How to improve subway service on the weekends

[Via Garibaldi 8]

It seems like subway service has deteriorated over the past few years, especially on the weekends. Seeing that this is the city that never sleeps where people always need transit and not everyone works M - F 9 - 5 jobs, what ideas could be suggested so that we could have fewer subways knocked out for years at a time practically every weekend?

 

 

One of the challenges that I see is that the system is very old. I think it would be a good idea to just put certain lines out of service where possible so that whatever work needs to be done (station rehabs, track work, etc.) could be done quicker and add more service on other lines as alternatives.

[Kamen Rider]

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

[Via Garibaldi 8]

there is no way around some shutdowns outside of closing the system each and every night. since we can't do that eather, we have little choice of when and how to squize in everything that has to be done.

 

The current system where lines are shutdown on late nights and weekends or shutting down lines for extended periods of time?

[Fresh Pond]

The current system where lines are shutdown on late nights and weekends or shutting down lines for extended periods of time?

 

The subway can't be shut down at all cuz its too vital. They do work on weekends since there's less demand (it isn't noticible to me) for the subway

[IRT Bronx Express]

I can't picture the subway being shut down during the weekday rush hours. It'll be chaotic.

[Roadcruiser1]

No we have had discussed this on the forums before no no no. People use the subway even at night, and you can't have buses replace them either too expensive. We can lower the amount of trains running per hour, but just because you aren't awake at night using the subway there are people that do that, and even though other cities do that we won't because it's New York City not Tokyo, and there are demands for subway service 24/7.

[Kamen Rider]

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

[Via Garibaldi 8]

No we have had discussed this on the forums before no no no. People use the subway even at night, and you can't have buses replace them either too expensive. We can lower the amount of trains running per hour, but just because you aren't awake at night using the subway there are people that do that, and even though other cities do that we won't because it's New York City not Tokyo, and there are demands for subway service 24/7.

 

Oh I don't disagree there because I used to work during the night so no question that people use it all of the time. So you think it would be too chaotic to knock out one line for an extended period of time and make all of the necessary changes at once rather than having disruptions during the weekends where practically half of the lines or more are knocked out, rerouted or have some sort of disruption?

 

I don't know... I mean I personally do my best to avoid the subway on the weekends because of the disruptions. Take the #1 train for example. There has been practically no service to South Ferry now for a good 4 years roughly during the weekend, so how beneficial is it really to do work on the weekend when people have to be inconvenienced for so long?

[TheArr]

Unfortunately, the subway system needs plenty of maintenance, being for the most part, old, and the weekend nights/weekend is the best time because it disrupts the lowest amount of people. There's no real way around it.

[553 Bridgeton]

There is no way the subway can be shutdown overnight. Alot of people work late nights. Even the @ 2AM is SRO. If your a normal overnight subway rider you know what the service patterns are. And its simple, everything is Local and service is 10-30mins.

[Jamaica Express]

Well the point is, things that should have been done YEARS if not decades ago, are being done now,all at once, so thats why line closures and re-routes seem to be getting more frequent. Improvements that were promised in the 70's are just now getting made.

 

However I do agree, line re-routes should be a bit more clear to the passengers

 

1st step would be ELIMINATE these strip maps, I can't tell you when was the last time I've seen an R-142 running along the line it was originally assigned to 1999 and the R-160's electronic strip maps also don't seem to be doing well, I was on the and my car said it was the . Remember being on the , according to the map it was the to Bay Pkwy. Its wayyy too large of a system to truly believe cars are gonna stay on there set routes forever. The more conventional inside electronic signs used on the R-44's and 46's work much better.

 

ALSO, removing the service information box from subway maps doesn't help either.

[S78 via Hylan]

It's also a really large system and like everyone said, less people are affected during the weekends rather than during the week. The subway will always be under construction.

