New York City - Transit News

[Perklol]

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/...icle-1.1981709

MTA will have to raise fares 15% if it borrows $15 billion to fill budget gap: controller

BY PETE DONOHUE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Published: Tuesday, October 21, 2014, 10:43 AM


Fares would increase to about $2.90 for MTA buses and subways if the authority decides to borrow the money for its capital program.

To fill its $15.2 billion budget gap solely through borrowing, the MTA would have to raise fares and tolls 15%, according to a shocking report released by the state controller Tuesday.

If the increase was applied evenly across the board, it would boost the $2.50 base bus and subway fare to approximately $2.90, and jack up the 30-Day MetroCard, now $112, to $129.

“That’s too much,” said Donald Alford, 67, a retired cashier from Queens, while waiting for an N train in lower Manhattan. “That’s too high.”

Bill Karastathis, 53, a Queens college student also on the N train platform at Whitehall St., said such an increase would be “disparaging.”

Both Alford and Karastathis called on the state to fund the capital program.

“They’ve got to figure something out,” Karastathis said.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority capital budget pays for the nuts-and-bolts maintenance of the system, including the replacement of subway rails, the purchase of new commuter trains and the renovation of stations.

It also encompasses expansion projects like the Second Ave. Subway and the costly modernization of the subway signal system, which is expected to increase capacity on terribly overcrowded lines.

....The MTA already intends to raise fares and tolls 4% in March.

“The best thing a governor can do for the millions who take transit is to win a robust program to fix our aged system,” Gene Russianoff, staff attorney for the Straphangers Campaign, said. “If Gov. Cuomo succeeds, he will be a hero to riders from Sheepshead Bay to Woodlawn. If he fails, the city and suburbs will be badly hurt.”

[aquablue]

Originally Posted by Eveningsong

http://www.capitalnewyork.com/articl...avenue-problem

Downtown Brooklyn’s Lexington Avenue problem

By Dana Rubinstein 3:13 p.m. | Sep. 16, 2014

Ridiculous. Basing the office on where the CEO lives? this is a purely stupid piece of journalism. Also, the CEO most likely has the financial capacity to move his residence anywhere.

There is one valid point here, the overcrowded lex line. NY needs something like Crossrail in London. A commuter service that acts like a rapid transit railway and stops at various hubs throughout the city to relieve the subway from overcrowding. Unlikely, but necessary in order to allow other hubs like Brooklyn to take off.

[Perklol]

^^ Agree. Top executives of a company get around in their limos

Also I think funding and construction on the 2nd. avenue subway needs to get going faster. Something like crossrail could also work but at least something should get built soon...

[Perklol]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/...0IB1LW20141022

NYC subway breaks record with more than 6 million daily rides

NEW YORK Wed Oct 22, 2014 4:50pm EDT

(Reuters) - More people rode the New York City subway than ever in September, with the number of trips exceeding a record-breaking 6 million on five separate days over the month, transit officials said on Wednesday.

There were 6,106,694 trips on the subway on Sept. 23, the highest number since daily figures were first recorded in 1985, and likely the highest since the late 1940s, when the system had more elevated lines and far fewer people owned cars.

Four other days in September also exceeded 6 million trips, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the state agency that runs the transit system, said.

The previous record was set on Oct. 24, 2013, when there were 5,987,595 rides.

Since the first underground subway trip in 1904, the city's subway system has grown into one of the largest in the world, with 468 stations across more than 20 lines.

Ridership dropped in the 1970s and 1980s when the city's crime rate was much higher and the subway's graffiti-covered cars were seen as unsafe.

In the early 1990s, barely 3.7 million trips were taken on the system on a weekday, according to transit officials. Since then, ridership has steadily increased as crime rates have plummeted, graffiti has disappeared, and ever-increasing numbers of tourists have visited.

The Riders Alliance, a group that advocates on behalf of the city's straphangers, said the record-breaking ridership was a sign of the system's improved service.

[Perklol]

http://nypost.com/2014/10/12/failing...ebt-and-decay/

By Nicole Gelinas October 12, 2014 | 5:11pm

Failing the subways — on track for debt and decay

It’s useful to see New York through the eyes of our competitors. Last week, as Gov. Cuomo was denouncing the MTA’s five-year, $32 billion investment plan as “bloated,” two businessmen from the other world city — London — were writing letters to The Financial Times calling New York’s transit system “beyond ghastly” and “disgusting.”

Unless Cuomo gets religion after his re-election, he’ll leave subways, buses and commuter lines in worse condition — and loaded up with a legacy of debt.

