Jump to content

SUBWAY - Random Thoughts Topic


Recommended Posts

Came back from Jersey earlier, took the PATH (speaking of poor headways, JFC- I had 2 people fall over me, the train was so crushloaded - I was lucky to get a seat at Newark as it is), and just caught a Brooklyn bound (R) (as in, just hustled in as the doors were closing)...

First thing I said to myself was "gamble paid off nicely".....  That shouldn't be a *thing* when having to commute, regardless of day of the week it is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Replies 30.7k
  • Created
  • Last Reply
On 7/28/2018 at 12:00 PM, kosciusko said:

The r62s have always had the worst AC in my experience. The only hot cars I've run into this summer were r62s on the (1) and (6)

Those were probably the 62As. They only have one compressor for the HVAC compared to the two on the R62s.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

One of the biggest issues is when everything goes either local or express in one direction, because when an (R) arrives at Forest Hills, it has to fumigate. Last weekend, there was an (E) sandwiched between two NB (R) trains 4 minutes apart. I can only imagine how everyone behind that second (R) felt. 

That is exactly when (R) service should be cut to Queens Plaza or 96th Street...

If trains are sharing one track just run the (E) and (F) local (or express, based on the GO) at 10 minute frequencies and cut the (R) back, like the GO last year when they were both ending at Forest Hills.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the problem is that if overall service is reduced by the GO and (R) train service is cut back to Queens Plaza / 96 Street / wherever, that's even worse service for riders. On paper, even with the 12 minute adjusted schedule, that's one train every four minutes when everything runs local as it is this weekend. Remove the (R) and that becomes every six minutes, on paper mind you. With one-directional express service, it's a bit harder to justify cutting the (R) because either the (E) or (F) have to run local to compensate. I'm not saying that option should not be considered. I'm saying that if it is, the trains must run tighter to make up for that loss. Otherwise, it just makes a bad situation much worse.

Shifting gears, for those interested, my digital reproduction of the 1979 R44 side sign curtain is now available in the Rollsign Gallery. Check it out, along with my other reproductions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, paulrivera said:

By my count, the (5)(C)(D)(E)(F)(L)(N)(R) all have cut service this weekend... (L) is down from 5 minute to 8 minute headways, the (5) is on it's defacto permanent 20 minute headway, and the rest are on 12 minute headways.

With all the tourists out and about, these lines are all going to look like a weekday rush hour, but what else is new?

Plenty of seats on the (F) and (R).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was so pissed off from my train ride home from Samsung 837 today. What happened was I got on the (A) train at 14 St. When the train got to Jay St-MetroTech, they announced "Due to delays in (C) train service, this Queens-bound (A) train is going local". When the train got to Clinton-Washington Av, a Lefferts Blvd-bound (A) train bypassed my Rockaway Park-bound (A) train. It was very unfair to me since it's much longer to get to the Rockaways than it is to get to Lefferts Blvd. They should have made the Lefferts Blvd-bound (A) train behind my (A) train go local instead. I was angry enough that I got off at Nostrand Av and checked when the next Rockaway Park-bound (A) train was and it was a half an hour away. I then attempted to go uptown so I wouldn't be waiting on a hot platform but there wasn't any crossover. I went out of the station and crossed Nostrand Av, entered the station on the other side of the street, swiped my monthly metrocard at the turnstile and got in but I was still on the downtown platform. I took a Lefferts Blvd-bound (A) train to Utica Av (that went express) and got off. I checked the countdown clocks and it said that the next Rockaway Park (A) train was 25 minutes away. Utica Av has a crossover so I went to the uptown platform, waited 5 minutes for a Manhattan-bound (A) train and took it to Hoyt-Schermerhorn St. At Hoyt-Schermerhorn St, I got off and went to the downtown platform. 1 minute later, a Rockaway Park-bound (A) train came and luckily went express.

