A majority of New Yorkers say their commutes are worse today than they were back in 2009, according to a survey released today by Transportation Alternatives. In a survey that relied upon voters to send a text message with their choice, 61 percent of bus and subway riders say their commutes are worse while 26 percent say their rides are the same and 13 percent say things have gotten better. A total of 684 New Yorkers contributed their views to the survey.
“This survey confirms what every bus and subway rider in this city knows,” Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives, said. “After years of declining transit funding from Albany and the resulting service cuts, our commutes have gotten worse. From higher fares to longer wait times to overcrowded trains, transit riders have seen the quality of their commutes drop precipitously over the last three years.”
As we know, over the past few years, Albany has reappropriated hundreds of millions of dollars that should have gone to the MTA, and as a result, the authority was forced to raise fares in three consecutive years and to cut 36 bus routes and 570 bus stops. It’s little wonder that commuters are finding commutes worse with less frequent service and more crowded trains the norm. “Beyond the frustration of a longer commute and higher fares, these results should be a wakeup call to our leaders in State Government,” White said. “They can fund transit and make a positive impact on millions of people, or they can continue to defund the system and contribute to their struggle. The livelihood of every New Yorker and the economic fate of this region depend on a well-funded public transit system.”
11 comments
Can’t say I notice any major difference between 2009 and today. Some trains have been eliminated, but other trains seem to be taking up the slack without too much delay (BMT Broadway line, for instance). Buses seem a bit slower, but only because there are no half-empty buses running one behind the other (M42 and M104 along 42nd St for example).
All-in-all, I can deal with what’s out there now. Other folks may have different opinion depending on where and when they travel from.
I don’t either, but then I don’t
live alongdepend on an eliminated/truncated bus route, nor do I find myself having to make a transfer I didn’t used to have to make. I don’t know how many of those people there are out there, but their lives must suck significantly more.I agree. Hard to tell for me as I come in via Staten Island Ferry and then have my pick of subway lines (7th Ave 1/2/3, Lex Ave 4/5, B’way R) to take me to any part of the city. Probably the only time Staten Islanders are spoiled (transportation wise, that is) 🙂
Think about the 4th ave line I think they suffered the most of the loss of the brown “M” and the R really doesn’t show up much. Same thing goes for the Queens Blvd Line with the loss of the “G” going to Forest Hills.
I’m not sure if the loss of G service to Forest Hills is as a big deal as some might make it out to be. That is of course if the R runs frequently enough.
You are wrong R never run at all
The R runs approximately every 10 minutes on weekends, like most B Division lines.
The 4th Ave line lost frequency (16 tph to 10 tph), but they still have direct service to the same general part of Manhattan.
The West End lost both frequency (also 16 tph to 10 tph) and direct access to Lower Manhattan. Myrtle and Broadway-Bklyn local stations lost direct access to Lower Manhattan as well.
The G rarely ran on Queens Blvd. in practice, and when it did, it was mostly empty. I don’t see that as much of a loss.
The greatest impacts were on bus riders. Some of the bus changes were pretty innocuous, but others certainly caused some pain.
I’m not an expert in survey techniques, but this one seems pretty shoddy. It isn’t a comparison of satisfaction rates between years – it’s a request in 2012 to remember back to 2009. I think most people are more likely to remember a particularly bad commute they had last week than one they had three years ago. Also, asking people to send a text message is hardly going to get a representative sample of New Yorkers.
I understand the point they’re trying to make, and I agree with it, but I don’t think relying on shoddy survey methodology helps their case.
They should remind those people taking the survey who is causing their dissatisfaction: Albany. Remind em and tell em everyday. Hold the clowns accountable.
[…] both compelling and informative. Take, for instance, the recent Trans Alt survey that found riders unhappier with their commutes in 2011 than they were two years ago. That’s a very negative message, and while […]