notes that the models come from usage in courts when cases involve trains or buses. The models look pretty damn awesome – I want!

Last week the NY Waterway announced the addition of a bus locator service to their bus fleet in NYC. The NY Waterway provides a ferry service around NYC and they have a bus fleet with over 40 buses. The company notes that their 40 buses makes them larger than many transit systems across the U.S.

The bus locator service is available via the addition of GPS transmission devices placed on their buses. Currently you need to call NY Waterway to find out when the next bus will arrive although the company says that mobile apps are coming soon. Not sure why you would launch without a way to get the information automatically via your computer or mobile device.

Earlier this year the NYC MTA launched a test of a bus locator service on several crosstown bus routes. Many other cities already have displays with a list of times until the next bus arrives. While I am not a fan of this functionality underground (there is never a long wait), I am a big fan of this technology for the bus fleet. The countdown timers can give you a quick indication if you should walk or take a cab.

Found via SubChat, can you name all of the subway stations in Manhattan? Sporcle has put together a quiz which provides you with 15 minutes to name all of the 127 stations. I was able to get all of the right answers in 9:58. Leave your scores and times in the comments.

Good luck! May the Chambers St. be with you! Now if they put together a Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens or Staten Island quiz – those would be MUCH harder!

The new NYC MTA Chairman, Jay H. Walder, is considering looking at off-peak pricing for public transportation in NYC.  The off-peak pricing is already in place in London where Walder formerly ran the system.

I can’t decide if I am a fan of off-peak pricing. While some I spoke with today believe it will increase usage which will make up for the lower price overall, I am not sure that more people will use the system. If you need to use transit, you do. If you don’t, you won’t. A 25 or 50 cent discount is not going ot make people run out and take transit when they have no reason to be going somewhere.

If they increased service on buses and trains on the weekend, then we would have something to talk about.

More on 1010Wins.