Mayor De Blasio fumes as A train is delayed

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Bill de Blasio gets taste of subway delays when he waits 23 minutes for train — then hurries off in frustration

 

BY Kerry Burke , Jennifer Fermino

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Tuesday, May 5, 2015, 10:43 PM

 

 

Welcome to New York, Mayor de Blasio.

On the same day the MTA hit him up for more bucks for subway repairs, de Blasio got a karmic taste of the aggravating delays that straphangers face routinely.

 

Hizzoner tried to hop on an uptown A train at the Chambers St. station in lower Manhattan Monday ahead of a tech speech he was giving in Midtown at noon.

 

He gave himself 15 minutes to travel four stops to 34th St. — which any regular MetroCard carrier probably could’ve told him was cutting it a bit too close.

 

The mayor ended up cooling his heels on the platform for 23 minutes before leaving in frustration.

He vented in an email to his NYPD detail and also copied two top aides and — inadvertently — a reporter for The New York Times.

 

“We waited 20 mins for an express only to hear there were major delays,” de Blasio emailed, according to The Times.

POOL/Michael Appleton Mayor de Blasio got a taste of the real lives of real New Yorkers when his train was late Tuesday.

 

“This was knowable info. Had we had it, we would have avoided a lot of hassles.”

One hassle that perturbed the mayor: His NYPD detail drove off without him, thinking he’d taken the subway.

But the officers quickly turned around and picked him up after he emerged from the station. He had cops with him on the platform and was never alone, his spokesman said.

Still, de Blasio urged his staff to coordinate with the MTA.

“Let’s cross-check our info with them when I take the subway,”he wrote. “This is a fixable prob.”

The MTA thinks he’s just the man to do it.

 

Bryan Smith/Bryan Smith MTA boss Thomas Prendergast asked the city for $2.5 billion for repairs and upgrades.

 

On Monday, shortly before his disappointing subway experience, de Blasio announced he was upping the city’s contribution to the MTA capital budget to $657 million over five years.

Instead of saying thank you, MTA President Thomas Prendergast said it wasn’t nearly enough — and asked for a total of $2.5 billion in funding over five years.

 

Ironically, in his email to City Hall, Prendergast said one of the main reasons the MTA needed that much money was to attack the problem of subway delays as use of the system rises.

 

“Our trains are more crowded. Our platforms are filled with riders awaiting the next train,” he wrote. “This capacity crush unavoidably causes delays.”

 

Transit advocates, who have been begging City Hall to increase funding for city subways for months, found sweet justice in the mayor’s abortive A train journey.

 

At a City Hall rally to press the city to boost MTA funding, Gene Russianoff of the Straphangers Campaign, a longtime transit advocate, had four words for de Blasio.

 

Andrew Savulich/New York Daily News

Sergin Garcia, riding the N train Tuesday, had little sympathy for Mayor de Blasio, who bailed out and took his police escort after 23-minute wait for train.

 

“Welcome to my world,” Russianoff said.

Straphangers who don’t have NYPD details to shuttle them around when their subways take more than 20 minutes to turn up weren’t sympathetic either.
 

“Now he knows how we feel every day,” said Lisa Persaud, 34, a receptionist from Queens who was getting on the F train at Herald Square.

 

“Of course, the newbies are gonna complain,” said Alma Tyler, 24, from Manhattan, who was riding the D uptown. “De Blasio should try being a regular rider. For us it’s every day.”

 

“We complain about the subway all the time,” said Alex Slonevsky, 35, from Staten Island.“The difference is he can do something about it.”

 

Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/bill-de-blasio-annoyed-subway-train-delayed-article-1.2211863
 

[QM1to6Ave]

Hahaha! I've felt that way 100 times with the damn train. Too bad I don't have a police escort to save the day

[Tokkemon]

Ironic. Maybe he'll pony up the dough to actually make the subway better...

[MysteriousBtrain]

Looks like de blasio is not touching the subway any time soon. But at least he tries to help the MTA after the incident. IDK why the MTA wants to be greedy and ask for more money. At least you got money. Would you rather have de blasio take back the money because they didn't even say thank you. If de blasio wants to donate more, I'm all for it. If not, I can understand why. The MTA needs to learn to appreciate others before doing actions that can harm someone. We already got those few drivers that are rude enough even though you lost your student metrocard and you clearly show you are a hs student (by showing ID) and you should not tell them to buy a metrocard to ride because hs students have been got away with not using metrocards who knows how many times. I hope the MTA will be more polite in the future, but I doubt it.

And.... scene.

