Brandon Posted October 18, 2009 Share #1 Posted October 18, 2009 What would be your priorities if you were given the position as the top chief executive of the MTA? What would be your vision that you would bring to the MTA? Also, what changes, improvements, and new innovative ideas would you implement? How would you appropriate spending within the system? I think it will be interesting to hear what people have to say about this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zman Posted October 18, 2009 Share #2 Posted October 18, 2009 I would officially change the title to "El Presidente" and make myself MTA King for Life. Then I would implement martial law and mandate that all MTA employees tithe 10% of their earnings...to the "Zman Church of All Hallelujah Gotta Buy That New Mercedes Benz Temple Synagogue House of Worship of the Zman." Then I would discontinue service on the Lexington Avenue IRT and fill in the tunnels with concrete simply because I can, and anyone who were to go against the wishes of El Presidente would be thrown in jail for 10 years and forced to watch Pauly Shore and Lindsay Lohan movies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfkdepot09 Posted October 18, 2009 Share #3 Posted October 18, 2009 :) nice!!!!!! U should also make them watch 12 rounds by john cena or make the watch movie that are made by rappers who can't act...or make them listen to that it called rev al sharpton talk all day.....lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfkdepot09 Posted October 18, 2009 Share #4 Posted October 18, 2009 But on real..I would like to make the trains bmt/ind line (I know this will never happen so don't leave aany comments about that....that's why it good to have dreams)and make a tunnel from staten island to bowling green ..that's it for now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustclee Posted October 18, 2009 Share #5 Posted October 18, 2009 Secure lots of money so I can actually do all the wonderful things that people are gonna suggest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdi919 Posted October 18, 2009 Share #6 Posted October 18, 2009 cut all service at midnight on the weekends. then watch the drunks try to navigate the city instead of them passing out on the train and riding all night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAA89 Posted October 18, 2009 Share #7 Posted October 18, 2009 @Zman: Abuse of power! Just kidding, I am sure you wouldn't (or would you?). My main areas for improvement: 1) Get the countdown boards on as many lines as possible: I do not see why there seems to be so much opposition to those on these forums sometimes. Sure they don't make the trains come any faster, but sometimes (like on the at Union Sq), I do make decisions about which train to take based on the time remaining displayed. 2) Make the stations cleaner and homeless-free. I have been physically harassed by homeless guys/bag ladies on station platforms several times, and frequently have to send my coat/bags to the laundry sooner than I intended because unwashed beggars rubbed against them. 3) Get people to not waste MetroCards by throwing away cards long before their expiry, often with money on them that allows above-mentioned undesirables to get in the system. I have no obvious idea about how that could be done: my proposal on an earlier thread is to add a 5c charge for new cards, but whether that would prove to be enough of a deterrent remains to be seen. Of course, moving to Smart Card technology is one (perhaps inevitable) way to go, and charging people a large sum for lost cards might be an unpopular but effective means to prevent those (presumably costlier to produce) cards from being discarded without thought. 4) Make more lines a skip-stop service between two trains. The Fulton St line could be made into a skip-stop corridor to avoid painting the and express and local respectively. This might just be the incentive needed to get Lefferts riders to accept the , and the could then avoid the current express stops to save time (though there will be issues with riders wanting a transfer to the , (J)/(Z) at Broadway Junction). At any rate, I would push through certain common sense changes that would reduce headways and journey times for all and make everyone happy (once they get past the "stigma of the local"). 5) Seriously consider streetcars or light-rail as an option in many areas under-served by the subway and to reduce congestion on the subway lines (especially for those needing shorter rides but not wanting to use the bus because it doesn't have a dedicated right of way and is prone to delays). 6) Charge advertisers more for leasing commercial space in the subway. I do not know how much the makes from ad revenue, but seeing some of those ads make me think not much, since how much money can a podiatry clinic or a English-learning center charging $12 an hour spend on advertising? Not too mention the one ad last year for a potion that is supposed to make you "be Kanye" (people actually buy that stuff?). Anyway, I think not many people will want to be seen as a Kanye West fan after his recent antics. 