Report: NYers Are Missing Appointments, Losing Jobs Due To Recent Subway Delays

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Report: NYers Are Missing Appointments, Losing Jobs Due To Recent Subway Delays

 

BY JAKE OFFENHARTZ IN NEWS ON JUL 9, 2017 3:56 PM

 

A crowd awaits the morning L train at Bedford Avenue. (Nell Casey/Gothamist)

 

Recent subway delays are hurting New Yorkers' wages, forcing people to miss medical and childcare appointments, and even leading some riders to lose their jobs, according to a surveyreleased Sunday by City Comptroller Scott Stringer.

The survey, based on in-person interviews conducted with 1,200 subway riders, found that 74 percent of respondents had been late to work, and 65 percent had been late to pick up a child, due to delays in the past three months. Half of riders said they'd been forced to pay for a taxi to get to work as a result of the delays.

When asked to grade recent subway service, nearly three-quarters of those surveyed gave the system a "C" or below, and one in seven respondents graded service as an "F."

 

(via City Comptroller)

 

“This is a crisis—there’s no doubt about it," Stringer said at a press conference on Sunday. "Delays are rising, service is declining, and New Yorkers are frustrated like never before. What we show here is that behind every delay, there’s a human cost, and behind every service disruption, there are lives affected."

 

That human cost is especially high in poorer communities, the report found. While just 10 percent of New Yorkers living in high-income zip codes said they'd been reprimanded at work because of delays, that number jumped to 24 percent in lower-income areas. In the Bronx, 54 percent said they experience significant delays more than half the time, compared to 45 percent in Queens, 40 percent in Brooklyn, and just 25 percent in Manhattan.

 

The findings echoed the results of a citywide survey of resident satisfaction conducted by the New York Times last month, which found subway approval in the Upper West Side to be significantly higher than in the Bronx.

To combat the growing delays, Stringer has proposed funding signal upgrades and track repairs through a $3.5 billion bond act. In June, a report released by the Independent Budget Officefound that the majority of signal updates and repairs scheduled to begin this year are currently delayed, and only one update in the current capital plan will be completed by 2018.

 

"A failure to invest decades ago led us to where we are today," Stringer noted. "Let there be no doubt that we need an all-hands-on-deck approach now. New York City’s ability to stay on top in this century—and the next—hinges on the quality of our transportation system.”

 

Representatives of the MTA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

 

Source: http://gothamist.com/2017/07/09/report_majority_of_nyers_have_been.php

[SmallParkShuttle]

Thanksfor the report, but don't we have a couple of threads this can go under? Like this one: http://www.nyctransitforums.com/forums/topic/50497-money-out-of-your-pocket%E2%80%99-new-yorkers-tell-of-subway-delay-woes/?hl=%2Bbillions+%2Blost&do=findComment&comment=927484

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Thanksfor the report, but don't we have a couple of threads this can go under? Like this one: http://www.nyctransitforums.com/forums/topic/50497-money-out-of-your-pocket%E2%80%99-new-yorkers-tell-of-subway-delay-woes/?hl=%2Bbillions+%2Blost&do=findComment&comment=927484

 It should be separate. It's important to follow this and to see if this situation is worsening and how it's impacting people to force solutions to address these problems.  I don't think you have much to say about it since you don't even live here, so I doubt you really care.  I can say personally that of late there have been times that I've made a decision not to use the subway despite the latest announcements that changes were being made to improve service.  Several news outlets are now doing daily stories on these issues as part of a series.

[Yankees4life]

Time management is key, IMO. Always plan a trip well ahead of time. I learned the hard way unfortunately...

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Time management is key, IMO. Always plan a trip well ahead of time. I learned the hard way unfortunately...

I think New Yorkers already are leaving early enough.  We even see it here in my office.  We have people that use the subway that have been delayed to meet with clients and we're talking about short distances.  

[bobtehpanda]

3.5B in bonds, unfortunately, does not begin to scratch the surface.

 

The current Capital Plan is 28B. At the rate the current Capital Plan funds things, it will take 50 years before every signal is replaced and every station is renovated, by which point the stations we're working on now will be well beyond disrepair.