[QM1to6Ave]

Looks like de blasio is not touching the subway any time soon. But at least he tries to help the MTA after the incident. IDK why the MTA wants to be greedy and ask for more money. At least you got money. Would you rather have de blasio take back the money because they didn't even say thank you. If de blasio wants to donate more, I'm all for it. If not, I can understand why. The MTA needs to learn to appreciate others before doing actions that can harm someone. We already got those few drivers that are rude enough even though you lost your student metrocard and you clearly show you are a hs student (by showing ID) and you should not tell them to buy a metrocard to ride because hs students have been got away with not using metrocards who knows how many times. I hope the MTA will be more polite in the future, but I doubt it.

And.... scene.

 

The is an organization, not a child in kindergarten who has to say "thank you" after getting something. No organization that receives money from external sources says "thank you, we have all the money we need," even if it is true, because that will make it difficult to ask for more money in the future for expansions and growth.

[MysteriousBtrain]

The is an organization, not a child in kindergarten who has to say "thank you" after getting something. No organization that receives money from external sources says "thank you, we have all the money we need," even if it is true, because that will make it difficult to ask for more money in the future for expansions and growth.

I'm not saying the MTA must thank everyone, but the mayor went out of his way to give you money and they didn't ask them. Maybe not a thank you but don't ask for more right away.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Looks like de blasio is not touching the subway any time soon. But at least he tries to help the MTA after the incident. IDK why the MTA wants to be greedy and ask for more money. At least you got money. Would you rather have de blasio take back the money because they didn't even say thank you. If de blasio wants to donate more, I'm all for it. If not, I can understand why. The MTA needs to learn to appreciate others before doing actions that can harm someone. We already got those few drivers that are rude enough even though you lost your student metrocard and you clearly show you are a hs student (by showing ID) and you should not tell them to buy a metrocard to ride because hs students have been got away with not using metrocards who knows how many times. I hope the MTA will be more polite in the future, but I doubt it.

And.... scene.

For what it's worth HS students should pay for their own Metrocards.  There were many people who supported stripping them from students not too long ago because it's the that pays for them and they aren't reimbursed for those cots, and not all of the activities students partake in are related to school. Even with those student passes, farebeating from high schoolers is rampant and needs to be dealt with.  When students aren't in school, they should be paying, just like everyone else does and their mommies and daddies can pony up the money instead of giving them money for the latest Jordan's and other nonsense.  That's the real problem here.  Too few people are paying for others who are NOT paying.  The on the other hand should be more transparent about their costs if they want more money from the city and the State.  Lay out their costs step by step instead of just crying for more money.  They're asking the city for 2 BILLION dollars and that just barely covers their capital plan expenses.  That's ridiculous.   After all of these years it's time for the to grow a pair and become more savvy when it comes to the construction field so that more can be done in house and less by contractors who are literally eating them alive. The amount of money, time and energy that the spends suing contractors for delays and botched projects is monies that could be used towards service improvements.

[trainfanrod]

Now it's time for Albany and gov cumo to ride the train

[Q113 LTD]

Yesterday, I had missed my as soon as I finish walking up the staircase in Mott Av. I waited like 5 minutes for the next one to arrive and by the time it got here, the train didn't leave until 6 minutes later. By the time the train got to Beach 67th, the bridge at Broad Channel was open and the train was halted at the station for about 10 minutes.

[MysteriousBtrain]

For what it's worth HS students should pay for their own Metrocards. There were many people who supported stripping them from students not too long ago because it's the that pays for them and they aren't reimbursed for those cots, and not all of the activities students partake in are related to school. Even with those student passes, farebeating from high schoolers is rampant and needs to be dealt with. When students aren't in school, they should be paying, just like everyone else does and their mommies and daddies can pony up the money instead of giving them money for the latest Jordan's and other nonsense. That's the real problem here. Too few people are paying for others who are NOT paying. The on the other hand should be more transparent about their costs if they want more money from the city and the State. Lay out their costs step by step instead of just crying for more money. They're asking the city for 2 BILLION dollars and that just barely covers their capital plan expenses. That's ridiculous. After all of these years it's time for the to grow a pair and become more savvy when it comes to the construction field so that more can be done in house and less by contractors who are literally eating them alive. The amount of money, time and energy that the spends suing contractors for delays and botched projects is monies that could be used towards service improvements.

I can agree on the points you make. However, there is only one thing that I would point out that I'm not a big fan of.

Paying to go to school. Yeah, I'm ok with eliminating student metrocards, but I wouldn't pay for my ride to school if I wanted to. I would do this:

The school should give out a form of a weekday only regular metrocard and put something like $300 for the semester.If the student uses up all the money, then THEY have to pay for it. OR....

