No Ravitch Plan...No Vote!

[Dark of the Moon]

Originally Posted by Fred314X

Can you tell how fascinating I find the history and development of our transit system?

Me, too! One of my favorite sites is NYC Subway, which provides details on the history of stations, cars, routes, etc., etc., etc. It's a fascinating site .....

[cmw2133]

Originally Posted by squeezeboxgal

Me, too! One of my favorite sites is NYC Subway, which provides details on the history of stations, cars, routes, etc., etc., etc. It's a fascinating site .....

Forgotten NY is really good too.

The way I see it, I'm not certain the main problems affecting MTA can't be solved (not immediately) with money. The main problem I've always had with subway service is inconsistency. My line (the F) is pretty good, but other lines are fairly unreliable: trains don't adhere to a regular schedule and there's too many service disruptions. I've long ago given up on expecting clean subway cars and a seat at most times of day. The best MTA can do on those fronts is hold the line (so to speak). But given the state's budget crisis, we should resign ourselves to worse service at a higher cost.

[Fred314X]

Originally Posted by cmw2133

The main problem I've always had with subway service is inconsistency. My line (the F) is pretty good, but other lines are fairly unreliable: trains don't adhere to a regular schedule and there's too many service disruptions.

I can honestly say I don't know what you mean by some lines not adhering to a schedule. Every line runs on a timetable. There are things that happen (i.e., track workers, people throwing things on the tracks, people holding the doors or getting sick on the trains) that disrupt service, but this happens on all lines. As far as the F line goes, take it from a tower operator: that's just about the worst line in the system when it comes to on-time performance. The F runs more trains than most lines, which is probably why you don't notice this.

As to service disruptions: if they are accounted for by construction or maintenace work, we live with it. If they are unaccounted for by something not under MTA's control (see preceding paragraph), then there isn't much that can be done. And, as always, cleanliness is largely up to the passengers. Treat your system like garbage, and garbage is what you get. Say what you will about car cleaners, but MTA cannot employ enough of them to keep up with 4.9 million riders a day, a healthy percentage of whom are, to put it bluntly, pigs.

By the way, do not make the mistake of assuming that because I'm an employee, I automatically jump to MTA's defense. This would be, how shall I put it, incorrect.