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what year did the old RR stop going to Ditmars in Astoria and was relpaced by the N going there?
The N and R lines switched routes in 1987. That was done purely because of logistics. When the R ran between Ditmars Boulevard and 95 Street/4 Avenue, there weren't any easily accessible storage facilities for the trains. Now that they run to Continental Avenue, R trains can be stored in the Jamaica Yard.
The elimination of the old double letter signs (which indicated locals) took place in 1979--the same year line colors were reassigned, keying the system to midtown Manhattan (that is, all trains running on Lexington Avenue are now indicated by green, Broadway is yellow, and so on. You may remember that the 4 line was magenta, the 5 was black, and the 6 was yellow).
*For the mothers out there with children below the age of 5, please fold your stroller and carry the child upon entering the subway station (especially during rush hours when trains are overcrowded).
*For the teenagers, don't hang out at the station for over 30 minutes to wait for friends that get out the next period.
*If you are going to be near the door, please start at the stop before your destination. Once you reach your stop, please leave your train immediately (meaning don't delay other passengers behind you).
"Please do not ask silly questions of transit workers, such as, "Does this train stop at 34th Street?" That's what the map is for."
Fred: I appreciate your insider advice, but this is unfair. That's a perfectly fair question for someone who doesn't know the system to ask. While I'm getting pretty good at reading the map, when I first came to town I found the map very hard to follow. It's a complex system, and gets more complex with the daily breakages and service changes that get posted on signs drafted in a language that only the IRS could appreciate. The transit employees are supposed to be helpful. That's their job. Transit employees work for the riders, not the other way around.
For those who ride the subway late night or maybe one day need to ride one, here's my 2 cents!
1. KNOW YOUR LINE - My line is the 7 line. I know even at 2AM that train still have people and its possible there are not seats. This means you'll be safe on the train wherever you are. Lexington line probably has more drunks late night but I think that line is the most safe as it can be especially in Manhattan following tip #2.
2. KNOW YOUR TRAIN CAR - Some cars, in my opinion, are far more dangerous than others late night. When traveling late @ night, PLEASE ride in the conductors' or the train operators' car. If something were to happen the employees can immediately call for help. If your line is operated by 1 person (OPTO) just sit in the first car.
3. KNOW YOUR SCHEDULE - Some trains run every 20 minutes or worse so do your homework if you can. Standing 15 minutes on the platform means danger if you're all alone. At night I would stand near the station agent office if there is one active. Otherwise I would stand near groups of people even though they might not help you if something happens. Hey, this is New York!
The N and R lines switched routes in 1987. That was done purely because of logistics. When the R ran between Ditmars Boulevard and 95 Street/4 Avenue, there weren't any easily accessible storage facilities for the trains. Now that they run to Continental Avenue, R trains can be stored in the Jamaica Yard.
The elimination of the old double letter signs (which indicated locals) took place in 1979--the same year line colors were reassigned, keying the system to midtown Manhattan (that is, all trains running on Lexington Avenue are now indicated by green, Broadway is yellow, and so on. You may remember that the 4 line was magenta, the 5 was black, and the 6 was yellow).
**Funny 1979 was the first year and job I had that I travelled by the RR to LIC to work. That summer I think it was still the RR. I think I recall the old RR being green, the trains were not the new R 46's like the N's were
Do you know when the 49th street/7 Ave station on the N line was given that orange/redtile job? I first noticed it in '79 but I wonder how long before that it was tiled. I considered that to be the nicest station in the system until the lex/63rd street station came along
I agree that it's ok to sometimes ask the train operator where the train is stopping, especially since tourists do a lot of their traveling on weekends when service changes make the map useless. (And the signs don't help much either) My favorite from the past few weekends has been the 5 running on the 2 line and the 2 running on the 5 line. And I don't mean the simple 5 labeled trains running on the 2, I mean the actual 5 trains running on the 5 line in the Bronx or Brooklyn and running up or down the west side.
The transit employees are supposed to be helpful. That's their job. Transit employees work for the riders, not the other way around.
You never heard me say otherwise! And you'll have to excuse me for taking issue with your comment about the subway map, but it boils down to being able to trace a colored line on a piece of paper. It is NOT difficult.
As to the language on posted notices, I agree with you wholeheartedly. This comes about because the people who draft these notices sit in offices, and often do not a) know how to communicate to other human beings, and b) have a very dim idea about service, if any. Requesting that notices be posted in English and not Garble is not unreasonable--providing that someone up high enough in the MTA pantheon can be informed of the problem.
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Good info...