 

We are putting in a pitiful amount for maintenance in a subway system, that at the very least, is $1T in physical assets.

[BreeddekalbL]

im suprised no one has sued the mta like the LIRR people are doing

[SmallParkShuttle]

 

 

It should be separate. It's important to follow this and to see if this situation is worsening and how it's impacting people to force solutions to address these problems. I don't think you have much to say about it since you don't even live here, so I doubt you really care. I can say personally that of late there have been times that I've made a decision not to use the subway despite the latest announcements that changes were being made to improve service. Several news outlets are now doing daily stories on these issues as part of a series.

Separate articles and series are one thing, making multiple posts on the same topic on this forum is another. Things on this forum show their importance by how long a thread becomes, not by how many threads there are.

 

I don't say much on the subject because I read the threads and my ideas are summed up by others. I also try to stay away from the petty back and forth.

 

Location has nothing to do with the issues plaguing the subway (troll much?). I care because I grew up riding the Subway, I am professionally part of the rail transit industry, I come back to NYC often (and ride the train when I do), I have plenty of friends and family who are directly impacted by what happens on the Subway, oh, and I'm part of this forum, no? Don't judge a man by his location status.

 

Believe it or not, what's happening in NY is not far from what's happening in DC, just scaled down to cause the same level of effects. Just search WMATA in the news and you'll see articles that sound just like the ones you post. They were talking about dissolving the WMATA compact a couple years ago.

 

The issues facing the system are multi-layered and multi-faced, and whatever path gets taken to remedy the situation, it's going to take time and inconveniences. No quick fixes last long.

 

The politicians need to apply pressure, but stop all the galavanting. That creates a fire drill reaction that spawns a numbers-based rehabilitation program, which guarantees that the infrastructure defects don't get properly addressed. Then you're back where you started five years later.

 

The data collection and the preventative maintenance practices need to be reviewed to make sure that the system's assets are being properly inspected, and that their conditions are known and correctly reported. This is where capital replacement and preventative maintenance programs start development or refining, such as signalling, which I'm pretty sure is already being looked at.

 

Quality assurance and compliance is needed to make sure small oversights that cause big problems are avoided. WMATA derailed a train and damaged track at one of the yards recently because someone forgot to remove a wheel chock from the rail when they were moving the train out of the shop. The same can be said for June's derailment at 125th.

 

These are just a couple of things I see. There are issues of manpower, unions, management, and operations that need to be addressed (and have been discussed on other threads). I don't feel like writing a book right now.

 

Sent from my Moto G using Tapatalk

3.5B in bonds, unfortunately, does not begin to scratch the surface.

 

The current Capital Plan is 28B. At the rate the current Capital Plan funds things, it will take 50 years before every signal is replaced and every station is renovated, by which point the stations we're working on now will be well beyond disrepair.

 

We are putting in a pitiful amount for maintenance in a subway system, that at the very least, is $1T in physical assets.

People tend to forget how much second hand revenue the Subway generates. I chuckle sometimes at Upstate NYers complaints that NYC gets an unfair balance of the budget. The fact that at least 30 percent of the state's population is in NYC should say enough.

 

Sent from my Moto G using Tapatalk

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Separate articles and series are one thing, making multiple posts on the same topic on this forum is another. Things on this forum show their importance by how long a thread becomes, not by how many threads there are.

 

I don't say much on the subject because I read the threads and my ideas are summed up by others. I also try to stay away from the petty back and forth.

 

Location has nothing to do with the issues plaguing the subway (troll much?). I care because I grew up riding the Subway, I am professionally part of the rail transit industry, I come back to NYC often (and ride the train when I do), I have plenty of friends and family who are directly impacted by what happens on the Subway, oh, and I'm part of this forum, no? Don't judge a man by his location status.

 

Believe it or not, what's happening in NY is not far from what's happening in DC, just scaled down to cause the same level of effects. Just search WMATA in the news and you'll see articles that sound just like the ones you post. They were talking about dissolving the WMATA compact a couple years ago.

 

The issues facing the system are multi-layered and multi-faced, and whatever path gets taken to remedy the situation, it's going to take time and inconveniences. No quick fixes last long.

