NTT Announcement Observations (Apr. 2015)

[Lance]

As has been reported by several members here on the forum, there have been changes made to the automated announcement system. In a massive shift, the AAS has been dramatically altered for the first time in nearly 15 years. While this has been previously reported to be on the 2 line, I can assure you it's not isolated to the deuce alone. My Manhattan-bound 5 train also had the update. Since my trainset (6555-51+6521-25) was from the 2-line, I have to assume that the 239th Street sets are being updated first while the other yards will follow soon after.

 

Gone are the days of the following:

This is a(n) [X]-bound [Y] train. The next stop is [Z].

In are the days of:

[Y] train to [X]. Next stop: [Z].

X=borough, final destination

Y=route

Z=stop

 

For instance, what was previously "This is a Bronx-bound 5 express train. The next stop is Wall St." is now "5 express to the Bronx. Next stop: Wall St." with the "next stop" portion recorded by Cowdery. Now that's not the only thing. Several stations have new recordings for both stations and transfers. Speaking of transfers, it's no longer "Transfer/connection is available to the..." It's now "Transfer/Connect to the..." Getting back to the new recordings, they sound like they were done by both Jessica Ettinger and Catherine Cowdery.

 

Onto my observations from the train I was on. I got on at Nevins St and got off at Baychester Av.

- From Nevins St to Borough Hall, the announcements were not synced to the correct location, so I cannot tell you what the new Manhattan-bound announcement sounds like. My conductor re-synced the program right before she closed the doors at Borough Hall.

- Most of the station recordings have been retained but others have been rerecorded by Cowdery.

  - Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall - now "Brooklyn Bridge"

  - 14 St-Union Sq - now "Union Sq"

  - Grand Central-42 St - now "Grand Central"

  - 138 St-Grand Concourse - rerecorded

  - 149 St-Grand Concourse - now "149 St"

  - Eastchster-Dyre Av - now "Dyre Av"

- All transfers with the exception of the one at 86 St have been changed or altered slightly. The "transfer/connect to the" part is done by Cowdery with the rest of the transfer recording is done by Ettinger or Cowdery as noted:

  - Bowling Green: connect to the Staten Island Ferry (Cowdery)

  - Fulton St: 2, 3, A, C, J and Z trains (Ettinger)

  - Brooklyn Bridge: 6, J and Z (Pellett)

  - 14 St: 6, L, N, Q and R (Ettinger)

  - Grand Central: original ('04) 6, 7, shuttle to Grand Central; Metro-North

  - 59 St [unknown because conductor cut off announcement]

  - 86 St: unaltered announcement

  - 125 St: same announcement with "transfer/connect" edited in as needed

  - 149 St-GC, 3 Av, E 180 St: see previous

  - Pelham Pkwy: Bx12 Select Bus Service (Cowdery)

 

I mentioned the announcements at 59 St were interrupted by the conductor. She had to cut those off at a few stops. Apparently, someone decided a new Charlie announcement about not blocking the doors needed to be played at every major station. Problem is, the announcement is way too long. What can be summed up as "don't block the doors when they open and let people off the train" has turned into a 30 second recording that ends well after the doors open. Between this new announcement and the "watch the gap" one that plays at more stations than it needs to, along with the necessary transfers, I clocked the total recording at Brooklyn Bridge (the first stop the "door blocker" played on my trip) at over a minute. Every other time it started playing, she cut it off so the next stop announcements would play. If they are going to have the announcements run long, they have to change the distances.

 

All in all, this is not a change I thought they'd do. Quite frankly, the announcement system needs to be changed. The hodgepodge arrangement of different people doing announcements on the same line has to end. It sounds unprofessional. Unfortunately, the current setup isn't much better. It's like someone took the 7-line approach with Annie and Catherine finishing each other's sentences and decided a it needed to be system-wide. I hope this is just a start and the rest of the stations and transfers are rerecorded so they have one voice.

[RollOver]

The needs to focus on much more important things such as rehabbing stations like Bowery or Chambers Street on the , building more tail tracks beyond an underground terminal like Utica Avenue on the and Flatbush Avenue on the etc.

