No. 1 resumes service after train derailed in Morningside Heights, stranding hundreds in sweltering

[Vistausss]

I heard about this mess... The pluses and minuses of the subway...

 

Yup. Your precious bus service never gets into trouble. No bus accidents, no broken buses. And your precious MNRR service is free of mess too.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Yup. Your precious bus service never gets into trouble. No bus accidents, no broken buses. And your precious MNRR service is free of mess too.

No it's just that some folks around tout the subway as being the greatest thing ever and I'm here to say that it's highly overrated and slow in the last few years.

[LTA1992]

Beats the risk of getting stuck in rush hour traffic I can tell you that. Or, you know, the likeliness of accident related traffic.

[Grand Concourse]

No it's just that some folks around tout the subway as being the greatest thing ever and I'm here to say that it's highly overrated and slow in the last few years.

No one said it was 'the greatest thing ever'. Otoh, all you've done is make it seem like the 'worst thing ever'. Of course there will be pros and cons to everything, but not everyone can afford the express bus fare and for $2.50 from the Bronx to as far as Rockaways Queens, it's still a very good deal (when everything runs normally).

[Via Garibaldi 8]

No one said it was 'the greatest thing ever'. Otoh, all you've done is make it seem like the 'worst thing ever'. Of course there will be pros and cons to everything, but not everyone can afford the express bus fare and for $2.50 from the Bronx to as far as Rockaways Queens, it's still a very good deal (when everything runs normally).

No one has to say it... It's clearly implied esp. when anyone DARE speaks out negatively against it in any way shape or form.    I think it could be much better than it is and I don't think the "staus quo" isn't working.  It's all of the piece mealing that allows it to stay in the poor shape that it's in.  Shut the stations down, make people use alternatives and the stations would be in much better shape. The needs to be calling on Albany for more funding and needs to become more innovative to keep the system in better shape.  The system is only going to get older and more susceptible to outside factors.

 

For $2.50 I would argue that the rider should be getting a better experience. It would be nice to go from the Bronx to the Rockaways with no panhandlers, clean stations and trains that are clean.  I can get that on MetroNorth, but I have to pay almost 4 times that which I think is ridiculous.   I used MetroNorth this morning and it was an extremely peaceful ride.  The only time I was interrupted from relaxing was when I had to provide my ticket.  The rest of the ride was gravy.  

[Guest Lance]

I'd say "not to derail this topic" but this thing has never really been about the 1-line derailment, it really doesn't matter. What you want is premium services on the cheap. You will never get a spotless subway train devoid of panhandlers because that's simply the way it is. Reminder: no one is forcing you to ride the subway, nor are they forcing you to ride Metro-North. I wonder, with all of the problems you have with mass transit, why don't you buy a car.

[trainfan22]

I'd say "not to derail this topic" but this thing has never really been about the 1-line derailment, it really doesn't matter. What you want is premium services on the cheap. You will never get a spotless subway train devoid of panhandlers because that's simply the way it is. Reminder: no one is forcing you to ride the subway, nor are they forcing you to ride Metro-North. I wonder, with all of the problems you have with mass transit, why don't you buy a car.

Great post, agreed on buying the car part, If I couldn't stand mass transit and driving was a option, that's exactly what I'd do, buy a car. And yes, there's people who work in the CBD and drive to work, they park in a parking garage, and some of these people come from the outer suburbs where they gotta a pay a toll, in his case, he could drive from Riverdale to the city without paying tolls.

 

Even the PATH system has panhandlers...

 

It does truly baffle me why he doesn't buy a car, its funny as a few years ago some lady was complaining to this transit employee about some late night G.O on the line and the T/A employee told her that Toyota was having a sale

[ttcsubwayfan]

I'd say "not to derail this topic" but this thing has never really been about the 1-line derailment, it really doesn't matter. What you want is premium services on the cheap. You will never get a spotless subway train devoid of panhandlers because that's simply the way it is. Reminder: no one is forcing you to ride the subway, nor are they forcing you to ride Metro-North. I wonder, with all of the problems you have with mass transit, why don't you buy a car.

 

Then he'll have nothing to rant about...

 

To get this topic back on track, does anyone know which cars were involved in the derailment?