 

The politicians need to apply pressure, but stop all the galavanting. That creates a fire drill reaction that spawns a numbers-based rehabilitation program, which guarantees that the infrastructure defects don't get properly addressed. Then you're back where you started five years later.

 

The data collection and the preventative maintenance practices need to be reviewed to make sure that the system's assets are being properly inspected, and that their conditions are known and correctly reported. This is where capital replacement and preventative maintenance programs start development or refining, such as signalling, which I'm pretty sure is already being looked at.

 

Quality assurance and compliance is needed to make sure small oversights that cause big problems are avoided. WMATA derailed a train and damaged track at one of the yards recently because someone forgot to remove a wheel chock from the rail when they were moving the train out of the shop. The same can be said for June's derailment at 125th.

 

These are just a couple of things I see. There are issues of manpower, unions, management, and operations that need to be addressed (and have been discussed on other threads). I don't feel like writing a book right now.

 

Sent from my Moto G using Tapatalk

People tend to forget how much second hand revenue the Subway generates. I chuckle sometimes at Upstate NYers complaints that NYC gets an unfair balance of the budget. The fact that at least 30 percent of the state's population is in NYC should say enough.

 

Sent from my Moto G using Tapatalk

Well what do you add? You sit back and criticize what I post, but I have yet to see you post anything of substance.... Not one thing.  Yes, I have an angle, and that is to point to the problems that exist in the system that need to be fixed and maybe to you it's the same thing, but it isn't to me. Unlike you, I've spend quite a bit of time fighting to get transit servicies restored in the city, years in fact and still am at it. I doubt you can say the same, but sure, feel free to sit back and criticize and claim that you're so concerned.  I call it BS. The fact of the matter is outside of this forum this has become a daily topic, whether we want it to be or not and I think the fact that people are losing their jobs and potentially not able to put food on the table is something that's important.  This has all sorts of ripple effects that affects everyone, whether you use the system or not.  The fact that people are spending more time traveling means they're cutting back on something, be it spending time with families, spending monies supporting the local economy and so on.

 

The media won't stop talking about it because it has become such a mess, and it needs attention because it is out of control.  You have people spending over two hours commuting each way because of this mess.  My colleague has a family at home and sees his commute worsening each day.  I'm not a transit fan and never will be. I am someone who uses the system daily and thinks that we aren't getting what we're paying for and has lobbied for better service, and I'll keep doing that, so you are free to critcize my efforts if that makes you feel better, but unless people speak out against these things and talk about them, nothing will change. It's that simple.

[SmallParkShuttle]

 

 

Well what do you add? You sit back and criticize what I post, but I have yet to see you post anything of substance.... Not one thing. Yes, I have an angle, and that is to point to the problems that exist in the system that need to be fixed and maybe to you it's the same thing, but it isn't to me. Unlike you, I've spend quite a bit of time fighting to get transit servcies restored in the city, years in fact and still am at it. I doubt you can say the same, but sure feel free to sit back and criticize and claim that you're so concerned. I call it BS. The fact of the matter is outside of this forum this has become a daily topic, whether we want it to be or not and I think the fact that people are losing their jobs and potentially not able to put food on the table is something that's important.

 

The media won't stop talking about it because it has become such a mess, and it needs attention because it is out of control. You have people spending over two hours commuting each way because of this mess. My colleague has a family at home and sees his commute worsening because of this mess. I'm not a transit fan and never will be. I am someone who uses the system daily and thinks that we aren't getting what we're paying for and has lobbied for better service, and I'll keep doing that, so you are free to critcize my efforts if that makes you feel better, but unless people speak out against these things and talk about them, nothing will change. It's that simple.

Never criticized what you posted nor your efforts, just advising that you stick to forum guidelines and keep like topics together. I actually thanked you for your post. You alienate people if you start spamming the forum with similar topic threads. Then you're efforts lose effect.