 

I got off at Beach 90 St to catch the (S) to Far Rockaway but right when the (A) train arrived at Beach 90 St, the (S) to Far Rockaway closed its doors and left. I had to wait 15 minutes for the next (S) to Far Rockaway. 10 minutes later another (A) train arrived at Beach 90 St dumping more people onto the platform. It was very unfair. The (S) to Far Rockaway finally came and I went in the last car because it was the least crowded but still a lot of people. When the (S) got to Far Rockaway, I checked the MTA Bus Time app for the next bus going towards my house and it said 15 minutes. It wasn't worth waiting 15 minutes for a bus which only drives me 8 out of 20 minutes of the way so I walked home.

 

Yesterday, my Rockaway Park-bound (A) train went local as well with the same "Due to delays in (C) train service, this Queens-bound (A) train is going local". The (MTA) is treating Rockaway customers second-class. This needs to stop!

Edited by EphraimB
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Lance said:

I think the problem is that if overall service is reduced by the GO and (R) train service is cut back to Queens Plaza / 96 Street / wherever, that's even worse service for riders. On paper, even with the 12 minute adjusted schedule, that's one train every four minutes when everything runs local as it is this weekend. Remove the (R) and that becomes every six minutes, on paper mind you. With one-directional express service, it's a bit harder to justify cutting the (R) because either the (E) or (F) have to run local to compensate. I'm not saying that option should not be considered. I'm saying that if it is, the trains must run tighter to make up for that loss. Otherwise, it just makes a bad situation much worse.

Shifting gears, for those interested, my digital reproduction of the 1979 R44 side sign curtain is now available in the Rollsign Gallery. Check it out, along with my other reproductions.

However, such a pattern wouldn't need 12 minute headway. You can restore the 10 minute headways on all the lines, and cut the (R) whenever the express or local tracks are out. That way, there's more frequent service for everyone. You could theoretically also increase (E) and (F) service to run every 8 minutes (to preserve the 4 minute headway). 

 

Yeah, fully local service might suck for those further out, but if it brings more reliable service and less delays than the all three services going express or local in one direction, that might as well be the solution.

Edited by BM5 via Woodhaven
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Lance said:

I think the problem is that if overall service is reduced by the GO and (R) train service is cut back to Queens Plaza / 96 Street / wherever, that's even worse service for riders. On paper, even with the 12 minute adjusted schedule, that's one train every four minutes when everything runs local as it is this weekend. Remove the (R) and that becomes every six minutes, on paper mind you. With one-directional express service, it's a bit harder to justify cutting the (R) because either the (E) or (F) have to run local to compensate. I'm not saying that option should not be considered. I'm saying that if it is, the trains must run tighter to make up for that loss. Otherwise, it just makes a bad situation much worse.

Shifting gears, for those interested, my digital reproduction of the 1979 R44 side sign curtain is now available in the Rollsign Gallery. Check it out, along with my other reproductions.

Not necessarily... The (E) and (F) are rarely throughput limited by flagging elsewhere on their routes, so if the (R) is cut then they could both run 7.5 (along with the (R), potentially...) — more service for everyone. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

 

The (R) has had those gaps for the longest, so it's not surprising for me. I just wish they can finish the damn tunnel work on the Queens-Midtown Tunnel again, so that I can take the express bus again instead of the train. Taking the Q53/Q60 is so much better than taking the (R) (or the QBL in general). 

 

One of the biggest issues is when everything goes either local or express in one direction, because when an (R) arrives at Forest Hills, it has to fumigate. Last weekend, there was an (E) sandwiched between two NB (R) trains 4 minutes apart. I can only imagine how everyone behind that second (R) felt. 

How they felt is evidenced in the night and weekend ridership drop in Queens, which I think was the one highest of all boroughs. LOL

Edited by N6 Limited
Link to comment
Share on other sites

QBL's capacity is 1 pair of tracks / 15 tph for the foreseeable future, which sucks but is understandable. The real issue is that the 8 Ave/53 St, 6 Ave/63 St, Broadway/4 Ave, and Culver lines all have capacity cuts just to accommodate QBL. Also, the (R) terminal at Forest Hills is prone to delays, and no crossovers exist west of the station to allow (E)(F) trains to switch over to the express tracks where delays are less likely.