[AndrewJC]

No it's just that some folks around tout the subway as being the greatest thing ever and I'm here to say that it's highly overrated and slow in the last few years.

 

If you don't want to use it, then don't use it.

 

Meanwhile, subway ridership has been growing every year. From 2011 to 2012, subway ridership was up by 13.7 million, largely driven by increased weekend ridership (mostly discretionary), which grew a full 3.0%. During the same time period, bus ridership dropped by 1.6 million.

 

Apparently, not everybody agrees with you.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I'd say "not to derail this topic" but this thing has never really been about the 1-line derailment, it really doesn't matter. What you want is premium services on the cheap. You will never get a spotless subway train devoid of panhandlers because that's simply the way it is. Reminder: no one is forcing you to ride the subway, nor are they forcing you to ride Metro-North. I wonder, with all of the problems you have with mass transit, why don't you buy a car.

Far from. I've used subways in other cities that afforded clean trains, no panhandlers and were cheaper than NYC subways so that's a lame excuse. I don't use Metro-North because I'm "forced" to.  I enjoy using Metro-North, esp. when I can get a seat.  I don't use the subway that often to be honest these days because I don't have a need to, but that doesn't mean that I'm not allowed to criticize it or say that it should be better, but that's the trend these days.  Slam people who have a problem with the subway.  Same thing happened with other people that criticized the subway and they have a car, so that wouldn't make any difference.  If anything, I'd probably be slammed even more for having one. lol

[itmaybeokay]

Far from. I've used subways in other cities that afforded clean trains, no panhandlers and were cheaper than NYC subways so that's a lame excuse. I don't use Metro-North because I'm "forced" to.  I enjoy using Metro-North, esp. when I can get a seat.  I don't use the subway that often to be honest these days because I don't have a need to, but that doesn't mean that I'm not allowed to criticize it or say that it should be better, but that's the trend these days.  Slam people who have a problem with the subway.  Same thing happened with other people that criticized the subway and they have a car, so that wouldn't make any difference.  If anything, I'd probably be slammed even more for having one. lol

 

What city has better subway service than NY and is cheaper? Seriously curious - I just haven't seen it myself. 

[Turbo19]

What city has better subway service than NY and is cheaper? Seriously curious - I just haven't seen it myself. 

For the U.S. alone Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, and Boston to name a few.

 

Comparable service with competitive fares and usually clean to boast.

 

 

Also, on a side note it's f**ked up when a large percentage of riders don't expect much better from the .

 

So much more could be accomplished with the current flow of funding that is available currently.

[bobtehpanda]

For the U.S. alone Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, and Boston to name a few.

 

Comparable service with competitive fares and usually clean to boast.

 

 

Also, on a side note it's f**ked up when a large percentage of riders don't expect much better from the .

 

So much more could be accomplished with the current flow of funding that is available currently.

 

Obviously you haven't had to use the Green Line on a daily basis if you think MBTA is "comparable service with competitive fares."

 

Domestically, New York has the best service, since the all-day nature of many of the routes allows one to maintain a car-free lifestyle. Portland is not far behind, but due to various budget issues its had to cut bus services below 1980s levels despite higher ridership.

*Within* SF transit is great, but try transferring between the various bus services in the Bay Area.

LA would be great if the region wasn't so sprawled out.

 

Internationally, Hong Kong's bus and subway fares are extremely cheap, with most people paying the MTA fare or less on a trip (although there are no free transfers and the entire system is distance-based). It's also ridiculously clean. Singapore is also cheap, as is Vancouver (assuming you're not traveling out into the burbs, where a fare is $3.75).

 

New York has higher fares simply because it's older and hasn't upgraded its technology as much - most cities with transit systems of similar vintage (Tokyo, London, Paris) have already moved to OPTO, and are aggressively adopting automatic operation. They also don't have nearly as much trackage, since New York City is the only city in the world with extensive four-tracking of services, and they don't have to maintain the ridiculous amount of junctions that give New York City the ability to interline. (In most cities, a line is completely distinct and separate from other lines, so it costs less to maintain.) New York City services are also denser than most areas - the only two areas with denser rail operations would be Paris and Tokyo - so in effect you're paying a fare for 656 miles of revenue track, and that's before you throw in the bus system. It's quite the deal when you think about it.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Obviously you haven't had to use the Green Line on a daily basis if you think MBTA is "comparable service with competitive fares."