[Guest lance25]

1st step would be ELIMINATE these strip maps, I can't tell you when was the last time I've seen an R-142 running along the line it was originally assigned to 1999 and the R-160's electronic strip maps also don't seem to be doing well, I was on the and my car said it was the . Remember being on the , according to the map it was the to Bay Pkwy. Its wayyy to large of a system to truly believe cars are gonna stay on there set routes forever. The more conventional inside electronic signs used on the R-44's and 46's work much better.

 

ALSO, removing the service information box from subway maps doesn't help either.

 

Just because you run into a train or two with broken FINDs, it doesn't mean that they're all doomed. Now the stripmaps on the R142/R143s are pretty useless, especially when the train diverges from its normal route.

 

I agree that the removal of the infobox was stupid. At least with it there, you could get some inclination of how the subway runs, even if it is usually wrong due to service reroutes.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

There is no way the subway can be shutdown overnight. Alot of people work late nights. Even the @ 2AM is SRO. If your a normal overnight subway rider you know what the service patterns are. And its simple, everything is Local and service is 10-30mins.

 

I think it would be worth experimenting with especially on lines with duplicate service. The key thing would be to see if the work could be any quicker and if so how much quicker. I am also interested in seeing ridership numbers on the weekends. The consensus here seems to be that people don't use the subway so much on the weekends.

[553 Bridgeton]

I think it would be worth experimenting with especially on lines with duplicate service. The key thing would be to see if the work could be any quicker and if so how much quicker. I am also interested in seeing ridership numbers on the weekends. The consensus here seems to be that people don't use the subway so much on the weekends.

 

The used to terminate at 125t Street as a late night shuttle from Pelham Bay Park to 125th Street and the was left to handle the entire Lexington Ave Line from 125 to Bowling Green and then again in Brooklyn Local to New Lots Ave. In todays service the cant handle late night service alone on Lexington Ave. There isnt a need for three routes running along Lexington Ave. During G.Os where ran Local to Brooklyn Bridge, there was always problems. You had a train every 2 minutes all weekend. I havent seen that G.O in years. I can see why because there is no need for three locals on one track.

 

The work will never be quicker. All they have is 5AM to 5AM weekends to get it done, and then again those 10AM-3PM midday G.Os after rush hours. Just as someone said there will always be working going on in the subway, the system is just so old.

 

The ridership on weekends isnt alot and is why alot of service like the ( Neried Av Astoria Rockaway Park Forest Hills doesnt run weeknds. Service is 10mins on alot of lines and as much as 30mins.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

The used to terminate at 125t Street as a late night shuttle from Pelham Bay Park to 125th Street and the was left to handle the entire Lexington Ave Line from 125 to Bowling Green and then again in Brooklyn Local to New Lots Ave. In todays service the cant handle late night service alone on Lexington Ave. There isnt a need for three routes running along Lexington Ave. During G.Os where ran Local to Brooklyn Bridge, there was always problems. You had a train every 2 minutes all weekend. I havent seen that G.O in years. I can see why because there is no need for three locals on one track.

 

The work will never be quicker. All they have is 5AM to 5AM weekends to get it done, and then again those 10AM-3PM midday G.Os after rush hours. Just as someone said there will always be working going on in the subway, the system is just so old.

 

The ridership on weekends isnt alot and is why alot of service like the ( Neried Av Astoria Rockaway Park Forest Hills doesnt run weeknds. Service is 10mins on alot of lines and as much as 30mins.

 

 

What is "a lot"? I certainly see some lines with pretty good ridership on the weekends, like the Q. And no maybe the shouldn't run during the weekends, but I could see certain lines expanding or running during the weekends because the population is growing here. You have a real young crowd of New Yorkers and a lot of them depend on the subway to get around.

[checkmatechamp13]

The used to terminate at 125t Street as a late night shuttle from Pelham Bay Park to 125th Street and the was left to handle the entire Lexington Ave Line from 125 to Bowling Green and then again in Brooklyn Local to New Lots Ave. In todays service the cant handle late night service alone on Lexington Ave. There isnt a need for three routes running along Lexington Ave. During G.Os where ran Local to Brooklyn Bridge, there was always problems. You had a train every 2 minutes all weekend. I havent seen that G.O in years. I can see why because there is no need for three locals on one track.