 

These are all the aforementioned things that the should indeed save money for the future, not paying for little things like upgrading the automated announcements on the R142, R142A, R143 and R160 unnecessarily. Wow, just wow.

[GojiMet86]

I noticed the crowding doors one today. It went along the lines of: "If you're on this train and you are not getting off at the next stop, step away from the doors so that people can exit. We appreciate it".

[FamousNYLover]

Lance, did new announcement said M60 SBS to LGA Airport?

 

I heard that announcement too.

34th St-Penn Station was Penn Station.

[Lance]

I noticed the crowding doors one today. It went along the lines of: "If you're on this train and you are not getting off at the next stop, step away from the doors so that people can exit. We appreciate it".

Yep, that's the new "don't block the doors" announcement I was talking about. It's too damn long. If you're on the train, you don't need the "if you're on this train" part. It's redundant.

 

The needs to focus on much more important things such as rehabbing stations like Bowery or Chambers Street on the , building more tail tracks beyond an underground terminal like Utica Avenue on the and Flatbush Avenue on the etc.

 

These are all the aforementioned things that the should indeed save money for the future, not paying for little things like upgrading the automated announcements on the R142, R142A, R143 and R160 unnecessarily. Wow, just wow.

While you're not wrong about the things the MTA needs to do, one of these things costs a boatload of money while the other is already financed through the budget. Here's a hint. the people who update the announcement files are already on the payroll to make the sure the on-board electronics work properly.

Lance, did new announcement said M60 SBS to LGA Airport?

 

I heard that announcement too.

34th St-Penn Station was Penn Station.

Yes. "Transfer to the [4 and 6 trains]. Transfer to the [M60 Select Bus Service to LaGuardia Airport]. Connect to [Metro-North].

 

Text in brackets are the previous rendition of the announcements with the new "connect/transfer" part edited in.

[MysteriousBtrain]

Do you have any videos?

[BronxBombers]

I don't see what was the point of this... I haven't heard any of the new announcements but I will be on the look out.

[Dj Hammers]

Do you have any videos?

 

I don't see what was the point of this... I haven't heard any of the new announcements but I will be on the look out.

New announcements:

 

[MTA Bus]

The new announcement format is a test to try to lower dwell times in stations.

[Javier]

In my opinion, with the R142's motor sound high as hell, plus the sounds of the doors opening, you cant hear what train the PA is saying, all you can hear is "Next Stop".

[BronxBombers]

The new announcement format is a test to try to lower dwell times in stations.

 

Crowded trains, crowds of people trying to get onto the train, and people blocking the doors are still going to make the trains dwell longer so I don't know how a 3 second announcement will change that.

[ttcsubwayfan]

Crowded trains, crowds of people trying to get onto the train, and people blocking the doors are still going to make the trains dwell longer so I don't know how a 3 second announcement will change that.

 

Late nights.

[BronxBombers]

Late nights.

 

Dwell times at the station are about 10-15 seconds. It's really not that long. Plus during late nights with a 20 minute headway you would hope that you don't miss the train. The current announcements in my opinion gives people sometime to catch the train if they are running down the stairs or swiping their metrocards. There is really no need to change it.

[RollOver]

Crowded trains, crowds of people trying to get onto the train, and people blocking the doors are still going to make the trains dwell longer so I don't know how a 3 second announcement will change that.

 

Dwell times at the station are about 10-15 seconds. It's really not that long. Plus during late nights with a 20 minute headway you would hope that you don't miss the train. The current announcements in my opinion gives people sometime to catch the train if they are running down the stairs or swiping their metrocards. There is really no need to change it.

 

This.