 

Domestically, New York has the best service, since the all-day nature of many of the routes allows one to maintain a car-free lifestyle. Portland is not far behind, but due to various budget issues its had to cut bus services below 1980s levels despite higher ridership.

*Within* SF transit is great, but try transferring between the various bus services in the Bay Area.

LA would be great if the region wasn't so sprawled out.

 

Internationally, Hong Kong's bus and subway fares are extremely cheap, with most people paying the MTA fare or less on a trip (although there are no free transfers and the entire system is distance-based). It's also ridiculously clean. Singapore is also cheap, as is Vancouver (assuming you're not traveling out into the burbs, where a fare is $3.75).

 

New York has higher fares simply because it's older and hasn't upgraded its technology as much - most cities with transit systems of similar vintage (Tokyo, London, Paris) have already moved to OPTO, and are aggressively adopting automatic operation. They also don't have nearly as much trackage, since New York City is the only city in the world with extensive four-tracking of services, and they don't have to maintain the ridiculous amount of junctions that give New York City the ability to interline. (In most cities, a line is completely distinct and separate from other lines, so it costs less to maintain.) New York City services are also denser than most areas - the only two areas with denser rail operations would be Paris and Tokyo - so in effect you're paying a fare for 656 miles of revenue track, and that's before you throw in the bus system. It's quite the deal when you think about it.

I get so sick of hearing all of these excuses... Yeah it's great that it runs 24/7 but I'd rather that the system be shut down a few hours if it means that the stations could be kept up better. We have a run down system because we accept the bare minimum from the and excuse their lax way of doing things as totally acceptable.  Oh it's "cheap" and we get such a good deal so let's excuse them and their lack of effort for better upkeep of the stations. Sorry but I don't and I don't want to hear about it being all on the passenger either because you can't blame the passenger for everything that's wrong with the system and it's not just because the system is old either.  

 

You just stated that other cities are MORE AGGRESSIVE and PROACTIVE.  The on the other hand WAITS until there is a problem to act which is completely ridiculous and inexcusable.  You have a big system that you know is old, so you should be very aggressive in trying to keep the system in top shape and stop with these excuses about how big the system is because it's getting old already.  Everyone knows how big it is but we're New York.  We're supposed to be setting the example!  It irritates me that our system is so fragile and susceptible. The must take a different approach to how the system is run and if it means shutting down lines to keep the system up, then so be it.  The passengers would benefit from more reliable and speedier service, but we can't keep doing things as business as usual.  More and more people are using the system and therefore there is a need to keep improving so that the system can continue to handle the increased ridership.

 

 

For the U.S. alone Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, and Boston to name a few.

 

Comparable service with competitive fares and usually clean to boast.

 

 

Also, on a side note it's f**ked up when a large percentage of riders don't expect much better from the  .

 

So much more could be accomplished with the current flow of funding that is available currently.

Exactly... Yes we know these are smaller systems and all of that, but seriously... With the amount of money the WASTES with sh*tty contractors and shoddy work, so much more could be done with better oversight.  

[Turbo19]

Exactly... Yes we know these are smaller systems and all of that, but seriously... With the amount of money the WASTES with sh*tty contractors and shoddy work, so much more could be done with better oversight.  

 

Well as they say, old habits die hard. Believe me if the raised it's standards to any of the mentioned systems the riders would sure as hell wouldn't not want them to degrade to what's being offered now.

 

Part of the reason shit is so f**ked up right now is that the agency allows so much of the system to decay in ruins (both metaphorically and literally) before anything is done about it.

 

More preventive action needs to be taken rather than corrective action. Only then can thing be done about the system.

[realizm]

I'd say "not to derail this topic" but this thing has never really been about the 1-line derailment, it really doesn't matter. What you want is premium services on the cheap. You will never get a spotless subway train devoid of panhandlers because that's simply the way it is. Reminder: no one is forcing you to ride the subway, nor are they forcing you to ride Metro-North. I wonder, with all of the problems you have with mass transit, why don't you buy a car.