The MTA likes to say that the transit system is much better than it used to be — “robust and well-maintained” and all that.

And that’s true, thanks to the $123 billion we’ve invested in trains, tracks, buses, signals and all that stuff over the past 30 years.

It’s no coincidence that as soon as New York started fixing its then truly ghastly transit system in the early ’80s, it started to regain population after three decades of flight — going from 7.1 million people in 1980 to 7.3 million people by 1990.

The problem is that the MTA spent most of that $123 billion fixing up a system that was broken, but was big enough.

...."I was a student in New York in the 1960s and the city has not built an underground line since then,” writes London’s Parry Mitchell, an entrepreneur.

Meanwhile, London has finished three major projects, including a subway extension, and is in the middle of a fourth and planning three more.

Normally, it’s fine to borrow for expansion. The idea is that more people pay more taxes and can pay back the debt. But the MTA already borrowed $34 billion, mostly to reverse prior decades of neglect.

It could borrow more, sure. MTA chief Tom Prendergast said last week that “I’ll take debt . . . and increasing debt . . . as a bridge to another day.”

The practical problem there, though, is that the MTA already is borrowing more — $6.2 billion more. That is, if investors let it. Credit analysts at S&P are warning of a “very high debt burden.”

And as the MTA spends more and more money on debt each year — going from $2.3 billion now to nearly $3 billion four years from now — it needs ever-higher fares.

[chris08876]

MTA is probably one of the most incompetent organizations out there.

Shame because as subway capacity/demand increases, the organization really needs to be on its game, and not burden the city with its corruption and mismanagement.

[mrnyc]

a little something from mta:


MTA New York City Transit’s Subway System Enjoys New Vigor at 110

October 24th, 2014


October 27th, 2014 marks the 110th anniversary of the subway system. The first train ran north from City Hall to 145th Street and Broadway. The system that now benefits 5.8 million daily customers sprang from a single line that didn’t leave the confines of Manhattan.

The system has grown into a four-borough operation that each day moves more than double the population of Chicago. Trains running along 24 lines feed the City’s schools, businesses and recreational venues. New York could not be the 24/7 City it is today without the MTA New York City subway and the system will continue to nurture the City’s growth far into the future.

For a period in the 1970s and 1980s, however, the subway slipped into a state of decay. A prolonged lack of investment caused an historic level of deterioration. Track fires, train derailments and equipment breakdowns were daily events and the engine that drove New York sputtered and turned into a graffiti-scarred mess. A fresh leadership team, however, demonstrated a commitment to improving the moribund system. The resulting resurgence was funded by the first of the MTA’s Capital Plans. The combination of vision and cash, $100 million so far, managed to reverse the downward trend and breathe new life into the transit system.

Today, the MTA is working on future improvements and expansion projects that will carry us through the next 100 plus years. The City’s population is growing and transit ridership is rising right along with it. In fact, there were five days in September, 2014 when ridership broke the six-million customer mark.

Currently, there are several projects to push the system forward, either in progress, nearing completion or in the planning stages. The extension of the 7 to the West Side of Manhattan, Fulton Center Complex, the installation of new signaling systems and the ongoing Superstorm Sandy Fix & Fortify program work all combine to further strengthen the system so that it will support the City’s future needs.

A new generation subway car is now on the drawing board. This fleet will introduce vehicles with greater capacity, higher levels of reliability and increased levels of customer comfort over current trains. Their durability will insure that they offer dependable service for many decades into the future.

As the City grows, we will continue to grow with it. The subway and the City is a symbiotic relationship that benefits the entire region, and keeps us a world leader.

[Perklol]

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/...icle-1.1988694

Fulton Center subway hub to open in November

An MTA official announced Monday the $1.4 billion transit center — the Grand Central of downtown — will open on Nov. 10, making transfer between several subway lines easier, and also features stunning visuals and retail space.

The MTA's gleaming $1.4 billion Fulton Center subway hub will open Nov. 10, a transit official announced Monday.

Billed as the Grand Central of downtown, the center is designed to simplify transfers among several subway lines and provide new transfer opportunities.

The glass-and-steel-entrance building at Fulton St. and Broadway features a 90-foot-wide skylight that allows sunlight to filter down to the two mezzanines below street level.

MTA officials previously said the Dey St. Concourse, a new underground passageway linking eight subway lines at the Fulton complex to the Cortland St. R-train station would not open until next year when certain Port Authority construction at the World Trade Center site is completed.