 

I live through and with the transit mess down here. I've had to deal with emergency shutdowns that saw me walking up to 5 miles a day from door to train station for weeks on a 2.5 hour commute, up from 1.25 hours due to the shutdown. That's one instance of countless issues I, who has a family at home also, endure just like all the other people riding with me. When something shuts down out here, there's not many other decent choices available. I can't readily walk a couple avenues over to the next trunk line. Difference is I've seen the internal processes and failures that got Metro to the poor state it's in. I've also seen the knee-jerk reactions from management due to the news and politicians having their heyday that don't solve much. Metro crammed three years of track renewal into one painful year. Though many areas that needed attention got it, I think the agency isn't in much of a better position than it was a year ago on the organization side. Nothing was done to audit and revise the trackwork practices, which put Metro in the spotlight in the first place. There's still a possibility to have a repeat of what we went through with how things are setup, and part of my day job is to help change that setup to maximize efficiency and reduce waste. I do my part.

 

I didn't bash you or the article you've posted. I want to be defensive from a transit POV, but I know I can't because the stories are true, the problems are real, and something needs to be done about it.

 

Sent from my Moto G using Tapatalk

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Never criticized what you posted nor your efforts, just advising that you stick to forum guidelines and keep like topics together. I actually thanked you for your post. You alienate people if you start spamming the forum with similar topic threads. Then you're efforts lose effect.

I live through and with the transit mess down here. I've had to deal with emergency shutdowns that saw me walking up to 5 miles a day from door to train station for weeks on a 2.5 hour commute, up from 1.25 hours due to the shutdown. That's one instance of countless issues I, who has a family at home also, endure just like all the other people riding with me. When something shuts down out here, there's not many other decent choices available. I can't readily walk a couple avenues over to the next trunk line. Difference is I've seen the internal processes and failures that got Metro to the poor state it's in. I've also seen the knee-jerk reactions from management due to the news and politicians having their heyday that don't solve much. Metro crammed three years of track renewal into one painful year. Though many areas that needed attention got it, I think the agency isn't in much of a better position than it was a year ago on the organization side. Nothing was done to audit and revise the trackwork practices, which put Metro in the spotlight in the first place. There's still a possibility to have a repeat of what we went through with how things are setup, and part of my day job is to help change that setup to maximize efficiency and reduce waste. I do my part.

I didn't bash you or the article you've posted. I want to be defensive from a transit POV, but I know I can't because the stories are true, the problems are real, and something needs to be done about it.

Sent from my Moto G using Tapatalk

The problem is these stories are ongoing. If I were posting old articles then you'd have a valid point. Unfortunately these things keep popping up. I can refrain from posting them, but that would simply mean trying to avoid discussing the elephant in the room, and yesterday we hear of yet another train stalling and stranding passengers. When we accept this as the new norm then we're really in trouble, which is what I fear is happening.

[Wallyhorse]

People tend to forget how much second hand revenue the Subway generates. I chuckle sometimes at Upstate NYers complaints that NYC gets an unfair balance of the budget. The fact that at least 30 percent of the state's population is in NYC should say enough.

That is true.  There is a lot of resentment of the big cities in general.  There are many who would like to see New York City forced out of New York State and become its own state not understanding this.

 

The real problem is politicians can't do photo-ops with repairs and want to be able to look like they are doing something to people who never ride the subways at all and don't understand a lot of this.  

[SmallParkShuttle]

The problem is these stories are ongoing. If I were posting old articles then you'd have a valid point. Unfortunately these things keep popping up. I can refrain from posting them, but that would simply mean trying to avoid discussing the elephant in the room, and yesterday we hear of yet another train stalling and stranding passengers. When we accept this as the new norm then we're really in trouble, which is what I fear is happening.

That is not my point. I'm saying you should update existing threads with new information instead of starting new ones every two days. Me saying this three times now in this thread is threatening the longevity of this thread. Keep the conversation civil and threads won't get locked.

 

The DN article on the 7 train incident is exactly what I'm afraid of. The details of the incident get misinterpreted, and you have an article citing the cause as some level of MTA negligence when it was more likely an employee properly executing a safety protocol, which is given as an MTA excuse in the article. The numbers support the MTA's explanation, but the headline tells it all.