 

Great post, agreed on buying the car part, If I couldn't stand mass transit and driving was a option, that's exactly what I'd do, buy a car. And yes, there's people who work in the CBD and drive to work, they park in a parking garage, and some of these people come from the outer suburbs where they gotta a pay a toll, in his case, he could drive from Riverdale to the city without paying tolls.

 

Even the PATH system has panhandlers...

 

It does truly baffle me why he doesn't buy a car, its funny as a few years ago some lady was complaining to this transit employee about some late night G.O on the line and the T/A employee told her that Toyota was having a sale

 

 

 

That's why I bought a car even with the conveniences of a 24-7 rapid transit system that covers all areas of NYC. Even as I secretly foam everytime I just happen to catch a R46 or an R160, ditto on a R32, cruising via the express tracts at 50 MPH on a long stretch on a fast line. Some childhood hobbies never die.

 

Speaking as a straphanger, I can somewhat relate to VG8: It can get tiresome having to squeeze your way into a crushloaded car in the middle of the PM rush with assholish straphangers (It's really alot of times the straphangers who are fellow professionals or unruly kids that their parent failed to train properly that get to me with their nasty attitudes not necessarily the panhandlers even) when I was dead ass tired from work, hungry as hell, thirsty for a beer or two, and just ready to hit the bed.

 

I did'nt have to for the aforementioned reasons already touched upon, but I need my freedom and space to go where I want, when I want, when I feel like it. The feeling that I am in control. Also, convenience in another sense: I have to get to sites which I can get to faster by car instead of riding the train for 2 hours. (Of course if the site is in Manhattan I will rather take the train rather then drive in a road rage in Midtown.)

 

(I really got to give the photographers credit, puitting in long hours focused on the railfanning hobby, to catch solid shots in our mass transit system and take the time to post their work on the internet. How do they do it? Major props!)

 

For me owning a car was'nt a commodity to show off, it was necessary for practical reasons.

 

** VG8 I can understand why you would rather not deal with the hassle of the subway, because of that, you should get a car, I think Lance and Trainfan has solid points here. With the excellent salary you are making you could even finance for two cars if you wanted to.

[Turbo19]

With no disrespect intended, I have to ask, why should an individual have to resort to find an alternate method of transportation because the transit agency that serves him/her can't provide the level of service that is expected by the individual? I think many of the complaints that are being brushed off as bitching by certain individuals on these forums are completely justified.

 

One of the most important fundamentals of public transit that is more often being over looked is the quality of service being offered. The level of quality being offered can affect passenger perception of the agency and its services in a either a positive or negative manner, which in turn produces ridership levels reflective of perception, and finally results with the agency either dealing with the gains and losses.

 

If a passenger finds the quality to be at an inadequate level they are within their rights as a passenger to express their complaints of the agency as they choose. If anything action may be taken to remedy the situation which would most likely benefit the majority of the ridership base.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

 

 

That's why I bought a car even with the conveniences of a 24-7 rapid transit system that covers all areas of NYC. Even as I secretly foam everytime I just happen to catch a R46 or an R160, ditto on a R32, cruising via the express tracts at 50 MPH on a long stretch on a fast line. Some childhood hobbies never die.

 

Speaking as a straphanger, I can somewhat relate to VG8: It can get tiresome having to squeeze your way into a crushloaded car in the middle of the PM rush with assholish straphangers (It's really alot of times the straphangers who are fellow professionals or unruly kids that their parent failed to train properly that get to me with their nasty attitudes not necessarily the panhandlers even) when I was dead ass tired from work, hungry as hell, thirsty for a beer or two, and just ready to hit the bed.

 

I did'nt have to for the aforementioned reasons already touched upon, but I need my freedom and space to go where I want, when I want, when I feel like it. The feeling that I am in control. Also, convenience in another sense: I have to get to sites which I can get to faster by car instead of riding the train for 2 hours. (Of course if the site is in Manhattan I will rather take the train rather then drive in a road rage in Midtown.)

 

(I really got to give the photographers credit, puitting in long hours focused on the railfanning hobby, to catch solid shots in our mass transit system and take the time to post their work on the internet. How do they do it? Major props!)

 

For me owning a car was'nt a commodity to show off, it was necessary for practical reasons.