If the (R) was rerouted to 96 St, then the old 8-10 minute headways can be restored on the (E)(F)(R). The (R) is close enough to the (E)(F) in Manhattan that QBL riders shouldn't be too inconvenienced greatly. The biggest downside is probably the (R) yard access, though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Caelestor said:

QBL's capacity is 1 pair of tracks / 15 tph for the foreseeable future, which sucks but is understandable. The real issue is that the 8 Ave/53 St, 6 Ave/63 St, Broadway/4 Ave, and Culver lines all have capacity cuts just to accommodate QBL. Also, the (R) terminal at Forest Hills is prone to delays, and no crossovers exist west of the station to allow (E)(F) trains to switch over to the express tracks where delays are less likely.

If the (R) was rerouted to 96 St, then the old 8-10 minute headways can be restored on the (E)(F)(R). The (R) is close enough to the (E)(F) in Manhattan that QBL riders shouldn't be too inconvenienced greatly. The biggest downside is probably the (R) yard access, though.

Turn the (R) at Queens Plaza or 96th street, When it needs to go to the yard they could run it to 71st Ave or send it empty so it's not blocking (E) and (F) trains. 
The (E) and (F) alone are sufficient on weekends if they are doing track work, especially if they're going to have slow speed orders etc.  What is so difficult about that? 

How does one contact Byford? He needs to take a QBL joy ride on the weekend so he can see how irritating it is. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, EphraimB said:

 When the train got to Jay St-MetroTech, they announced "Due to delays in (C) train service, this Queens-bound (A) train is going local". When the train got to Clinton-Washington Av, a Lefferts Blvd-bound (A) train bypassed my Rockaway Park-bound (A) train. It was very unfair to me since it's much longer to get to the Rockaways than it is to get to Lefferts Blvd. They should have made the Lefferts Blvd-bound (A) train behind my (A) train go local instead. I was angry enough that I got off at Nostrand Av and checked when the next Rockaway Park-bound (A) train was and it was a half an hour away.

The mistake you made here was getting off the train in frustration... I've been on plenty of local (N) trains (and even a local (Q)). Yeah its annoying to sit through the local stops but at least you're getting there.

2 hours ago, EphraimB said:

Yesterday, my Rockaway Park-bound (A) train went local as well with the same "Due to delays in (C) train service, this Queens-bound (A) train is going local". The (MTA) is treating Rockaway customers second-class. This needs to stop!

Dispatchers send whatever train is first local. I do think they ideally they'd make a Lefferts train local, but if the first train is to the Rockaways, they don't have much choice. It's not some conspiracy to make Rockaway trains late.

4 hours ago, Lance said:

I think the problem is that if overall service is reduced by the GO and (R) train service is cut back to Queens Plaza / 96 Street / wherever, that's even worse service for riders. On paper, even with the 12 minute adjusted schedule, that's one train every four minutes when everything runs local as it is this weekend. Remove the (R) and that becomes every six minutes, on paper mind you.

The idea here (as @BM5 via Woodhaven said) is to cut the (R) so that the (E)(F)(R) remain at 10 minute frequencies to adequately serve the other potions of their routes not effected by the GO. In that case there would be a train every 5 minutes. (Or you could run the (E)(F) every 8 minutes and keep the 4 minute combined headway).

43 minutes ago, Caelestor said:

If the (R) was rerouted to 96 St, then the old 8-10 minute headways can be restored on the (E)(F)(R). The (R) is close enough to the (E)(F) in Manhattan that QBL riders shouldn't be too inconvenienced greatly. The biggest downside is probably the (R) yard access, though.

If yard access is such a problem, there's plenty of (B) train sets sitting unused in Coney Island yard on a weekend...

At the very least, run extra (R) trains from Brooklyn to Manhattan...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Around the Horn said:

If yard access is such a problem, there's plenty of (B) train sets sitting unused in Coney Island yard on a weekend...

At the very least, run extra (R) trains from Brooklyn to Manhattan...

 

46 minutes ago, N6 Limited said:

Turn the (R) at Queens Plaza or 96th street, When it needs to go to the yard they could run it to 71st Ave or send it empty so it's not blocking (E) and (F) trains. 
The (E) and (F) alone are sufficient on weekends if they are doing track work, especially if they're going to have slow speed orders etc.  What is so difficult about that? 

