[DigitalMilford]

Originally Posted by BobNJ1960

The boarding area is unchanged, Jay. The Train Hall is a waste of money w/o any way to modify the track level. That's the big problem Penn vs GCT. GCT's experience getting near the actual tracks is quite good. Penn's is dungeon-like. Often Penn feels like a homeless shelter where a few passengers are mixed in.

I'm not sure I totally understand this criticism. From Moynihan Train Hall you wait in the beautiful new building until your train is called, go down an escalator, and board the waiting train. You don't spend any time on the platform-- Just like Grand Central. The waiting facility is awesome, clean, and spacious. The new food hall will be an exciting edition.

You're criticizing the platforms where train passengers spend no time, and the station/waiting areas where they spend all their waiting time is inconsequential? Am I missing your point?

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by DigitalMilford

I'm not sure I totally understand this criticism. From Moynihan Train Hall you wait in the beautiful new building until your train is called, go down an escalator, and board the waiting train. You don't spend any time on the platform-- Just like Grand Central. The waiting facility is awesome, clean, and spacious. The new food hall will be an exciting edition.

You're criticizing the platforms where train passengers spend no time, and the station/waiting areas where they spend all their waiting time is inconsequential? Am I missing your point?

There is considerable distance between station and trains. Unlike GCT, the platforms are NOT on the same level, near the stores, restaurants, etc. That's a major difference which makes GCT the far better option. In GCT, I can grab a slice of pizza, get some magazines, and board my train on the main level, 30-60 seconds later. With the new station, and the less convenient track layout which remains, I need to be leaving Moynihan many minutes ahead of the trains departure.

Walk around the NJ rail tracks, the LIRR tracks, to get a better idea vs GCT's awesome dozens of tracks centered around the grand hall.

There is nothing anyone can do about that fundamental design flaw inherent in the Penn Station track layout. A new food court does nothing to improve that.

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by BPt111

Grand Central is in better location and better commuters CT, Westchester, Lower Hudson Valley better than Jersey and Long Island. The train entering GCT feel more world class than Penn Station.

Correct. LIRR & NJ feel more like light rail, and the first impression of GCT Grand Hall in the middle of the inbound tracks is terrific. The first impression at Penn are the homeless, for the most part.

[BobNJ1960]

Prudent moves in response to vastly decreased usage of some transportation routes.


https://www.courant.com/community/ha...jyq-story.html

[Stepfordct]

Originally Posted by BobNJ1960

Prudent moves in response to vastly decreased usage of some transportation routes.


https://www.courant.com/community/ha...jyq-story.html

Well this falls under the better late than never report!?
Here we're about to go maskless, Wfh could be a bygone era soon we reminisce about, UI forever may soon stop, traffic will increase back to some normalcy good and bad at the same time......and wait for it
The state thinks Now might be a good time to act on a year plus issue!?

The brightest minds of Htfd!

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by Stepfordct

Well this falls under the better late than never report!?
Here we're about to go maskless, Wfh could be a bygone era soon we reminisce about, UI forever may soon stop, traffic will increase back to some normalcy good and bad at the same time......and wait for it
The state thinks Now might be a good time to act on a year plus issue!?

The brightest minds of Htfd!

UI stopping will not return us to pre covid times. There is no reset; much of what was closed is permanently gone.

Going from 200 to 17 riders is hardly simply covid.

[Stepfordct]

Originally Posted by BobNJ1960

UI stopping will not return us to pre covid times. There is no reset; much of what was closed is permanently gone.

Going from 200 to 17 riders is hardly simply covid.

The point is what took them so long to act

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by BobNJ1960

UI stopping will not return us to pre covid times. There is no reset; much of what was closed is permanently gone.

Going from 200 to 17 riders is hardly simply covid.

You don’t really know that. While Work from Home took off during the pandemic and seems to be a part of most employers future, I will remind you that several major technology companies were in the process of rescinding or limiting WFH employment. They had found that WFH impeded team building and work.

If that happens now or in the near future, you likely will see ridership return to close to prepandemic levels. No one knows with any certainty if that will happen. It’s better to plan for the worst and hope for the best. JMHO. Jay

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by JayCT

You don’t really know that. While Work from Home took off during the pandemic and seems to be a part of most employers future, I will remind you that several major technology companies were in the process of rescinding or limiting WFH employment. They had found that WFH impeded team building and work.

Jay, A large percentage of NYC leased space has seen leases terminated in the last year. We are seeing some return to work, mainly in hybrid ways, but many perm remote.

MTA Metro North ridership is still 72-73% below pre covid weekdays, as of this week. A slight bit higher than the 78-80% drop it was 3 months ago.

I know of leased space (significant headcounts) in Milford given up..permanently..changed to remote work. There is an ex Stamford corp, now in a different FFC suburb, which I personally know of, who leased enough space for 20% of its staff. The rest are perm remote.

I know some corps had issues with remote, many did not. All who give up leases save a huge amount of money. J P Morgan Chase bragged in its quarterly report about those savings, as a permanent change in cost structure.

https://new.mta.info/coronavirus/ridership

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by BobNJ1960

Jay, A large percentage of NYC leased space has seen leases terminated in the last year. We are seeing some return to work, mainly in hybrid ways, but many perm remote.

MTA Metro North ridership is still 72-73% below pre covid weekdays, as of this week. A slight bit higher than the 78-80% drop it was 3 months ago.

I know of leased space (significant headcounts) in Milford given up..permanently..changed to remote work. There is an ex Stamford corp, now in a different FFC suburb, which I personally know of, who leased enough space for 20% of its staff. The rest are perm remote.

I know some corps had issues with remote, many did not. All who give up leases save a huge amount of money. J P Morgan Chase bragged in its quarterly report about those savings, as a permanent change in cost structure.

https://new.mta.info/coronavirus/ridership

You have to understand that transportation is not planned for 5 or 10 years out like corporations do for office space and you can’t just go out and buy or lease additional transportation capacity like you can for office space. Transportation is planned for a minimum of 20 years out and for important key projects even longer. A LOT can change in that time including all those companies returning to in person employment. You just don’t know. That’s why, to err on the side of caution, the state has to assume the worst and things will get busier on Metro North as time goes by. Given that we are just now beginning to return to pre-Covid travel habits and that we are entering our summer vacation season, I don’t think you will see significant ridership increases until the fall. Even then it might not be realistic.

Another thing to note is that while the weekday ridership numbers are down by 70% or more, notice that the weekend numbers are down only 31% to 52%. That kind of shows the direction ridership is heading. I’ll bet once Broadway shows reopen, you will see near normal weekend numbers. There’s no reason to confidently conclude weekday numbers won’t follow. Jay