 

** VG8 I can understand why you would rather not deal with the hassle of the subway, because of that, you should get a car, I think Lance and Trainfan has solid points here. With the excellent salary you are making you could even finance for two cars if you wanted to.

 

 

With no disrespect intended, I have to ask, why should an individual have to resort to find an alternate method of transportation because the transit agency that serves him/her can't provide the level of service that is expected by the individual? I think many of the complaints that are being brushed off as bitching by certain individuals on these forums are completely justified.

 

One of the most important fundamentals of public transit that is more often being over looked is the quality of service being offered. The level of quality being offered can affect passenger perception of the agency and its services in a either a positive or negative manner, which in turn produces ridership levels reflective of perception, and finally results with the agency either dealing with the gains and losses.

 

If a passenger finds the quality to be at an inadequate level they are within their rights as a passenger to express their complaints of the agency as they choose. If anything action may be taken to remedy the situation which would most likely benefit the majority of the ridership base.

Just to clarify, I don't depend on or need the subway in any way to get to or from work or really anywhere else for that matter esp. since Riverdale does not have a subway.  I rely on the express bus and MetroNorth.  In fact I don't need to take the subway at all because wherever I go I can use the express bus or a yellow taxi.  However, that doesn't mean that I'm not entitled to criticize the system.  Even if I bought a car I would still be saying the same thing because this is a city where the majority of its residents rely on public transit.  I said the same thing when I lived on Staten Island where there are no subways as well.

 

To answer the question as to why I haven't bought a car, it's just simple laziness and quite frankly, I really don't have a need for one since most of my trips are to the city.  I have very good transportation very close by within walking distance.  Meanwhile if I had a car I would still have to walk to the garage to get it then find parking when I got to the city, so I don't really see the advantage of having one for just going to the city with the hassle of finding parking, potholes all about and traffic.  Believe me I've thought of getting one numerous times and I've considered all of these things because with what I spend in the express bus and MetroNorth each month, it wouldn't be that much more for a car. lol

 

What's funny is that people that have cars and have displayed criticism towards the subway get slammed just as bad. In other words it's like if you're not giving TONS of praise to the and the subway somehow there's something wrong with you.  BS.  The subway system should be better and it needs to be given more priority, whether or not I ride it because as far as I'm concerned, when more than half of your residents depend on public transit (mainly the subway) to get around and with more and more people depending on the subway to get around, you have to be progressive in ensuring that the system can be used.

 

It's also a cultural thing with me too.  Having lived in Europe, Europeans are very transit oriented and environmentally conscious, as am I.  I always told myself I would never get into the habit of jumping into the car everywhere and that is how I stay in shape by walking and getting exercise.  In my old place, I would just walk to my classes from my apartment since it was only a 15 minute walk.  Why not get some exercise, enjoy the weather and have a nice espresso or something instead of stressing out in the car?  That's my thinking but my mindset is quite different from others.  I'm of the generation where fewer and fewer people here in the city actually own a car and just use public transit or a taxi.

 

Hell my boss has a few cars and a garage and she always uses public transit when going somewhere in the city.  It's just the logical and environmentally conscious thing to do.

[Turbo19]

Just to clarify, I don't depend on or need the subway in any way to get to or from work or really anywhere else for that matter esp. since Riverdale does not have a subway.  I rely on the express bus and MetroNorth.  In fact I don't need to take the subway at all because wherever I go I can use the express bus or a yellow taxi.  However, that doesn't mean that I'm not entitled to criticize the system.  Even if I bought a car I would still be saying the same thing because this is a city where the majority of its residents rely on public transit.  I said the same thing when I lived on Staten Island where there are no subways as well.

I would assume my statement would apply regardless which method of travel you to utilize but I digress. It's all good man, even here I am nearly 3000 miles away and I still bitch about the every now and then.