 

It makes virtually no difference whatsoever. No matter what type of train it is and no matter how many doors the entire train length itself has, this new announcement format doesn't change a thing. I could say that, if trains aren't busy, yet the C/R his/herself shortens the announcements (or just cut the announcements and simply close the doors), it's not a good idea at all. Because sometimes, trains can indeed get held at a certain station by the dispatcher and you're left wondering whether the train itself is early, a train that's directly ahead or a gap in service behind the train you're on. The , as of late, is doing something that really isn't worth it. This new announcement format thing certainly won't ease delays and crowding that is a well know issue. Crowded trains will always occur. Delayed trains will always occur too. Trains being early or late will always occur too. This proves no help. The is better off looking at more important things in the long foreseeable future, such as making the a full 600 feet unit train, rebuilding Rogers Junction, more tail tracks beyond terminals that needs them, extending the to Burke Av to have a proper terminal with a crew room and without any relay beyond etc. If none of these things aren't looked at in the next decades to come, hardly anything would get solved.

 

Basically, the is just turning the NTT automated announcements into another SMEE manual announcements, yet crowding and delays will stay remain the same as they are (depending on how busy the subway gets of course, as well as some other issues which causes said delays and crowding).

[LTA1992]

You do not know that it won't make a difference as it hasn't been done before. It's worth a try. Time, however irrelevant it is, is still important to most.

[Art Vandelay]

The whole reason this is being done is that the current announcement length is an issue causing trouble with regards to schedules and throughput. If this was not a problem, no changes would need to be made! 

[Mr Railfan]

Do you have any videos?

 

 

I don't see what was the point of this... I haven't heard any of the new announcements but I will be on the look out.

Posted the full announcements from Flatbush to Dyre Ave : 

 

 

[paulrivera]

Just when you think they couldn't make the announcements arriving into 59th Street *any* longer....

[RollOver]

The whole reason this is being done is that the current announcement length is an issue causing trouble with regards to schedules and throughput. If this was not a problem, no changes would need to be made! 

 

This sounds extremely unbelievable. The C/R can just simply cut the announcements and close the doors in order to keep up with/to get back to schedule whenever trains are running late. I can't even see what's so harder than that...

 

Besides, don't NTTs relatively accelerate alot more quicker (given that they are the newest cars in the system)? No? Smfh. Not to mention that they could even just cut the "Stand clear of the closing doors" announcement and just let it simply say "This is a Manhattan-bound express train. The next stop is Franklin Av" for example. Then the C/R closes the doors and get on with the pace. Plain and simple. I don't really think the NTT automated announcements need the "Stand clear of the closing doors" announcement, unless if necessary. I think that's the only thing that makes the announcement length longer, but still...

 

Matter of fact, I actually think they don't really need the "Stand clear of the closing doors" announcement at all. But this whole new announcement format is completely unneeded. Just let it say for example "This is a Bronx-bound express train. The next stop is Wall St", then the C/R closes the doors and gets on with the pace. Simple as that. See that? To the point and much cheaper. And again and again, any new changes to all NTT automated announcements isn't what the should be spending a ton of money on, when they could simply just save all this money for the future and for more important things that are needed the most, not what they're doing right now. Another flaw that the is doing. 

[LTA1992]

These announcements are also for the blind, sir.

[Javier]

You can't even hear the dam thing while the doors are opening and the sound of the train motor. My mom went on the today, and she said she couldn't hear what train she was climbing on.

[ttcsubwayfan]

Like Lance said on the previous page, there are already people on the payroll for this.

 

I for one like the new announcement format.

[Art Vandelay]

C/Rs cannot cut the announcements short. Such is contrary to ADA regulations. (I am certainly not going to deny that they do cut them short, however the MTA could get in serious legal trouble should that be construed to be any sort of official policy.)

[LTA1992]

You can't even hear the dam thing while the doors are opening and the sound of the train motor. My mom went on the today, and she said she couldn't hear what train she was climbing on.

Exaggerations. The R142 and R142A announcements are too loud for anyone too miss.

 

The only car where automated announcement volumes are too low are the R143s.

[2 Train Master]

Exaggerations. The R142 and R142A announcements are too loud for anyone too miss.

 

The only car where automated announcement volumes are too low are the R143s.

Also the R-160A-1's on the Eastern Division. There are rarely any sets with low announcements for the R-142/A class. As stated most are loud. But based on that video the new announcements do seem low but it's the damn R-142 HVAC units they are so loud. Even the R-160B's are loud.