As one of the worst weeks in New York City transportation history draws to a close, let’s look at the impact the fare hike and service cuts will have on the city’s economy. Charles Komanoff analyzed just that issue for Streetsblog this week.
He writes:
I estimate that the fare hikes and service cuts which begin June 1 will:
- Add an average of 6 percent more waiting and travel time to bus and subway commutes; which will…
- cause 40,000 more autos to pile into the Manhattan Central Business District each day; which will…
- slow traffic by an average of 5 percent in the CBD and 1-2 percent across the City; costing…
- drivers, truckers and bus riders $600 million in lost time annually within the CBD, and probably $1.5 billion or more citywide.
The one-two punch of higher fares and less frequent service can be expected to shrink subway use by around 8 percent and bus ridership by 6 percent. This is a calamity not only to our city’s vitality but for the MTA as well, since it cuts deeply into the very revenue these measures were supposed to generate. Indeed, the BTA model projects that the real gain in farebox revenues won’t even reach $500 million — well under half of the projected $1.2 billion deficit.
The key criteria by which New York City transportation policies are judged are driver expenses, rider expenses, driver travel times and rider travel times. The MTA and the legislature have managed to worsen three out of four — and, for good measure, have aggravated others, such as traffic pollution and mayhem. A stopped clock could hardly have done worse.
I wonder if the politicians feel that keeping the East River bridges free will be worth that cost.
On another level, I disagree with the rest of Komanoff’s post. He calls the Ravitch Plan “a stop-gap solution” “rife with inequalities” and explains how Manhattanites would have benefited from clearer streets, New Jersey residents wouldn’t pay any tolls and the payroll tax shouldn’t impact Duchess County as much as it does New York.
I disagree with the former, have no problem with the second issue simply because New Jersey residents pay a lot to get into the city and the money goes to the Port Authority and don’t believe exurban Duchess County should be reward. Maybe instituting a payroll tax that lines up with the percentage of people served by the MTA per county would be more equitable, but in the end, the Ravitch Plan was far better than any other realistic scenario on the table.
Now on to the service changes….
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 28 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 30, downtown 1 trains skip 96th Street due to station rehabilitation at 96th Street.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 28 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 30, 2 trains run in two sections (due to a track chip-out at President Street):
- Between 241st Street and Crown Heights-Utica Avenue and
- Between Franklin Avenue and Brooklyn College-Flatbush Avenue
Customers must transfer to the shuttle train at Franklin Avenue for stations along Nostrand Avenue to Flatbush Avenue. Note: In the early morning hours between 12:30 a.m. and 5 a.m., trains run every 30 minutes between Franklin and Flatbush Avenues.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 28 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 30, uptown 2 and 3 trains run local from 72nd to 96th Streets due to station rehabilitation at 96th Street. Note: Overnight, uptown 3 trains run local from 42nd to 96th Streets.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 28 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 30, downtown 2 and 3 trains skip 96th Street and run local from 86th Street to Chambers Street due to station rehabilitation at 96th Street. Note: Overnight, downtown 3 trains run local from 96th to 42nd Streets.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 28 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 30, Brooklyn-bound 2, 3 and 4 trains run express from Atlantic Avenue to Crown Heights-Utica Avenue due to a track chip-out at President Street. A shuttle train will operate between Franklin Avenue and Brooklyn College-Flatbush Avenue.
From 12:01 a.m. to 7 a.m. Saturday, March 28, from 12:01 a.m. to 8 a.m. Sunday, March 29 and from 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, March 30, Brooklyn-bound 4 trains run local from Grand Central-42nd Street to Brooklyn Bridge due to rail installation.
From 11:30 p.m. Friday, March 27 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 30, free shuttle buses replace 5 trains between Dyre Avenue and East 180th Street due to structural and steel track work.
From 4 a.m. Saturday, March 28 to 10 p.m. Sunday, March 29, Manhattan-bound 6 trains run express from Pelham Bay Park to Parkchester due to track panel installation from Castle Hill Avenue to Parkchester.
From 4 a.m. Saturday, March 28 to 10 p.m. Sunday, March 29, the last stop for some Bronx-bound 6 trains is 3rd Avenue-138th Street due to track panel installation from Castle Hill Avenue to Parkchester.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 28 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 30, Bronx-bound 6 trains run express from 3rd Avenue to Hunts Point Avenue due to platform edge rehabilitation at the Cypress Avenue, East 143rd Street, East 149th Street and Longwood Avenue stations.
From 11:30 p.m. Friday, March 27 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 30, free shuttle buses replace A trains between Jay Street-Borough Hall and Utica Avenue due to the Jay Street rehabilitation project.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 28 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 30, there is no C train service. A trains run local between 168th Street and Euclid Avenue with free shuttle buses replacing A trains between Jay Street-Borough Hall and Utica Avenue due to the Jay Street station rehabilitation project.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 28 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 30, Manhattan-bound D trains skip 174th-175th, 170th, 167th, 161st, and 155th Streets due to signal work south of Tremont Avenue.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 28 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 30, Bronx-bound D trains run local from 59th Street to 145th Street due to the Jay Street rehabilitation project.
From 11:30 p.m. Friday, March 27 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 30, free shuttle buses replace D trains between 205th Street and Bedford Park Blvd. due to track chip-out north of Bedford Park Blvd.
From 11:30 p.m. Friday, March 27 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 30, Manhattan-bound E and F trains run local from Forest Hills-71st Avenue to Roosevelt Avenue due to a track chip-out north of Grand Avenue.
From 12:30 a.m. Saturday, March 28 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 30, Jamaica-bound EF trains run local from Roosevelt Avenue to Forest Hills -71st Avenue due to a track chip-out north of Grand Avenue.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 28 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 30, downtown F trains skip 23rd and 14th Streets due to conduit and cable work south of 34th Street.
From 8:30 p.m. Friday, March 27 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 30 (until further notice), there are no G trains between Forest Hills-71st Avenue and Court Square. Customers should take the E or R instead.
From 1 a.m. to 5 a.m., Saturday, March 28, J trains run in two sections (due to track cleaning):
- Between Jamaica Center and Essex Street and
- Between Essex and Chambers Streets
From 4 a.m. Saturday, March 28 to 10 p.m. Sunday, March 29, there are no N trains between Queensboro Plaza and Lexington Avenue-59th Street due to switch renewal at Queensboro Plaza. Customers may take the 7 instead.
From 5 a.m. to midnight Saturday, March 28 and from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, March 29, there are no N trains between Lexington Avenue-59th Street and Times Square-42nd Street due to switch renewal at Queensboro Plaza. Customers may take the 456Q or R instead.
From 4 a.m. Saturday, March 28 to 10 p.m. Sunday, March 29, N trains skip Prince, 8th, 23rd, and 28th Streets in both directions due to switch renewal at Queensboro Plaza. Customers may take the Q instead.
From 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m., Saturday, March 28 and Sunday, March 29, N trains are rerouted over the Manhattan Bridge between DeKalb Avenue and Canal Street in both directions due to switch renewal at Queensboro Plaza. Customers should take the Q instead.
From 4 a.m. Saturday, March 28 to 10 p.m. Sunday, March 29, Q trains run local on the R line between 57th Street-7th Avenue and DeKalb Avenue in both directions due to switch renewal at Queensboro Plaza.
From 12:30 a.m. Saturday, March 28 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 30, R trains are extended to the 179th Street F station due to a track chip-out north of Grand Avenue.