 

This kind of reporting derails plans and programs that are being developed to update and fix unrelated components that are nearing the end their useful life and replaces them with a political fire that has to be put out. Crews are reallocated to one task instead of executing multiple tasks. Then the components fail and we're putting out fires again. Insert new grievance article.

 

I understand that lives are getting impacted when trains get delayed. Most of us on this forum feel those same impacts and we talk about it. That's why there's an unplanned delays thread and a couple major service disruption threads. I think that having a social impact thread on these issues rounds it out, but can be dangerous if views don't stay objective.

 

I want to see trains run well and without delay, and I get paid to take a part in making that happen. My livelihood depends on it. When the trains run well, people run well. I may not always look at the human aspect, but I'm working to the same goal.

 

That's really how a number of us think here. Which is why when there's a major incident, members here are asking about location and car types instead of body counts and injuries; trying to identify the problem to start discussing a solution so that this doesn't happen again.

 

Sent from my Moto G using Tapatalk

[Via Garibaldi 8]

That is not my point. I'm saying you should update existing threads with new information instead of starting new ones every two days. Me saying this three times now in this thread is threatening the longevity of this thread. Keep the conversation civil and threads won't get locked.

The DN article on the 7 train incident is exactly what I'm afraid of. The details of the incident get misinterpreted, and you have an article citing the cause as some level of MTA negligence when it was more likely an employee properly executing a safety protocol, which is given as an MTA excuse in the article. The numbers support the MTA's explanation, but the headline tells it all.

This kind of reporting derails plans and programs that are being developed to update and fix unrelated components that are nearing the end their useful life and replaces them with a political fire that has to be put out. Crews are reallocated to one task instead of executing multiple tasks. Then the components fail and we're putting out fires again. Insert new grievance article.

I understand that lives are getting impacted when trains get delayed. Most of us on this forum feel those same impacts and we talk about it. That's why there's an unplanned delays thread and a couple major service disruption threads. I think that having a social impact thread on these issues rounds it out, but can be dangerous if views don't stay objective.

I want to see trains run well and without delay, and I get paid to take a part in making that happen. My livelihood depends on it. When the trains run well, people run well. I may not always look at the human aspect, but I'm working to the same goal.

That's really how a number of us think here. Which is why when there's a major incident, members here are asking about location and car types instead of body counts and injuries; trying to identify the problem to start discussing a solution so that this doesn't happen again.

Sent from my Moto G using Tapatalk

Well you are giving your opinion. Nothing you have said is a fact and if a mod feels the thread should be merged then it'll be merged. It's that simple. As I said before you haven't added anything to this discussion. You never start any threads on anything, and yet you are quick to criticize.

 

You don't always look at the human aspect? That's troubling to me and explains your disconnect with reality.

[Around the Horn]

You don't always look at the human aspect? That's troubling to me and explains your disconnect with reality.

 

When your looking at it from a transit perspective, there is not much you can do about the body count and injuries other than look at all the particulars of the situation to determine if there are any potential issues with the vehicle or the physical plant that could be a danger to riders at another time. For example, the fact that 75 foot cars have doors that can't be unlocked or if a car type has a physical fault that could endanger other riders.

 

That's not a disconnect with reality, that's looking out for riders' safety.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

When your looking at it from a transit perspective, there is not much you can do about the body count and injuries other than look at all the particulars of the situation to determine if there are any potential issues with the vehicle or the physical plant that could be a danger to riders at another time. For example, the fact that 75 foot cars have doors that can't be unlocked or if a car type has a physical fault that could endanger other riders.

 

That's not a disconnect with reality, that's looking out for riders' safety.

If you're not including the human aspect when thinking about transit, then no, you aren't looking out for riders' safety. The human aspect should always be part of the process. Perhaps if it was, some of what we're seeing today wouldn't be a problem.

[checkmatechamp13]

In other news, water is wet.

 

I mean, not to excuse the delays, but that's the case whenever any transit system is delayed: There's always going to be people late for work, appointments, etc

[MassTransitHonchkrow]

The continued failure of the subway system puts the city at risk of collapse and a relapse of those bad days in the 70s.