But the MTA has had a change of heart and will open the Dey St. Concourse on Nov. 10, too, an MTA spokesman said.

...The Fulton Center features:

- A web of steel cables descending from the circular skylight like a net hanging down from a basketball hoop. This web is adorned with nearly 1,000 diamond-shaped pieces of aluminum. The giant piece of art reflects the sky downward and through the building.

- A lower mezzanine called the "mixing bowl" where hundreds of thousands of subway riders and tourists will cross paths, similar to the scene on Grand Central Terminal's marbled floors.

[aquablue]

The subway needs serious investment. London is far ahead of NY in this area.

[electricron]

Originally Posted by aquablue

The subway needs serious investment. London is far ahead of NY in this area.

London's Underground has 270 stations on 250 miles of track with 11 lines. London's Overground has 83 stations on 53 miles of track with 6 lines. That adds up to a total of 353 stations, 303 miles of track, and 16 lines.
New York's Subway has 421 stations on 656 miles of track with 34 lines. New York's Port Authority Trans Hudson (PATH) has 13 stations on 14 miles of track with 4 lines. New York's Long Island Railroad has 124 stations on 700 miles of track with 2 lines (8 branches). New York's Metro North Railroad has 122 stations on 775 miles of track with 5 lines. That adds up to 680 stations on 2145 miles of track with 45 lines, and that's not even counting New Jersey's Rail 202 stations, 643 miles of track, and 14 lines.

Now who is catching up to whom?

[cityscapes]

Originally Posted by electricron

London's Underground has 270 stations on 250 miles of track with 11 lines. London's Overground has 83 stations on 53 miles of track with 6 lines. That adds up to a total of 353 stations, 303 miles of track, and 16 lines.
New York's Subway has 421 stations on 656 miles of track with 34 lines. New York's Port Authority Trans Hudson (PATH) has 13 stations on 14 miles of track with 4 lines. New York's Long Island Railroad has 124 stations on 700 miles of track with 2 lines (8 branches). New York's Metro North Railroad has 122 stations on 775 miles of track with 5 lines. That adds up to 680 stations on 2145 miles of track with 45 lines, and that's not even counting New Jersey's Rail 202 stations, 643 miles of track, and 14 lines.

Now who is catching up to whom?

If you're going to count Metro North and LIRR trains then it's only fair that you add in all the National Rail stations within greater London.

[nito]

New York’s Subway has more stations than the Underground, but it is shorter by route length: 232 miles vs 250 miles. Also if you’re going to compare the number of lines you need to compare like for like, so when unbundled that is 23 for NYC and 25 (excluding the Overground and DLR) for London (http://www.tubemapcentral.com/pod/london_vignelli.jpg), or when bundled the figure is 11 lines for both cities.

London’s commuter network is larger than its New York counterpart, whether measured by passenger volumes, number of individual lines & branches, daily train services, number of carriages, station count and route length of the network. South West Trains alone carries each year nearly as many passengers (223mn) as New York’s three heavy rail networks do (261mn), and there are a dozen rail operators operating in and around London; four of which are larger than their New York counterparts. But thread back on track

[electricron]

S

Originally Posted by nito

But thread back on track

Then let's kill all discussions about London's trains in a thread about New York's trains.
Who got this thread off track in the first place?

You need to recheck your data as well. From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_metro_systems#L
Largest metros (rail) in the world (ridership)
1) Beijing 3,209,000,000
2) Seoul 2,560,000,000
3) Guangzhou 2,504,000,000
4) Shanghai 2,500,000,000
5) Tokoyo 2,351,000,000
6) New York City 1,708,000,000
7) Mexico City 1,609,000,000
8) Hong Kong 1,600,000,000
9) Paris 1,527,000,000
10) Cairo 1,504,000,000
11) London 1,260,000,000

[BrownTown]

I would say that a more basic issue is the fact that the transit layout was based on where people lived and worked nearly 100 years ago which isn't always in line with where they live and work now.

[Perklol]

Good news Metro-North customers.

Read more: http://www.mta.info/news-metro-north...adds-new-haven

November 9 Schedule Change Adds New Haven Line Service

October 27th, 2014

When Metro-North schedules change on Sunday, November 9, for the first time, there will be new half-hourly service between New Haven and New York in the off-peaks and on weekends. There also will be minor adjustments on all three lines to improve reliability.

Metro-North, in conjunction with the Connecticut Department of Transportation, for the past two years, has been adding trains on weekdays in the off-peak periods and on weekends between New Haven and New York. The last of these planned improvements begin on November 9 when six weekday off peak, 12 Saturday and 10 Sunday trains are added to the schedule.

