Second Ave. Sagas

My kingdom 4 a ‘C’

Written by

Benjamin Kabak

in

Guess what? Another subway grade came out today, and you’ll never believe what riders gave to the Eastern Parkway Express. That ol’ green 4 train got, you guessed it, yet another C grade. It’s the fourth C or C- in the MTA’s long trek toward mediocrity.

For the 4 line, over 4200 riders responded to the survey, making it the most ranked line in the system. Coincidentally (or not), it’s also the most crowded. And what exactly are the problems with the 4? Let’s take a look, top 10 style:

  1. Adequate room on board at rush hour
  2. Minimal delays during trips
  3. Reasonable wait times for trains
  4. Station announcements that are easy to hear
  5. Sense of security on trains
  6. Cleanliness of stations
  7. Sense of security in stations
  8. Train announcements that are easy to hear
  9. Station announcements that are informative
  10. Comfortable temperature in subway cars

Of course, the 4 is overcrowded. I would expect we’ll hear the same about the 5 and 6 trains too when those grades come out. I also wonder if some people were grading the East Side IRT as a whole when they issued grade for the 4 train. I’ve never noticed much of a problem with comfortable temperatures inside the new 4 trains. The platforms are a different story.

I’m also a little puzzled about something I noticed in the full grades (available after the jump). “Train announcements that are easy to hear” received a C. Now, as far as I know, every single car running on the 4, except those put in service as extra trains before and after Yankee games are of the R142 variety and have automated announcements. How can those be hard to hear?

I do wonder what these grades will look like when a Second Ave. subway exists to alleviate some of that massive rush hour overcrowding on the 4. Click through for the grade breakdown.

Rider Ratings of 4 Service 2007 Grade
Minimal delays during trips C-
Reasonable wait times for trains C
Adequate room on board at rush hour D
Sense of security in stations C
Sense of security on trains C
Working elevators and escalators in stations C
Signs in stations that help riders find their way C+
Signs in subway cars that help riders find their way C+
Cleanliness of stations C-
Cleanliness of subway cars C
Station announcements that are easy to hear D+
Station announcements that are informative D+
Train announcements that are easy to hear C
Train announcements that are informative C
Lack of graffiti in stations B-
Lack of graffiti in subway cars B-
Lack of scratchitti in subway cars C+
Courtesy and helpfulness of station personnel C
Comfortable temperature in subway cars C+
Ease of use of subway turnstiles B-
Availability of MetroCard Vending Machines B-
Overall performance C

Comments

6 responses to “My kingdom 4 a ‘C’”

  1. David

    I was writing about what my personal shocker was in regards to these results. I think the 4 getting only a D for adequate room at rush hour is a huge upset. I expected & feel it deserved to get a F in that category.

    As far as the temperature issue is concerned, my only guess would be something I have noticed from time to time. I have noticed that certain cars will have an extreme reaction to what one would expect temperature wise. If you are outside on a ridiculously hot day, the A/C will seem like it is only a tad bit warm outside. During the winter I noticed some cars were blowing a/c like air when it was freezing outside.

    Personally I loved it when that happened as I LOVE the brutal cold. However I know I am definitely in the minority on thriving with brutally cold temperatures.

    When the cars were not performing in an extremely opposite manner, it would still seem to not be accurate. Maybe that is where the grade came from. I couldn’t be the only one who noticed this.

    I noticed these observations mainly on the 6 but I’m sure it carried over to lines like the 2, 4, & 5.

    Reply
  2. Benjamin Kabak

    I noticed these observations mainly on the 6 but Iā€™m sure it carried over to lines like the 2, 4, & 5.

    See? That’s what I’m wondering, David. Were there others who gave the 4 a grade base don their experiences riding the 6? If so, they were assigning the grades incorrectly.

    Reply
  3. David

    I definitely understand your question as it raises a valid point. I think the temperature issue could get away with being interchanged. I say this since these lines have been known to switch cars with each other. I can’t think of any other category that one could interchange without assigning grades incorrectly as you stated.

    Reply
  4. Adam

    Now, as far as I know, every single car running on the 4, except those put in service as extra trains before and after Yankee games are of the R142 variety and have automated announcements. How can those be hard to hear?

    I live on the 4 (Borough Hall), and I see plenty of older trainsets in the mornings. I always know it’s going to be a bad day when I start it on one of those.

    Reply
  5. That’s 5 C-range grades for the MTA « Second Ave. Sagas | Blogging the NYC Subways

    […] I was with the 4 train last week, I’m confused about the train announcement issue. The cars on the 5 line are all […]

    Reply
  6. At least the D did better than its line letter at Second Ave. Sagas | Blogging the NYC Subways

    […] I’ve questioned some of the previous C-range grades, I’d say this one is spot […]

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