 

The MTA has long ignored the fringes of the city that are less fortunate and have allowed blight to fester. Mott Haven, Far Rockaway, East NY, Brownsville, West Farms, Harlem and other blighted communities deserve the same attention being afforded to Yotkville, Chelsea, SoHo, Park Slope and other rapidly gentrifying communities.

 

The attempts by Realtors to rebrand Harlem makes me sick.

 

Public transportation is supposed to connect people to opportunities thar lift them out of poverty and a means to support themselves and family.

 

The failures of the most important backbone of transit in the tristate area can have consequences that drag the whole nation back into recession.

 

New York City is the nation's largest. If something awful happened here economically or socially, other cities will fall like dominos.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

In other news, water is wet.

 

I mean, not to excuse the delays, but that's the case whenever any transit system is delayed: There's always going to be people late for work, appointments, etc

That's not the point. This is having economic implications that could hurt the City long-term. If people can't get to work then that's a problem. I was speaking with a client of mine yesterday who is a doctor and a good friend. We went out for drinks and some tapas last night after work and he was talking to me about how concerned he is about the subway. He has a private practice that requires him to be in the Bronx and Queens a few days a week. He lives in Astoria and he noted how much longer it takes him to reach his patients than before. It has him wondering where he should move to because he has become fed up with spending so much time on the subway and obviously it hurts how much money he can make. These are the types of examples that I'm talking about. It is leading people to seek alternatives, move elsewhere or leave the NYC entirely or drive causing more congestion. The City is only as powerful as its tax base is, and if people start leaving en masse, we could have a real problem. Some folks forget when the City was on the verge of bankruptcy because it was literally broke because these days the City is rolling in money because of the tax base it has. Being late occasionally is one thing. Being late regularly when allotting extra time is not ok, and there is no question that the situation is worsening rapidly. For the most part, what's been happening is that as New Yorkers leave or others leave, they're being replaced by other people that want to move here. If those people can't get around, that may change sooner than we think. You also have companies that may start relocating elsewhere. Why should they stay here if they can go elsewhere, pay less taxes as opposed to putting up with horrendous subway service where their employees have to wonder how long it will take them to get to work every day. These delays have not been "ordinary" and you can no longer think that even with extra time that you'll get to your destination promptly. In companies with strict late policies, people can and are being fired, so this puts an enormous amount of stress on folks not knowing what will happen on a day-to-day basis. I can say that me personally, I have severely limited my travel with the subway since the latest incidents.

 

The continued failure of the subway system puts the city at risk of collapse and a relapse of those bad days in the 70s.

The MTA has long ignored the fringes of the city that are less fortunate and have allowed blight to fester. Mott Haven, Far Rockaway, East NY, Brownsville, West Farms, Harlem and other blighted communities deserve the same attention being afforded to Yotkville, Chelsea, SoHo, Park Slope and other rapidly gentrifying communities.

The attempts by Realtors to rebrand Harlem makes me sick.

Public transportation is supposed to connect people to opportunities thar lift them out of poverty and a means to support themselves and family.

The failures of the most important backbone of transit in the tristate area can have consequences that drag the whole nation back into recession.

New York City is the nation's largest. If something awful happened here economically or socially, other cities will fall like dominos.

Excellent points. I've already heard of people leaving the city and moving elsewhere. The only question how bad will it get. Lower tax revenues men less money for a host of things.

[Wallyhorse]

That's not the point. This is having economic implications that could hurt the City long-term. If people can't get to work then that's a problem. I was speaking with a client of mine yesterday who is a doctor and a good friend. We went out for drinks and some tapas last night after work and he was talking to me about how concerned he is about the subway. He has a private practice that requires him to be in the Bronx and Queens a few days a week. He lives in Astoria and he noted how much longer it takes him to reach his patients than before. It has him wondering where he should move to because he has become fed up with spending so much time on the subway and obviously it hurts how much money he can make. These are the types of examples that I'm talking about. It is leading people to seek alternatives, move elsewhere or leave the NYC entirely or drive causing more congestion. The City is only as powerful as its tax base is, and if people start leaving en masse, we could have a real problem. Some folks forget when the City was on the verge of bankruptcy because it was literally broke because these days the City is rolling in money because of the tax base it has. Being late occasionally is one thing. Being late regularly when allotting extra time is not ok, and there is no question that the situation is worsening rapidly. For the most part, what's been happening is that as New Yorkers leave or others leave, they're being replaced by other people that want to move here. If those people can't get around, that may change sooner than we think. You also have companies that may start relocating elsewhere. Why should they stay here if they can go elsewhere, pay less taxes as opposed to putting up with horrendous subway service where their employees have to wonder how long it will take them to get to work every day. These delays have not been "ordinary" and you can no longer think that even with extra time that you'll get to your destination promptly. In companies with strict late policies, people can and are being fired, so this puts an enormous amount of stress on folks not knowing what will happen on a day-to-day basis. I can say that me personally, I have severely limited my travel with the subway since the latest incidents.

