Finally, a Passing Grade for the (F) Train, All Thanks To (M)/(V) Combo

[Sea Beach]

November 15, 2010, 11:40 am

Finally, a Passing Grade for the F Train

By MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM

Off the Rails

 

Last year, New York City Transit released a report that admitted what many riders already knew: The F train, the ugly duckling of the subway system, was a mess.

 

Slow as a snail, prone to delays, and overburdened by a ridership that grew by double digits in the last decade, the much-maligned F was in dire need of a spruce-up, transit officials concluded.

 

A year and a month later, the agency is out with a progress report. The official message: Things are getting better. More F trains are running on time and more regularly. The entire fleet now consists of snazzy new high-tech cars, complete with digital widgets and a brighter, cleaner interior. And the trains, which used to break down every 125,000 miles or so, now last about four times as long.

 

According to the report, some of the improvements can be attributed, oddly enough, to service cuts. The elimination of the V train appears to have enabled F trains to run more smoothly through the Second Avenue stop on the Lower East Side, where the V used to terminate, the report said. And the rerouting of the M train has resulted in fewer passenger transfers at the station at Delancey and Essex Streets, reducing delays that might otherwise cascade throughout the F’s route.

 

Still, transit officials may have stepped around some of the recommendations they laid out last year. There is no mention of a proposed review of the F train’s timetable, which had not been revised since 2001. A proposed task force of managers to review the F line has not met recently because, the report said, “there has been no need” since service began to improve.

 

“People appreciate the new cars; it makes a difference. But there is still frustration with service inconsistency,” said State Senator Daniel L. Squadron of Brooklyn, whose office requested the initial report after fielding a series of complaints about the train from upset constituents.

 

Mr. Squadron, an F rider who lives near the train’s Carroll Street stop, said he was impressed by the improvements in performance, and he said his constituents say they enjoy the new cars.

 

But he wondered about an agency promise to reduce the occasions when the trains would unexpectedly skip several stations, a strategy intended to make up delays that infuriated riders.

 

Transit officials apparently told supervisors on the line last year to avoid the station-skipping approach. “Nevertheless,” the report said, “there are certain times and situations in which station skipping is an appropriate recovery strategy.” Subway officials said they did not evaluate whether their instructions made any difference “due to limited staff resources and other priorities.”

 

Mr. Squadron said, “It feels like you get the diagnosis again, and it’s not specific about the solution.”

 

In September, 82.5 percent of F trains arrived at their destination within five minutes of the scheduled time, a 5 percent improvement from a year earlier. (The entire system performed 5 percent worse in that time period.) Another measure of service regularity, known as “wait assessment,” improved by about 3 percent in the last 12 months, compared with a 1 percent improvement in the system as a whole.

 

Check link for Review Follow Up: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/15/finally-a-passing-grade-for-the-f-train/?hp

[LRG]

I really don't understand how the elimination of the has anything to do with the (F)'s increase in reliability as the still has the crossing in front of it anyway before entering Broadway - Lafayette, same like the . The only difference is that passengers are stuck in a tunnel if the train decides to cross in front of it; with the passengers could scurry across the platform (if a train is on the northbound track) onto the should they give it the lineup first. Yes the is a higher priority line over the as well as the when it ran but it doesn't mean the will always be put through first.

 

I'm still hoping Culver Express service makes a comeback to set certain things straight once and for all.

[Roadcruiser1]

I think riders don't care about the . I think they are foaming and that they care much more about the R160's on the it had nothing to do with the . The only thing the is doing that is beneficial is it allows riders to gain a one seat ride to midtown, and if the is running slow backup service. It doesn't really do anything else. Also I know why some T/O's skip stations. So they could get to the terminal faster, but that would happen less once they create a Culver Express <>. It's true I am looking at the comments on the NY Times. People demand the Culver Express so it could speed up their trip, and yes I am all for it. One thing is for certain. When they built the Culver Line with express tracks I am sure they knew the service that would use the Culver Line would be a local. They built those tracks to speed up the commute time.

