On No. 7 trains, red diamond means express, a green circle for local

[Trainspotter]

On No. 7 trains, red diamond means express, a green circle for local

BY PETE DONOHUE

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

April 1st 2008

 

[float=right]

M. Roberts for News[/float]No. 7 train riders looking to race from the subway platform to home plate at Shea Stadium should look for the diamond.

 

NYC Transit has begun rolling out subway trains with new digital signs brightly declaring if they are running express or local: a red diamond for express, a green circle for local.

 

The first train fully loaded with the broadsides hit the rails during last night's rush. More subway cars will be rigged in the coming weeks and months.

 

"It looks sharp," No. 7 line General Manager Louis Brusati said of the markings. "It will immediately tell people what train it is."

 

[float=right]

M. Roberts for News[/float]NYC Transit President Howard Roberts said: "It is another step in making the ride on the No. 7 line as smooth and effortless as possible."

 

Transit officials hope to trim train delays by making it easier to identify express and local trains. Service announcements are made on trains and in stations, but riders often are puzzled.

 

Straphangers regularly board trains before hustling back to the platform after learning they're on the wrong one. It's also common for someone to hold a train's doors open while asking those inside if the train is a local or express.

 

"That would be helpful," said Michel Vasiliou, a 31-year-old computer technician. "The drawback on the announcements is that sometimes they're not loud enough and you can't hear what train it is."

 

Audrey Molinare, a 28-year-old Queens nanny, also approved. "It's definitely a good idea if it would help with consistency," Molinare said.

 

Meanwhile, both No. 7 and L line riders will be the first to see a new transit communications strategy tested: digital signs or message boards in token booths and on station mezzanines. The wireless system will be used to tell riders about delays, route changes or other important information, Brusati said.

 

The first station in the six-station pilot may go online in about six or seven weeks, Brusati said.

 

The No. 7 and L lines are the first to feature a new management structure designed to increase accountability and improve service. Each line has a general manager instructed to run their line as if it's an independent railroad.

[SubwayGuy]

Trippy. I don't see why they just didn't try swapping out the canvas and including a (7x) logo with the word "Express" under the bottom portion, as was done for the R62A rollsigns for the (6x)...couldn't possibly have been more expensive than adding LIGHTS, could it?

 

...Plus they'd have been able to sell those rollsign canvases to railfans and foamers, to help offset the cost

[SubwayGuy]

CORRECTION to above:

 

Trippy. I don't see why they just didn't try swapping out the canvas and including a (7x) logo with the word "Express" under the bottom portion, as was done for the R62A rollsigns for the (6x)...couldn't possibly have been more expensive than adding LIGHTS, could it?

 

...Plus they'd have been able to sell those OLD rollsign canvases to railfans and foamers, to help offset the cost

[KTrainExp]

Its still confusing. I would rather prefer the LCD screens with EXP and LCL. is now doing quite a good job maintaining the differences between and (7x) because now they have specific tracks (track 1 and track 2) dedicated to (7x) and .

[error46146]

The thing just looks plain hideous.

 

they should have done it redbird style with the EXP/LCL in the front.

[Pablo M 201]

They should've really went with putting the LCDs instead of THAT.

[trainfan22]

They should have just kept the greatbirds since the signs on the front of those cars are easy to read and they have the LCL/EXP thing....

 

btw I thought the MTA was going to put R142/As on that line? If they are going to do that then why waste all this money on putting LCDs on R62As? Even though the R142/As LCDs are broke half of the time anyway LOL.

[Eastman346]

They should have just kept the greatbirds since the signs on the front of those cars are easy to read and they have the LCL/EXP thing....

 

btw I thought the MTA was going to put R142/As on that line? If they are going to do that then why waste all this money on putting LCDs on R62As? Even though the R142/As LCDs are broke half of the time anyway LOL.

 

I don't know about you but to me it doesn't look expensive at all. To me it looked like the cheapest way they can do it. Hopefully they won't fail so much and really cause confusion.

[trainfan22]

I don't know about you but to me it doesn't look expensive at all. To me it looked like the cheapest way they can do it. Hopefully they won't fail so much and really cause confusion.

 

What im trying to say is why waste time and effort on that when you already have trains with LCDs that can run on the line. It just doesnt make any sence to me....

[Eastman346]

What im trying to say is why waste time and effort on that when you already have trains with LCDs that can run on the line. It just doesnt make any sence to me....

 

I don't know the to well but aren't the LCD's in the front of the train. People need to see them on the side roll signs. Sometimes people catch a train already on the platform. The LCD's won't help in that situation.

[Harry]

I don't know about you but to me it doesn't look expensive at all. To me it looked like the cheapest way they can do it. Hopefully they won't fail so much and really cause confusion.

 

I agree 100%. It looks cheap and tacky.

[Pablo M 201]

What im trying to say is why waste time and effort on that when you already have trains with LCDs that can run on the line. It just doesnt make any sence to me....

This is just a sort of "time being" solution til they can actually put R142s on the line. It'll be a while til we actually see those trains on the .....

[East New York]

What im trying to say is why waste time and effort on that when you already have trains with LCDs that can run on the line. It just doesnt make any sence to me....

 

I guess thats means the trains won't be going anywhere any time soon. I also agree that they look extremely cheap and tacky. I bet they are less expensive than LCD's and LED's.

[KTrainExp]

I don't know the to well but aren't the LCD's in the front of the train. People need to see them on the side roll signs. Sometimes people catch a train already on the platform. The LCD's won't help in that situation.

 

They ARE on the side of rollsigns as well.

[R1Toasty]

While tacky, blatant, and indeed quite unattractive, they are effective at conveying the route of the train. I would have preferred the light up ones like the redbirds had at the front of the train, and the side LEDs in green for local and red for express, but oh well, as long as it gets the job done.