 

Excellent points. I've already heard of people leaving the city and moving elsewhere. The only question how bad will it get. Lower tax revenues men less money for a host of things.

What the big donors need to do is tell the people they want in office they WANT big-time increases in mass transit funding above all else, making it clear that needs to be done for the city to survive and unless they get that will support other candidates. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

What the big donors need to do is tell the people they want in office they WANT big-time increases in mass transit funding above all else, making it clear that needs to be done for the city to survive and unless they get that will support other candidates. 

Please... The companies like Google get nice tax incentives that set up shop here.  I've been to the Google Chelsea offices for a presentation and the lunch room was so big that I got lost.   The question is if these sorts of companies start making a stink about the problem (I believe Google has bus services for their employees, but some still may rely on the subway - I'm almost certain they do), or better yet you just have companies say NYC isn't attractive enough to move to, so we'll set up elsewhere. Our economy is simply not diverse enough to risk it. We rely heavily on Wall Street, tech, tourism and the medical sector, and if any of these companies or institutions decide to move to CT or NJ who knows.  There was chattering of such things before, but it died down.  Between the subway and high real estate costs, I think anything is on the table in the future.

 

This article below just reinforces what I've stated:

 

People are fleeing New York at an alarming rate

By Aaron Short

April 1, 2017 | 11:00pm | Updated

 

 

More people are leaving the New York region than any other major metropolitan area in the country.

 

More than 1 million people moved out of the New York area to other parts of the country since 2010, a rate of 4.4 percent — the highest negative net migration rate among the nation’s large population centers, US Census records show.

 

The number of people leaving the region — which includes parts of New Jersey, Connecticut, the lower Hudson Valley and Long Island — in one year swelled from 187,034 in 2015 to 223,423 in 2016, while the number of international immigrants settling in the tristate area dwindled from 181,551 to 160,324 over the same period, records show.

 

The nation’s economy is improving, there are more jobs in cheaper places to live, and retirees are choosing to move to warmer climates, experts say.

 

“The historical trend is that out-migration grows when the economy is getting better,” said Empire Center for Public Policy research director E.J. McMahon.

 

“As the economy gets better, there are more jobs outside the region and by the same token . . . more people to buy your house if you’re a baby boomer looking to move to Boca Raton or Myrtle Beach.”

The New York metro area remains the most populous in the country with 23.7 million residents.

Americans have been increasingly relocating from the eastern US and the Rust Belt to cities in Florida, Texas and the Northwest.

 

The Orlando-Daytona Beach area attracted 217,104 Americans to its shores over the past six years, a growth rate of 7.7 percent.

 

Denver had the second-highest rate of domestic migrants (6.3) followed by Houston (4.7), Dallas-Fort Worth (4.6) and Portland, Ore. (3.9), according to census records compiled by the Empire Center.

The population of the New York region still grew 2.7 percent from 2010 to 2016, thanks to foreign arrivals and births, records show.

 

New York City, the main driver of the region’s population, is on track to have 8.6 million people by 2020, from a current population of 8.5 million, according to July 2016 records.

But the area’s growth rate is slowing down.

 

The region’s population rose 0.5 percent from July 2012 to July 2013, but only inched upward 0.1 percent from July 2015 to July 2016, records show.

 

 

Some 422,045 people — or 4.3 percent — have left Chicago since 2010, the second-highest negative migration rate after New York’s.