“We have evaluated all of the new schedules carefully to ensure that track and infrastructure maintenance windows are not negatively impacted by the operation of these new trains,” said Metro-North President Joseph Giulietti.

“We expect that the assurance that you never had to wait more than half an hour for a train should make Metro-North an even more attractive transportation option.”

[mrnyc]

something good from metrony newspaper!


New York City transit system ranks safest for women: Poll

A new Thompson Reuters study shows that of 16 major cities around the world, New York City has the safest transportation system for women

Twenty-five years ago women were scared to ride on New York's dirty, dimly-lit subway but a Thomson Reuters Foundation survey on Wednesday showed the city's public transport now ranks as the safest for women among some of the world's largest cities.

With clean, well-lit subways and buses humming with record numbers of users, New York City was rated as having the safest transport for women compared to 15 of the world's largest capitals.

But although the city with its prolific yellow taxis and 24-hour subway system was seen as safe to travel at night and authorities fast to crack down on offences, three out of every 10 women said they had been verbally abused on buses and trains.

Women in New York, however, praised the city's transport.

"I was born and raised in New York City. I've never had any problems riding the subway. I've witnessed many things on trains, like (people) dancing and singing, but I've never seen anyone getting hurt," said Nicole, 26, a magazine worker who preferred not to give her last name.

"New York is a safe place ... security has definitely improved over the years. Just today I took the train and I saw cops at almost every station."

It wasn't always this way.

About 25 years ago, graffiti-covered subway cars became global symbols of New York's descent into crime and decay and the city of about 8.4 million people, beleaguered by crime, was widely considered unsafe, particularly for women.

That point was brutally underscored in April, 1989, when a young female investment banker was raped, savagely beaten and left to die while running in Central Park.

She survived and became known as the Central Park Jogger, an iconic figure for the fear that plagued a city where people no longer felt safe walking in the park even during the day.

Due to a range of measures, from more aggressive community policing, a clamp-down on littering and turnstile jumping, and greater deployment of police on the streets and in the transit system, the city began to see a marked reduction in crime in the 1990s that still continues.

People began returning to the city and neighbourhoods gentrified, and a rise in the number of people using public transport again helped make buses and trains safer.

Now equipped with a growing network of CCTV security cameras on streets and on transit lines, along with interactive Help Point communications kiosks, New York City is often lauded as the safest large city in the United States.

Figures released by the Metropolitan Transit Authority show that as of March this year, annual subway ridership was 1.7 billion, the highest in 60 years.

Nearly eight million people daily use the buses, subways and commuter rails that traverse the city's 5,000-square-mile service area.

The survey of over 6,550 women and gender and city planning experts by pollster YouGov and the Thomson Reuters Foundation found New York was seen as having the safest transport for women, followed by Tokyo and Beijing.

The worst three cities for women were Bogota, Mexico City and Lima, all Latin American capitals.

New York ranked well when women were asked about their overall perception of safety, about travelling at night, confidence in other passengers coming to their aid if needed and the rate of physical harassment on buses and trains.

But the city didn't fare as well, coming 11th, when women were asked if they had been verbally harassed while on buses and trains with 34 percent saying this had happened to them.

[manchester united]

Originally Posted by electricron

London's Underground has 270 stations on 250 miles of track with 11 lines. London's Overground has 83 stations on 53 miles of track with 6 lines. That adds up to a total of 353 stations, 303 miles of track, and 16 lines.
New York's Subway has 421 stations on 656 miles of track with 34 lines. New York's Port Authority Trans Hudson (PATH) has 13 stations on 14 miles of track with 4 lines. New York's Long Island Railroad has 124 stations on 700 miles of track with 2 lines (8 branches). New York's Metro North Railroad has 122 stations on 775 miles of track with 5 lines. That adds up to 680 stations on 2145 miles of track with 45 lines, and that's not even counting New Jersey's Rail 202 stations, 643 miles of track, and 14 lines.

Now who is catching up to whom?

Where are the 22 stations of the SIR ? And don't forget that the subway, SIR, path and even the JFK airtrain are 24/7 !!!

[Nexis4Jersey]

You left out the Light Rail systems in NJ...

[Ex-Ithacan]

I stumbled across this video, and thought some folks might be interested. It's about NYC transit (trains) back in the 50s. It's a long one, but there are some interesting scenes:

• Video Link

[Perklol]

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