[IRT Bronx Express]

In my opinion, if the ever comes back, it should start at 2nd Avenue and serve as the Culver Local while the can become the Culver Express. Only problem is, the tail tracks are not connected with the local tracks.

 

I think they are foaming and that they care much more about the R160's on the it had nothing to do with the .

Sounds just like someone we know... keyword people, keyword.

[LRG]

Sounds just like someone we know... keyword people, keyword.

 

Gee, I wonder who that is??? LOLOLOLOL

[2 Train Master]

Mhhmm..I don't get this b\c either way when the was here the most of the time was ahead of the which is why the was not crowded on 6th Avenue.As for the samething either way a train is gonna get cut off and will have to wait either its the , or .

[LRG]

Mhhmm..I don't get this b\c either way when the was here the most of the time was ahead of the which is why the was not crowded on 6th Avenue.As for the samething either way a train is gonna get cut off and will have to wait either its the , or .

 

The reason why the seems more used than the is because it picks up people far away from the line and brings it to Sixth Avenue whereas the was a backup line to the so basically the while not always packed did give riders an alternative as far south as Second Avenue and Just take into account why the never got its own schedule; in a nutshell, the and were like the (J)/(Z), minus the skip-stop.

[Roadcruiser1]

Thats the thing LRG I mentioned it already the only thing the does is give Nassau Street riders on the and the and along the (M)'s route a one seat ride to midtown. That is the reason why the is useful. It also allows them to access Sixth Avenue without having to transfer to the unlike the original (Mx).

[LRG]

Thats the thing LRG I mentioned it already the only thing the does is give Nassau Street riders on the and the and along the (M)'s route a one seat ride to midtown. That is the reason why the is useful. It also allows them to access Sixth Avenue without having to transfer to the unlike the original (Mx).

 

I'm still not in high spirits on the since the South Brooklyn portion was cut which I found unfair as that got usage during the times it ran. There were times I had to take the (F)/(G) to the (Mx) at Fourth Avenue to get to Borough Park...with it gone or when it wasn't running I use/used the and transferred to the or the at 36th Street. Case in point it's not hard to make a simple transfer. But anyways I'll just let the take its course...I have no use for it anyway since it left South Brooklyn...oh well.

[Kamen Rider]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[Forest Glen]

I miss the R46's on the .

[LRG]

One less line cuts Jamaica yard's workload; if the cars spend less time pounding the rails, less of a chance to fail.

 

That's justifiable, but even with a loss of 300-something R46s from Jamaica, the yard's management is still terrible and their cars aren't getting the attention they need. Been like this since the R10s were based out of that yard, they were run into the ground, and even back then they had four subway lines to look after (70(E), 70(EE)/70(N), 70(F), 70(GG)), like it does now (, , , ), and probably less train sets to look after, like today's 1100.

 

I miss the R46's on the .

 

Too bad some genius decided to pull them off the in June because of the reactivation of the cut.

[INDman]

Too bad some genius decided to pull them off the in June because of the reactivation of the cut.

 

Better to have 10 60' cars end up at Essex St then 8 75' cars. Remember, to turn them they would have to go out on the bridge.

[Forest Glen]

The R46's had more seats than the R160's and I think the R160's are a bit dull and generic looking.

[LRG]

Better to have 10 60' cars end up at Essex St then 8 75' cars. Remember, to turn them they would have to go out on the bridge.

 

That's what I don't understand...don't 75' trains fit on the Nassau Street Line (Broad to Essex)? If anything couldn't the train cross back onto the Broad Street-bound track from the northbound bridge track (currently used by the Metro-bound ) to get back onto the Line?

[INDman]

That's what I don't understand...don't 75' trains fit on the Nassau Street Line (Broad to Essex)? If anything couldn't the train cross back onto the Broad Street-bound track from the northbound bridge track (currently used by the Metro-bound ) to get back onto the Line?