7) Push for more dedicated bus lanes in areas where subway expansion/light-rail is not an option. Buses need to be more reliable (on-time) in order for more people to want to ride them. 8) Hurry up and complete the Fulton Street Transit Center and World Trade Center transit hub and connect the two, within fare controls (I find the proposed Dey St passageway pointless, since if it is outside fare control I might as well exit the subway and walk to the other side of the transit hub. 9) Do a feasibility study for a subway extension to Staten Island (preferably extending the ) via some sort of immersed tunnel. 10) Improve transit in Staten Island: start intra-island Bus Rapid Transit (similar to the Bx12 SBS) and/or light rail and encourage people to stop using cars. This would at least cut down travel times in the island to and from major hubs like St George and Eltingville Transit Center. 11) Definitely extend the LIRR Atlantic Branch to Lower Manhattan to provide a direct link between JFK and Lower Manhattan, and also the option for Fulton St riders to take the LIRR at Nostrand Avenue. 12) Expand the City Ticket program to cover all non-rush hour trips on LIRR and Metro-North from within the city, and make Far Rockaway a City-Ticket eligible station. I could think of other ideas, I'll post again when they occur. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilbluefoxie Posted October 18, 2009 Share #8 Posted October 18, 2009 1) Get the second avenue subway built 2) Get the Bridges and Tunnels fixed up and ensure there is adaquate funding for them so we dont get a repeat of what happened in Minneapolis in 2007 3) Bring the same improvements the recieved (ATO, CBTC) to the and , have the run to broad st all times, to at least chambers all times, and remove the service as a trade off. 4) Work with the NYPD to increase security on lines that serve areas prone to crime. 5) Get the LIRR third track done along the main line, look to increase usage of the NY&A freight lines. 6) At LEAST Hourly service on all branches west of Ronkonkoma, Bi-Hourly on Greenport and Montauk. Launch Ad Campaign to show its a feasable alternative to driving. Increase parking in all major stations and offer more combination rail and bus services for all major business parks on long island. 7) No Subway to SIRT connection, maintain the ferry as the direct connection to manhattan. ReOpen North Shore line. 8) Extend to Rockaway Park rush hours, will serve Mott and Lefferts only. run all times copying early 80s pattern in the Rockaways. Runs mid-day, from 168th to Rockaway Park 9) Improve the , keeping the term at Church Ave but switching its yard to Coney Island, at Coney Island, it will run 8-car R160s. 10) Allow cars on the SI Ferry again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zman Posted October 19, 2009 Share #9 Posted October 19, 2009 cut all service at midnight on the weekends. then watch the drunks try to navigate the city instead of them passing out on the train and riding all night. Diabolical. I'm gonna need a second in command when I become MTA King-4-Life, you qualify. @Zman: Abuse of power! Just kidding, I am sure you wouldn't (or would you?) BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trainfan22 Posted October 19, 2009 Share #10 Posted October 19, 2009 I was the head of the MTA I would... Tear down the Astoria EL! Tear down the Brighton & Dyre lines, those damn leaves are a PITA, replace the Brightion with an tunnel from PP to BB. The dyre would be replaced with a bus route. Tear down the Frankin Ave shuttle, take the B48! Build Apartment buildings over every subway yard (Like pikin yard). Build a roof on the sea beach line, put stores and buildings on top of the roof. The culver vuduct would be torn down, replaced with a tunnel. LGA Depot would get new mangement and the garage would get rebuilt to have more maintence bays. A new, underground subway maintence barn would get built in the 179th layups to maintain the line fleet to take the load off of the barn in Jamaica yard. Walnut Depot in the BX would reopen. The would get extended to the west side via the High line and Amtrak's west side line. A special indoor yard would be built somewhere to house the museum cars, thats all I can think of right now lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metsfan Posted October 19, 2009 Share #11 Posted October 19, 2009 Release MNRR and LIRR from the & put under state or private control. Refurb/clean all the stations. Create a proper state police dept that would patrol the entire transit system. Keep all stations manned 24/7/365 with people trained in emergency response and CPR. More platform seating, more cleaning, bathrooms, keep vagrants out to any practical extent unless it's bitterly cold & shelters are near full. Prohibit alcoholic beverages, and enforce that and no smoking. TMV can do more of the tasks station agent does to decrease wait times, including map/destination instruction mode, increase the number of TVM, add system maps on both sides of fare control, cameras up-kept in every station. Replace RTS with all most any other type of