How does one contact Byford? He needs to take a QBL joy ride on the weekend so he can see how irritating it is. 

 

You don't need to convince me that the (R) should be running to 96 St, because I absolutely think it should, and the (E)(F) should be running on 8-minute headways. You have to convince the MTA, and the yard issue was the first excuse that I thought they would bring up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

27 minutes ago, Around the Horn said:

The mistake you made here was getting off the train in frustration... I've been on plenty of local (N) trains (and even a local (Q)). Yeah its annoying to sit through the local stops but at least you're getting there.

Dispatchers send whatever train is first local. I do think they ideally they'd make a Lefferts train local, but if the first train is to the Rockaways, they don't have much choice. It's not some conspiracy to make Rockaway trains late.

Why don't they have much choice? After a Lefferts Blvd (A) train passed by my (A) train express, there was 2 more Lefferts Blvd (A) trains. That was 3 Lefferts Blvd (A) trains in a row.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wonder how the ridership on the (5) was on the weekends when it ran to Flatbush Av due to the (2)(3)  Clark St tunnel work? (with 24/7 Express service on the weekends without G/Os)

Edited by Calvin
Link to comment
Share on other sites

34 minutes ago, EphraimB said:

Why don't they have much choice? After a Lefferts Blvd (A) train passed by my (A) train express, there was 2 more Lefferts Blvd (A) trains. That was 3 Lefferts Blvd (A) trains in a row.

Listen, the world does not revolve around someone's commute. If the first train is a Lefferts-bound (A), they will send that local, if it's a Far Rockaway/Rockaway Park (A), they will send that first. There is no conspiracy that the MTA is out to get you and make your commute hell.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Caelestor said:

 

You don't need to convince me that the (R) should be running to 96 St, because I absolutely think it should, and the (E)(F) should be running on 8-minute headways. You have to convince the MTA, and the yard issue was the first excuse that I thought they would bring up.

Yeah I know, that's why I mentioned Byford, lol

2 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

Listen, the world does not revolve around someone's commute. If the first train is a Lefferts-bound (A), they will send that local, if it's a Far Rockaway/Rockaway Park (A), they will send that first. There is no conspiracy that the MTA is out to get you and make your commute hell.

I'm not so sure about that, they have access to the countdown clock information, if the first train at Hoyt-Schermerhorn is an (A) to Rockaway Park and they see that an (A) train to Lefferts is 2 mins behind it, then they need to make an informed and considerate decision to send the Rockaway Park train express and the Lefferts local.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To respond to a few posts regarding my most recent post in this thread (because it seems pointless to quote several posts that mostly say the same thing), I'm well aware of how the line would ideally operate if the (R) did not get in the way with the fumigation process at 71 Avenue. I was simply remarking that the Queens Blvd line rarely operates under ideal circumstances so we can't simply rely on the theory that the trains will automatically be faster without the (R) in the mix. The agency needs to investigate why the line is so slow as of late and fix it. Whether it's poor fumigation practices or extreme slowdowns due to flagging, the weekend Queens Blvd service setup is not new and I can't imagine this problem has existed for the 80 or so years the line has been in existence.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

While on my way home this morning it was relief to see Manhattan Bound (F) service was restore to the local stops... However as I when down  to Kings Hwy from Avenue I  could see what looks like 4-Car Conductor Broads on the  Manhattan bound  side... IDK What to think but I'll have to check to see If they placed the same broads up on the Coney Island side from Ditmas to Stillwell...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, biGC323232 said:

:lol::lol:....Wow....Is that real or fake 

It's real... Here's the news report from CBS... I love how at the end they say that they reached out to the (MTA) for a comment. LOL And what exactly are they going to say?  We don't condone people bringing couches onto the subway? :lol:

Remember the whole dog fiasco? Well after that incident with the dog attacking a passenger, people are still waltzing onto the subway with their dogs and they don't have them in a carrier, or have a muzzle on them.   I saw a guy get on the (1) train a few weeks ago with one. He brings him over to the corner of the car like that's doing something. I looked at him like dude, you need to put that thing in a carrier.  The things you see now on the subway these days...

 

 

Edited by Via Garibaldi 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.