 

A north bound 75' car on J1 would side swipe a south bound train on J2. Also, signals have been moved around since a fan trip of R46s went over the bridge in the 70's so there is the possibility of hitting signals too. To relay a "lost" train it would have to go onto the bridge and come back into Essex of J3-4 and take a bottom yellow at 152 Ball onto J2 then bottom yellow at 142 Ball onto BJ2. It's just safer to have a longer train, then to have a longer train that has over hang and can hit something. Also, by taking R46s off the , it allowed them to go to the line.

[2 Train Master]

Even if a '75 did go through the cut its not like they can't wrongrail it back to Broadway-Lafayette St.But the genius who pulled em off is full of it if you ask me b\c if I'm not mistaken weren't there G.O's when the went to 2nd Avenue this summer and the .The personel weren't concerned its just a simple thing punch and get the lineup.And it shouldn't had been a problem if everyday T/O's on the know what2 do.

[CenSin]

But he wondered about an agency promise to reduce the occasions when the trains would unexpectedly skip several stations, a strategy intended to make up delays that infuriated riders.

That simply infuriates the riders who need to travel further out to Coney Island. The only stops I've witnessed the skipping lie between 7 Avenue and Coney Island. The most extreme incident was when my skipped 15 Street, Fort Hamilton Parkway, Ditmas Avenue, 18 Avenue, Avenue I, Bay Parkway, Avenue N, Avenue P, Avenue U, Avenue X, Neptune Avenue, and West 8 Street. (That saved me about 10~20 minutes, by the way.) Most trains in the past two years only ever skip Avenue I, Bay Parkway, Avenue N, and Avenue P. They are 4 lightly used stations, and I think it should be more of a priority to get passengers further down the line faster. There is always a train not far behind.

[Roadcruiser1]

That is why we need a Culver Express. Create the diamond already.

[Ftrainfan]

I miss the R46's on the .

 

Yeah I miss em' a bit too , but R160s are just as awesome! Sure you can't see that nice big orange as the train pulls in but you can still see it inside the train on the F.I.N.D screen.

 

Besides , I'm just glad the (F)'s finally getting a good grade! But in my book it was always a A+ R46 or not , the train rules!

[YankeesPwnMets]

Even if a '75 did go through the cut its not like they can't wrongrail it back to Broadway-Lafayette St.But the genius who pulled em off is full of it if you ask me b\c if I'm not mistaken weren't there G.O's when the went to 2nd Avenue this summer and the .The personel weren't concerned its just a simple thing punch and get the lineup.And it shouldn't had been a problem if everyday T/O's on the know what2 do.

 

About the : Even if it took the wrong lineup, 10 R32s would still be able to clear the curves on Nassau. Just tell everyone to go to the 5th car and have them leave, then turn back.

 

And why bother arguing? It ain't gonna change a thing, so just leave the subject alone because the 160s will probably stay unless the decides otherwise

[Roadcruiser1]

For the people talking about the R46's on the since you miss it or something like that why don't you just watch this video of an old R46 pulling into East Broadway.

 

 

[INDman]

Create the diamond already.

 

There is NO real demand for that and the demand that is there is not enough to justify the expense. Plus, the possibility of a Culver Express won't be around for another 3 or 4 years so drop it.

[LRG]

Yeah I miss em' a bit too , but R160s are just as awesome! Sure you can't see that nice big orange as the train pulls in but you can still see it inside the train on the F.I.N.D screen.

 

Besides , I'm just glad the (F)'s finally getting a good grade! But in my book it was always a A+ R46 or not , the train rules!

 

You really need to lay off the ritalin.

[CenSin]

Yeah I miss em' a bit too , but R160s are just as awesome! Sure you can't see that nice big orange as the train pulls in but you can still see it inside the train on the F.I.N.D screen.

 

Besides , I'm just glad the (F)'s finally getting a good grade! But in my book it was always a A+ R46 or not , the train rules!

Is there something you're not learning from the responses you are getting?