bus. Solar panels on top of every building, including bus shelters, add bus shelters and flood resistant ventilation grates in more areas, upgrade the pumping and drainage system, clean the tunnels and the tracks, retrofit all communication, data, and signal cables to be redundant, a raise for all employees and a "cheer up it's all most xmas etc" bonus, high speed quality CWR in place of all jointed rail, rebuild all bridges and viaducts, rebuild all open cuts to like-new, build an elevated line down 9th ave in manhattan, and a rail link to/from LGA. Streetcars come back, but ride with traffic in proper lanes, free transfers between non-passageway connected uptown/downtown stations on the same line, put in double articulated buses on a 3rd/2nd ave circulation route split northern manhattan & southern manhattan routes at GCT, add a GCT-NYP line also with double articulated buses, reduce fares to 1.50 across the system, and prod the PA to finish the WTC hub. *breathes* If i think of more i'll add it in another post. - A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeystoneRegional Posted October 19, 2009 Share #12 Posted October 19, 2009 Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAA89 Posted October 19, 2009 Share #13 Posted October 19, 2009 Yes that's it. There has to be public restrooms at major stations. Too often I regret getting in the subway and facing an hour-long commute when I didn't use a restroom for hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeystoneRegional Posted October 19, 2009 Share #14 Posted October 19, 2009 Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MottAvenueMan Posted October 19, 2009 Share #15 Posted October 19, 2009 : No new friggin' salary OR fare raises until we finish that god forsaken money pit of a 2nd avenue line. : All unnecessary spending will STOP! That means we don't waste 25-30 pens a day to repeatedly sign our names on just ONE piece of paper. Nor do we need to buy 20 krupps coffee and espresso machines to sit on the table in board meetings. Every floor gets ONE! You break it, too F-in' bad! Snacks are for EVERYONE, not just an individual's main staple. And for that reason, i'm ordering vending machines. And by the way, all car service for executives are KAPUT! Drive your own lazy to work...or stand by your product and take mass transit. : Repaint blue stripes on ALL R44 cars. I don't like these cars much but I am so sick of seeing that dull gray strip when they pull into the station. : Allow state troopers to patrol trains and stations like they do on LIRR. After all, we ARE a state run agency and despite regional belief, state troopers have jurisdiction in the 5 boros too! : More maintenance on our bridges...especially the (A)'s south channel bridge which malfunctions damn near all the time they open it. : Speaking of bridges, take the god forsaken toll booth off of the cross bay bridge! Where are they getting off charging motorists to drive from one part of queens to another? : an addendum to #: Transit passes will be issued and are only to be used by TRANSIT EMPLOYEES. Wives, husbands, children, parents, side-pieces of , etc, will have to pay their own way. : Encourage recycling in our system. Place recycle bins in stations and platforms with a sign saying "A can a day keeps the fare hike away". A nickel per can or bottle with the high ridership...i smell money. That's all i got for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Y2Julio Posted October 19, 2009 Share #16 Posted October 19, 2009 : Allow state troopers to patrol trains and stations like they do on LIRR. After all, we ARE a state run agency and despite regional belief, state troopers have jurisdiction in the 5 boros too! Um no. The MTA is not a state agency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAA89 Posted October 19, 2009 Share #17 Posted October 19, 2009 : More maintenance on our bridges...especially the (A)'s south channel bridge which malfunctions damn near all the time they open it. : Speaking of bridges, take the god forsaken toll booth off of the cross bay bridge! Where are they getting off charging motorists to drive from one part of queens to another? You said it. The South Channel Bridge has made me late for school, job interviews, soccer games and tennis lessons, and meeting friends who I haven't seen in year(s) visiting New York (i.e. pretty much everything that is important to me). And while a toll on the Cross Bay and Marine Parkway Bridges is bit harsh, I support it as long Rockaway residents get the discounted $1.13 toll using E-Z Pass and the Resident Discount Plan. If you are not a Rockaway/Broad Channel resident, take the Q53/Q21/Q35/QM16/QM17 across the said bridges, meaning you don't have to pay the toll yourself. http://www.e-zpassny.com/en/about/plans.shtml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAA89 Posted October 19, 2009 Share #18 Posted October 19, 2009 Um no. The MTA is not a state agency. It isn't? I mean, even if it has a state charter to operate independently, it can still be seen as an organ of the state. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MottAvenueMan Posted October 19, 2009 Share #19 Posted October 19, 2009 Um no. The MTA is not a state agency. No? Damn, always thought so. Well...i'm still gonna bring them in anyway.(NYCT) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Y2Julio Posted October 19, 2009 Share #20 Posted October 19, 2009 It isn't? I mean, even if it has a state charter to operate independently, it can still be seen as an organ of the state. No? Damn, always thought so. Well...i'm still gonna bring them in anyway.(NYCT) Nope but Gov. Patterson wants to make it into one so that there can be more accountability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metsfan Posted October 19, 2009 Share #21 Posted October 19, 2009 Yes that's it. There has to be public restrooms at major stations. Too often I regret getting in the subway and facing an hour-long commute when I didn't use a restroom for hours. Wont' go into the details of one pretty rough time i had, holding an urgent, rush express delivery call from nature alllll the way from 86th st on the lex to newark penn to find a clean working open to public bathroom, but yea having a bathroom in each station that is monitored by attendants and kept clean, sanitary and free of homeless people camping out is a very important issue. - A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zman Posted October 20, 2009 Share #22 Posted October 20, 2009 You said it. The South Channel Bridge has made me late for school, job interviews, soccer games and tennis lessons, and meeting friends who I haven't seen in year(s) visiting New York (i.e. pretty much everything that is important to me) That's why as El Presidente, I would tear down the South Channel Bridge and replace the Rockaway with a bus. Therefore, no more complaining about trains or open bridges. See, I think of everything! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilbluefoxie Posted October 20, 2009 Share #23 Posted October 20, 2009 That's why as El Presidente, I would tear down the South Channel Bridge and replace the Rockaway with a bus. Therefore, no more complaining about trains or open bridges.See, I think of everything! What about that line in the Rockaways, does it revert back to LIRR? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubwayGuy Posted October 20, 2009 Share #24 Posted October 20, 2009 That's why as El Presidente, I would tear down the South Channel Bridge and replace the Rockaway with a bus. Therefore, no more complaining about trains or open bridges.See, I think of everything! Why not knock out a clear sea path and put in ferry service. No trains, no bridges, just open sea. You can even put a blue A in one of the windows for the frist few weeks so the buffs don't feel out of place! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAA89 Posted October 20, 2009 Share #25 Posted October 20, 2009 That's why as El Presidente, I would tear down the South Channel Bridge and replace the Rockaway with a bus. Therefore, no more complaining about trains or open bridges.See, I think of everything! Hopefully you would actually send a bus (free transfers and all) in our direction. On Friday, I was out late, and I recalled that the weekend service change ( termination at Howard Beach, starts at 11:30pm). So I get off at Broad Channel and wait for the shuttle (though I don't see one parked in the distance) at 11:00pm. After a few minutes some passenger comes in and says "no more shuttle, shuttle bus running". A couple of the other passengers and I go and confront the station agent. He sticks up a service change poster saying "October 23 to 26 (!:confused:!), 10:30PM Friday to 5:00AM Monday, Far Rockaway-bound trains terminate at Howard Beach." I point out that this is for next week. He promptly removes it and doesn't say anything. Tells everyone to leave and wait for the bus. I exit the station (the other passengers call for a taxi, but I am not carrying much cash and decide otherwise), and walk to Cross Bay Blvd. Sure enough, NO shuttle buses come, just waves of buses (to be used as the shuttle for the weekend) going by saying "Not in Service". After 25 minutes a Q53 with a mangled rollsign comes in and lets people on; some refuse to pay the fare, I swipe my Unlimited Card anyway. Get off at B95th St, realize its probably too late to get a Q22, and walk home, getting there at 11:50. How can the say the service change begins at 11:30 and start it at 10:30 instead (the conductor of the train that dropped me off at Broad Channel said "transfer here to the shuttle" so he obviously had no idea), and then fail to send a bus for an hour, forcing people to pay for taxis, late Q53 buses or even consider walking across the Cross Bay Bridge (I thought about it for a while)? This is the pinnacle of mismanagement. I say the officials need to be sent to the Rockaways during a weekend GO and have their personal transport taken away. I also suggest the Broad Channel station agent is sent back to grade school. Trying to pacify unhappy riders with a GO from the future! Sheesh!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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