 

 

To answer the question as to why I haven't bought a car, it's just simple laziness and quite frankly, I really don't have a need for one since most of my trips are to the city.  I have very good transportation very close by within walking distance.  Meanwhile if I had a car I would still have to walk to the garage to get it then find parking when I got to the city, so I don't really see the advantage of having one for just going to the city with the hassle of finding parking, potholes all about and traffic.  Believe me I've thought of getting one numerous times and I've considered all of these things because with what I spend in the express bus and MetroNorth each month, it wouldn't be that much more for a car. lol

Another good reason for not owning a car, road rage. Not to go off topic but road rage is one of the reasons I don't want to be behind the wheel of a vehicle. That shit wears you down and tires you out. I may be pissed off if I miss my bus or I'm late, but all that can really help the situation is complaining to the TA. On the contrary, if some random a**hole cuts me off or goes to slow for my liking I'm damn well sure it wouldn't end well. While I don't personally own a car I've driven for others and as I said that shit is unbearable.

 

 

What's funny is that people that have cars and have displayed criticism towards the subway get slammed just as bad. In other words it's like if you're not giving TONS of praise to the and the subway somehow there's something wrong with you.  BS.  The subway system should be better and it needs to be given more priority, whether or not I ride it because as far as I'm concerned, when more than half of your residents depend on public transit (mainly the subway) to get around and with more and more people depending on the subway to get around, you have to be progressive in ensuring that the system can be used.

Well like I said the needs to be more proactive in system management. The only reason as to why not much ever gets done is because people are used to that shit, which severely impedes the system.

 

 

It's also a cultural thing with me too.  Having lived in Europe, Europeans are very transit oriented and environmentally conscious, as am I.  I always told myself I would never get into the habit of jumping into the car everywhere and that is how I stay in shape by walking and getting exercise.  In my old place, I would just walk to my classes from my apartment since it was only a 15 minute walk.  Why not get some exercise, enjoy the weather and have a nice espresso or something instead of stressing out in the car?  That's my thinking but my mindset is quite different from others.  I'm of the generation where fewer and fewer people here in the city actually own a car and just use public transit or a taxi.

 

Hell my boss has a few cars and a garage and she always uses public transit when going somewhere in the city.  It's just the logical and environmentally conscious thing to do.

Sure, you've mentioned plenty of your experiences in many European nations, so it'd be safe to assume culture does play a part in your life. And as QJ would say it is a generational thing as well. I don't have any statistics on hand (probably for the better) but you can just view the influx of riders that have adopted public transit as their primary transit in NYC in the last 10 years alone.

 

I could continue, but I think you've done a great job of stating your point.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Another good reason for not owning a car, road rage. Not to go off topic but road rage is one of the reasons I don't want to be behind the wheel of a vehicle. That shit wears you down and tires you out. I may be pissed off if I miss my bus or I'm late, but all that can really help the situation is complaining to the TA. On the contrary, if some random a**hole cuts me off or goes to slow for my liking I'm damn well sure it wouldn't end well. While I don't personally own a car I've driven for others and as I said that shit is unbearable.

After an 8+ hour day in the office, the last thing I want to do is walk to a garage and get the car out.  I mean really, the naps that I get on the express bus really help out a bunch because I'd be extremely cranky and irritable otherwise and prone to cause an accident after staring at computer screens for hours on end.

[Turbo19]

After an 8+ hour day in the office, the last thing I want to do is walk to a garage and get the car out.  I mean really, the naps that I get on the express bus really help out a bunch because I'd be extremely cranky and irritable otherwise and prone to cause an accident after staring at computer screens for hours on end.

Yeah dude, it's just to much to deal with.

 

In summary, public transit is just that much easier.

[bobtehpanda]

 

I get so sick of hearing all of these excuses... Yeah it's great that it runs 24/7 but I'd rather that the system be shut down a few hours if it means that the stations could be kept up better. We have a run down system because we accept the bare minimum from the and excuse their lax way of doing things as totally acceptable.  Oh it's "cheap" and we get such a good deal so let's excuse them and their lack of effort for better upkeep of the stations. Sorry but I don't and I don't want to hear about it being all on the passenger either because you can't blame the passenger for everything that's wrong with the system and it's not just because the system is old either.  