Use your student ID. You could show the bus driver and he would let you on board. For the subway, I'm not 100% sure but maybe show the ID to the station attendant or provide a special scanner that detects a student ID card for turnstiles.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I can agree on the points you make. However, there is only one thing that I would point out that I'm not a big fan of.

Paying to go to school. Yeah, I'm ok with eliminating student metrocards, but I wouldn't pay for my ride to school if I wanted to. I would do this:

The school should give out a form of a weekday only regular metrocard and put something like $50 for the semester.If the student uses up all the money, then THEY have to pay for it. OR....

Use your student ID. You could show the bus driver and he would let you on board. For the subway, I'm not 100% sure but maybe show the ID to the station attendant or provide a special scanner that detects a student ID card for turnstiles.

I don't support that.  The should not have to pay for student Metrocards.  Students that want to go outside of their zoned areas should pay for that themselves.

[MysteriousBtrain]

I don't support that. The should not have to pay for student Metrocards. Students that want to go outside of their zoned areas should pay for that themselves.

Everywhere besides school, yeah, you should pay. To school, Something should cover you.

[QM1to6Ave]

I'm not saying the MTA must thank everyone, but the mayor went out of his way to give you money and they didn't ask them. Maybe not a thank you but don't ask for more right away.

 

Keep in mind that this is all politics, which is a big show. Trust me, DeBlasio and Cuomo have separate closed-door meetings with the high-ups at the where they talk more frankly. The statements put out by the PR department, etc., don't always match what's discussed in private. 

[N6 Limited]

One day I was at Hoyt-Schemerhorn waiting for a Queens bound train, 3 trains came before the showed up!

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Everywhere besides school, yeah, you should pay. To school, Something should cover you.

Most students can attend schools that they can walk to.  If students choose to go to schools outside of their neighborhood that require a Metrocard, then that's a different story.  The point is that the provides these passes and eats the cost when they don't have that money to begin with.  I see TONS of kids abusing those passes (passing them on to friends who don't even go to school to begin with), so if they were so direly needed, those sorts of practices would not be occurring.  It creates a sense of entitlement that they must ride for free, even if they aren't attending something school related, which simply isn't the case.  I see too many teenagers farebeating and just walking on and having a seat and that's a huge problem.  It's creating a generation of folks that think they should get everything for free when they aren't entitled to anything.

 

I had a half-fare pass when I was going to high school for a number of years, and I was provided with the additional fare accordingly.  Another thing that irked me is seeing kids get student Metrocards just to walk around in the halls and hang out.  A complete waste of free resources.

[MysteriousBtrain]

Most students can attend schools that they can walk to. If students choose to go to schools outside of their neighborhood that require a Metrocard, then that's a different story. The point is that the provides these passes and eats the cost when they don't have that money to begin with. I see TONS of kids abusing those passes (passing them on to friends who don't even go to school to begin with), so if they were so direly needed, those sorts of practices would not be occurring. It creates a sense of entitlement that they must ride for free, even if they aren't attending something school related, which simply isn't the case. I see too many teenagers farebeating and just walking on and having a seat and that's a huge problem. It's creating a generation of folks that think they should get everything for free when they aren't entitled to anything.

 

I had a half-fare pass when I was going to high school for a number of years, and I was provided with the additional fare accordingly. Another thing that irked me is seeing kids get student Metrocards just to walk around in the halls and hang out. A complete waste of free resources.

I know some kids in my school including my ex that are able to walk to school, but for some reason, needs to take the bus because she us not used to walking that "far". If we can get others to walk as much as normal people can, then I guess we can get the metrocards taken.

[paulrivera]

I wonder how many trains showed up...

[RollOver]

I still remember the train crew error on a northbound R32 last summer at both Euclid Avenue and Broadway Junction. At first, they did indeed say it was a mechanical error though. I also thought it was an 8-car R32 train, but it then turned out to be a full 10-car train. After about a 10-15 minute delay, the dispatcher had the train removed from service, discharged and sent straight to the yard or a nearby layup. I don't know what became of the train crew afterwards, but whatever. The incident caused a severe delay in northbound service and severe overcrowding conditions on every train that came at the time.

[CDTA]

Most students can attend schools that they can walk to.  If students choose to go to schools outside of their neighborhood that require a Metrocard, then that's a different story.  The point is that the provides these passes and eats the cost when they don't have that money to begin with.  I see TONS of kids abusing those passes (passing them on to friends who don't even go to school to begin with), so if they were so direly needed, those sorts of practices would not be occurring.  It creates a sense of entitlement that they must ride for free, even if they aren't attending something school related, which simply isn't the case.  I see too many teenagers farebeating and just walking on and having a seat and that's a huge problem.  It's creating a generation of folks that think they should get everything for free when they aren't entitled to anything.