 

Source: http://nypost.com/2017/04/01/people-are-fleeing-new-york-at-an-alarming-rate/

[Porter]

Yeah, if I'm running late I'll take the bicycle. It's faster.

[Around the Horn]

The continued failure of the subway system puts the city at risk of collapse and a relapse of those bad days in the 70s.

 

The MTA has long ignored the fringes of the city that are less fortunate and have allowed blight to fester. Mott Haven, Far Rockaway, East NY, Brownsville, West Farms, Harlem and other blighted communities deserve the same attention being afforded to Yotkville, Chelsea, SoHo, Park Slope and other rapidly gentrifying communities.

 

The attempts by Realtors to rebrand Harlem makes me sick.

 

Public transportation is supposed to connect people to opportunities thar lift them out of poverty and a means to support themselves and family.

 

The failures of the most important backbone of transit in the tristate area can have consequences that drag the whole nation back into recession.

 

New York City is the nation's largest. If something awful happened here economically or socially, other cities will fall like dominos.

 

I'll agree with everything here except that last sentence. IMO, other Northeast cities like Washington, DC, Philadelphia and Boston would just pick up the slack and the population. In Philadelphia, you're seeing this already, with New York developers investing in properties and others like Amtrak, Drexel University and local company Brandywine proposing large developments near 30th Street Station and to attract New York talent via the Northeast Corridor and the renewed Acela.

 

All good points, nonetheless.

[bobtehpanda]

I'll agree with everything here except that last sentence. IMO, other Northeast cities like Washington, DC, Philadelphia and Boston would just pick up the slack and the population. In Philadelphia, you're seeing this already, with New York developers investing in properties and others like Amtrak, Drexel University and local company Brandywine proposing large developments near 30th Street Station and to attract New York talent via the Northeast Corridor and the renewed Acela.

 

All good points, nonetheless.

 

New York is gonna be king, at least on the East Coast, and anyone who says otherwise is huffin some serious shit.

 

Main reason being that, well, all the transatlantic communications cables land in New York, specifically in the Verizon tower. It is, quite frankly, the single reason we still have most of the nation's trading activity on the markets, and the only reason why firms even bother staying downtown. That extra 250ms you get because your office is at 34th instead of Wall St makes all the difference with computerized trading these days and can cost millions in trades being executed in London, Paris, and Berlin.

 

Realistically speaking, other cities are not set up for that. The most obvious candidates for another banking center have serious downfalls; SF is even more pricey than here and has a harder left bent than us, Seattle is still too small and is practically socialist, and Chicago is located in the middle of the country and away from our trading partners.

[B35 via Church]

Thanksfor the report, but don't we have a couple of threads this can go under? Like this one: http://www.nyctransitforums.com/forums/topic/50497-money-out-of-your-pocket%E2%80%99-new-yorkers-tell-of-subway-delay-woes/?hl=%2Bbillions+%2Blost&do=findComment&comment=927484

Never criticized what you posted nor your efforts, just advising that you stick to forum guidelines and keep like topics together. I actually thanked you for your post. You alienate people if you start spamming the forum with similar topic threads. Then you're efforts lose effect.

That is not my point. I'm saying you should update existing threads with new information instead of starting new ones every two days. Me saying this three times now in this thread is threatening the longevity of this thread. Keep the conversation civil and threads won't get locked.

Posting multiple articles of a similar subject matter in the same thread does not tend to spur discussion in the same manner that starting new threads does.... I'll go one further than that - Seeing a forum that has few posts, but have hundreds of pages of activity doesn't spur forum registration/new membership..... So I see zero problem here.... There isn't any spamming going on like you're insinuating..... If there's anything that threatened the longevity of this thread, it was the nature of your opening reply to it.....

 

Let's not bring up sticking to forum guidelines, because your mini-modding is by no means exemplary of that....

 

For whatever the reason, there's a lack of discussion threads being started on this forum as a whole....

Alienation occurs when there is a LACK of new threads being posted.....

 

Look around this forum.... Connect the dots...

 

It's the same collective of people posting in the same threads.... We could use new topics (and new blood) around here!