 

You just stated that other cities are MORE AGGRESSIVE and PROACTIVE.  The on the other hand WAITS until there is a problem to act which is completely ridiculous and inexcusable.  You have a big system that you know is old, so you should be very aggressive in trying to keep the system in top shape and stop with these excuses about how big the system is because it's getting old already.  Everyone knows how big it is but we're New York.  We're supposed to be setting the example!  It irritates me that our system is so fragile and susceptible. The must take a different approach to how the system is run and if it means shutting down lines to keep the system up, then so be it.  The passengers would benefit from more reliable and speedier service, but we can't keep doing things as business as usual.  More and more people are using the system and therefore there is a need to keep improving so that the system can continue to handle the increased ridership.

 

 

Exactly... Yes we know these are smaller systems and all of that, but seriously... With the amount of money the WASTES with sh*tty contractors and shoddy work, so much more could be done with better oversight.  

 

 

Well a lot of it is $. Everyone says they want the MTA to do better, but how can they when they're broke? In the '80s and '90s, there was a federal, state, and city commitment to funding the capital program. The city, state, and MTA each pitched in for the operations budget, maintaining a 1/3 portion of the budget. In fact, there was so much ridership and surplus going around, that the PPR cards were given discounts, unlimited cards were introduced, and a free transfer was provided for every trip.

 

Fast forward to 2013. The last three years of the current capital program are funded completely by debt, and no one wants to fork over money for the next one. The state has actually been slashing its direct MTA subsidies, and raids the MTA "dedicated taxes" from time to time to paper over its own convoluted budget.  The city would rather much kvetch about the MTA than actually funding it. Debt service takes up an ever-increasing amount of the budget. The average cost of a ride is now lower than it was in 1990 after adjusting for inflation. The MTA has the highest farebox recovery of any transit system in the country. The MTA has no money to maintain its aging system, the increasing amount of debt service, and the increasing cost of employee pensions and benefits (because people are living longer). Yet every attempt to give the MTA more money is shot down. Congestion pricing? Not even brought to a vote in the Assembly. East River Tolls? Killed in the Assembly. Payroll tax? An unfair burden, even though it is only a negligible amount of payroll. A transit lockbox bill requiring the State to disclose the effects of MTA piggy bank raiding? Passed unanimously in the Legislature to be gutted by Governor Cuomo. This is the reason MTA isn't proactive at all - it has no money for anything other than a quick fix, and anything super expensive has to be funded by the feds because no one else will pay for it.

 

Hong Kong pays for its system by having its metro operator function as the largest property developer in the city. London uses congestion pricing to cross subsidize bus and cycle services. Paris uses a payroll tax to fund its RER and Metro services. All other major cities with decent service use large amounts of government subsidy to fund the system. Not only that, they're willing to fork over huge amounts of money to extend services - Hong Kong is building new rail links to its congested core, London is building the Overground and Crossrail, and Paris is adding a whopping 125 miles of new subway service. What do we have to show? Four new subway stops and a new headhouse for a subway station.

 

You get what you pay for, so unless you're banging on the door of your elected officials to increase MTA funding significantly, you've no right to complain.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Well I supported congestion pricing and still do but the money must go to transportation and must be overseen to ensure that it's used properly.

[Quill Depot]

 

 

** VG8 I can understand why you would rather not deal with the hassle of the subway, because of that, you should get a car, I think Lance and Trainfan has solid points here. With the excellent salary you are making you could even finance for two cars if you wanted to.

 

Good luck finding parking. Having a car in NYC is idiotic.

[bobtehpanda]

After an 8+ hour day in the office, the last thing I want to do is walk to a garage and get the car out.  I mean really, the naps that I get on the express bus really help out a bunch because I'd be extremely cranky and irritable otherwise and prone to cause an accident after staring at computer screens for hours on end.

 

Not to mention parking rates below 60th street are ridiculous.

 

Good luck finding parking. Having a car in NYC is idiotic.

 

This is not *entirely* true. Having a car in the outer boroughs can be extremely useful, especially if you happen to live in an area without subway service. What takes me an hour and a half in Queens by bus is a twenty minute car ride, assuming that there are no car accidents on the GCP, LIE, or Cross Island (sadly enough, this is almost never the case).

 

It's also extremely helpful when you want to buy lots of bulk items from a Costco or a Target, because I almost certainly would not do that and then bring my stuff home on a 2-bus ride involving the Q20B and the Q43. Not even a ride on low-floor arctics and on SBS routes would make that pleasant.