 

I had a half-fare pass when I was going to high school for a number of years, and I was provided with the additional fare accordingly.  Another thing that irked me is seeing kids get student Metrocards just to walk around in the halls and hang out.  A complete waste of free resources.

You are aware that they provide three trips on school days only? I don't think there's much to abuse with that. And don't forget they also stop working at 8:30. (Sporting events frequently go that late)

Also, I'd like to ask;

What about students in say, Far Rockaway, or Staten Island who want to attend Brooklyn Tech? You can't just go the local equivalent because there isn't any. I'd also like to add that despite living in Washington Heights, I had to go to school in the UWS because my local schools were all filled. Should I have to pay for that?

[MysteriousBtrain]

To add on to CDTA's response, how about the few people in Queens that were going to the Bronx hs of science? They did not create the X32 (although it is not around anymore) for nothing.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

You are aware that they provide three trips on school days only? I don't think there's much to abuse with that. And don't forget they also stop working at 8:30. (Sporting events frequently go that late)

Also, I'd like to ask;

What about students in say, Far Rockaway, or Staten Island who want to attend Brooklyn Tech? You can't just go the local equivalent because there isn't any. I'd also like to add that despite living in Washington Heights, I had to go to school in the UWS because my local schools were all filled. Should I have to pay for that?

I'm aware of it, and it's been that way since I was in high school and got a student Metrocard. What about the kids I've seen passing their cards to people who aren't even attending school or the pass already being used a max amount of times and said "student" trying to use it yet again and it's still during the morning time?  You should also re-read what I wrote, since I was quite clear in my previous post.

 

 

To add on to CDTA's response, how about the few people in Queens that were going to the Bronx hs of science? They did not create the X32 (although it is not around anymore) for nothing.

Those people have bus service that they use provided by Bronx HS of Science so that's a moot point.

[MysteriousBtrain]

I'm aware of it, and it's been that way since I was in high school and got a student Metrocard. What about the kids I've seen passing their cards to people who aren't even attending school or the pass already being used a max amount of times and said "student" trying to use it yet again and it's still during the morning time? You should also re-read what I wrote, since I was quite clear in my previous post.

If non students are using the metrocard, then that's what the cops are here for. They point out suspicious activity and I'm pretty sure that someone with a beard would look odd with a metrocard.

And B/Os should be smart enough to see if the metrocard user is young enough to use the student metrocard.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

If non students are using the metrocard, then that's what the cops are here for. They point out suspicious activity and I'm pretty sure that someone with a beard would look odd with a metrocard.

And B/Os should be smart enough to see if the metrocard user is young enough to use the student metrocard.

Oh please.  The cops are not going to waste their time busting high school dropouts that are using student Metrocards, and the B/O's are told not to do anything more but state the fare and keep it moving to avoid any conflict.

[BreeddekalbL]

Now it's time for Albany and gov cumo to ride the train

 

Prince Andrew only rides for photo op's and " approved announcements" 

 

also can't the motorcade detail get in trouble for "unauthorized rollout" for just dumping deblasio and his detail alongside him at the train station and god forbid something were to happen 

[bobtehpanda]

Most students can attend schools that they can walk to.  If students choose to go to schools outside of their neighborhood that require a Metrocard, then that's a different story.  The point is that the provides these passes and eats the cost when they don't have that money to begin with.  I see TONS of kids abusing those passes (passing them on to friends who don't even go to school to begin with), so if they were so direly needed, those sorts of practices would not be occurring.  It creates a sense of entitlement that they must ride for free, even if they aren't attending something school related, which simply isn't the case.  I see too many teenagers farebeating and just walking on and having a seat and that's a huge problem.  It's creating a generation of folks that think they should get everything for free when they aren't entitled to anything.

 

I had a half-fare pass when I was going to high school for a number of years, and I was provided with the additional fare accordingly.  Another thing that irked me is seeing kids get student Metrocards just to walk around in the halls and hang out.  A complete waste of free resources.

 

Ever since citywide school choice became a thing, getting placed into a zoned school is not exactly the best option (and even then, a lot of people get placed into other zoned schools because of school overcrowding in many neighborhoods; school building and expansion is not keeping up with the demand). Having bus drivers enforce usage would be hard enough, because school-related functions may not be on school days, certain schools have extra days of operation, etc.

 

I agree that the MTA shouldn't be paying for Metrocards, but I don't think that students should be doing it either. NYCDOE needs to pay the actual cost of these Metrocards; why, after all, do they feel the need to pay the school bus companies whatever the asking price is, but just hand the MTA a flat $90M every year, inflation and enrollment increases be damned? At least then it will give schools themselves the incentive to cut down on abuse.