 

The work will never be quicker. All they have is 5AM to 5AM weekends to get it done, and then again those 10AM-3PM midday G.Os after rush hours. Just as someone said there will always be working going on in the subway, the system is just so old.

 

The ridership on weekends isnt alot and is why alot of service like the ( Neried Av Astoria Rockaway Park Forest Hills doesnt run weeknds. Service is 10mins on alot of lines and as much as 30mins.

 

There isn't a single service (besides the SIR) that runs every 30 minutes on weekends, unless there is major track work going on that line.

[553 Bridgeton]

I said 10 to 30mins i never said anything runs at 30mins headways. In a gap situation you can get something as much as 30mins.

[Fresh Pond]

There is no way the subway can be shutdown overnight. Alot of people work late nights. Even the @ 2AM is SRO. If your a normal overnight subway rider you know what the service patterns are. And its simple, everything is Local and service is 10-30mins.

 

I'm one of those people 3 days out the week when I work the graveyard shift. The is the same way and even the on most occasions

 

Just because you run into a train or two with broken FINDs, it doesn't mean that they're all doomed. Now the stripmaps on the R142/R143s are pretty useless, especially when the train diverges from its normal route.

 

I agree that the removal of the infobox was stupid. At least with it there, you could get some inclination of how the subway runs, even if it is usually wrong due to service reroutes.

 

They're not gonna remove the stripmaps on the R143s. They're only for the and since the is its own line and doesn't share tracks with other lines, there's basically no reroutes.

 

I think it would be worth experimenting with especially on lines with duplicate service. The key thing would be to see if the work could be any quicker and if so how much quicker. I am also interested in seeing ridership numbers on the weekends. The consensus here seems to be that people don't use the subway so much on the weekends.

 

Ridership is lower on weekends and at nights than during the weekday but its not that much lower. This is a big city and the subway works non-stop to get everyone where they need to go at all hours of the day & night. Shutting it down would cause a catasthrophe. Think back to the last blackout we had

[Grand Concourse]

Lines have to be shut down eventually. I'm in favor of a total shut down if it means the work can be done quickly and completely. I mean they can't shut the system down for a few hours every night like other cities can. At least the other 3 boroughs may be able to get by with lines shut down one by one. But Manhattan [and the QB line], they would need to do that weekends only. Not sure if they can even shut down segments late nights.

[Law]

I don't think that any line (other than the or Shuttles) could be closed down, sections of a line can be closed and run split sections and the unserved portion would be serviced by shuttle buses and transfers. (and guess what that's the MTA does do)

[Grand Concourse]

Well not the whole line end to end, but an example: for the , 9th Av to CI. Segments of lines like that. Eventually the main trunk lines will need to be delt with as well. Bus shuttles are inevitable.

[metsfan]

Raise fares hire more workers, shut lines down even during the day to fx things to a proper level, release extra workers, lower fares, increase weekend intervals.

 

- A

[Guest lance25]

While I'm in favor of getting track work done faster, they can only shut down so many lines. They can't touch the Manhattan trunk lines or Queens Boulevard as too many routes use those lines and there aren't enough buses in New York for that kind of shut down. I also don't see them shutting down entire lengths of lines (such as Jamaica or Culver) either as they would need an exponential amount of buses for that.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

While I'm in favor of getting track work done faster, they can only shut down so many lines. They can't touch the Manhattan trunk lines or Queens Boulevard as too many routes use those lines and there aren't enough buses in New York for that kind of shut down. I also don't see them shutting down entire lengths of lines (such as Jamaica or Culver) either as they would need an exponential amount of buses for that.

 

Shut down segments of certain lines. This is happening on the Brighton line now more or less. I just think of Columbus Circle. Seems like it's taken about 5 years to rehab that whole station (which is ridiculous in my opinion) and now that it's "done" parts of it could be rehabbed again. In sum, I think shutting down segments of lines would help station rehabs to last longer and perhaps cost less in the long run. Maybe you could decease overtime, etc.