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Benjamin Kabak

Video of the Day: Harry Nugent on the 1 train

by Benjamin Kabak June 6, 2011

written by Benjamin Kabak on June 6, 2011

On the same day I discussed intrusive MTA announcements, allow me to present Harry Nugent, one-time conductor on the 1 train.

Gothamist dug up this video over the weekend, and it provides an interesting counterpoint to the MTA’s automated announcements. They may be easier to hear, but there’s a certain charm to a conductor who’s willing to inject personality and information into the PA calls. It’s funny too how these complaints come full circle. We have automated announcements because the PA systems weren’t up to par, but now the PA systems with their pre-recorded messages are grating as well. You can’t win ’em all.

For more on Nugent, check out this 1993 article The Times ran to commemorate his retirement.

June 6, 2011 10 comments

Asides MTA Technology

Cell phone signals as subway countdown clocks

by Benjamin Kabak June 6, 2011

written by Benjamin Kabak on June 6, 2011

A few months ago, I spoke with Alex Bell, an engineering student at Columbia and the brother of an old friend of mine, about his transit app. His idea was simple: crowdsource train locations through user-submitted messages. Unfortunately, the app never reached the critical mass of users it needed to br successful, but Bell isn’t giving up.

As The Times reports today, Bell has signed up with Densebrain, a mobile company that wants to use passive cell signals to triangulate train locations. With the approval of each user, Densebrain’s app reads when the cell signal is lost and notes when and where service is restored. For instance, if someone loses signal just south of 161st St. in the Bronx and resurfaces at Grand Central, the app knows that this user took a 4 train, and it can provide real-time info on that train’s location. With over 600,000 users of its free NYCMate subway map app, Densebrain thinks it has the user base to support such a project.

Of course, concerns over privacy remain to be tested. Will users consent to anonymous location tracking? And how will the app distinguish between different trains that run the same route? For now though, Densebrain’s plan is another in the effort to tell us just where our trains are and when, and that sounds promising to me. [New York Times]

June 6, 2011 11 comments

View from Underground

The Way We Ride: Noisily

by Benjamin Kabak June 6, 2011

written by Benjamin Kabak on June 6, 2011

The New York City Subways are not a quiet place. Noise filters into our rides from nearly every source. People lost in their music forget how loud their cheap headphones are; kids coming home from school laugh and joke with their friends; subway car brakes squeal; metal-on-metal sparks fly.

While the outside noise is impossible to contain, the MTA’s own announcements aren’t helping. The new countdown clocks make waiting for trains far less stressful but also far more bothersome. Every two minutes the loud pre-recorded announcements let us know that the next Brooklyn-bound 2 train is two minutes away while the next Bronx-bound train is 4 minutes away and over and over and over again.

The on-board announcements are even worse. We are bombarded with messages from the New York City Police Department that haven’t changed in nearly 10 years. We are told not to ride on the outside of the train. We are urged not to litter. But the worst, says Juliet Lapidos in this weekend’s Daily News, are those exhorting us to be patient when unavoidable delays arise. In fact, she absolutely hates it.

Nearly every day, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority asks me, quite insistently, to “please be patient.” On the F line, which I use to commute to work from Brooklyn, I’m often held up at Jay Street-MetroTech. There, a pre-recorded message explains that it’s necessary to wait for a connecting train: “please be patient.” At West Fourth Street, I’m told there’s been a signal malfunction in midtown: “please be patient.” Stalled at Second Avenue due to trouble with the closing doors: “please be patient.”

..Well, to those who run the sprawling MTA bureaucracy, I’ll say this: Thanks but no thanks. New York’s subway system is vast, constantly in operation and perennially underfunded. It serves some five million people every weekday. Delays are unavoidable. But just skip the “please be patient,” or the PBP. It’s presumptuous and condescending – and, most of all, counterproductive.

Anyone with a basic understanding of psychology knows that when you request patience, you draw attention to the passage of time. It’s comparable to that tired trick your uncle trots out at barbecues: “Don’t think of an elephant.” “Please be patient, you say? Come to think of it, I’m feeling pretty impatient. How long have I been on this train, anyway?” The more they ask, the worse it gets.

According to Lapidos, the MTA says the messages were “introduced to soften messages that contain useful yet unwelcome information.” They were not tested on a focus group though who could have noticed how annoying they are. The messages, Lapidos writes, “irritate and inflame. She says, “The worst is when a computerized message delivers the message – which is becoming increasingly common as the system automates many of its operations. The computerized voice is annoyingly unflappable; it most assuredly does not feel my pain.”

Of all of the complaints about customer relations underground, I find Lapidos’ gripe to be spot-on. These prerecorded messages do nothing to inform straphangers of the cause of the delay or the amount of time the train will be waiting. On the B train every morning, the conductor asks us to be patient before we cross the Manhattan Bridge, and the delay is inevitable five or ten seconds longer than the announcement. In that case, the announcement simply draws attention to a delay that isn’t.

So what’s the solution? Lapidos offers a great one: “The MTA would do well to give its riders more and more useful data. Tell us about how long we should expect to wait…Announcing that the connecting train should arrive within two minutes, or that the signal trouble should be cleared up within three, will go much further than a PBP in encouraging docile acceptance.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.

June 6, 2011 24 comments

Service Advisories

A weekend without interborough L service

by Benjamin Kabak June 3, 2011

written by Benjamin Kabak on June 3, 2011

It is a doozy of a weekend for folks who live along the Canarsie Line. Due to upgrades along the L, there is no service from 8th Ave. to Broadway Junction, and all of the Williamsburgians and Bushwickites are stuck with shuttle buses and alternate routes including weekend M service. On the bright, the new Court Square Station should come in handy this weekend.

As always, these come to me via New York City Transit and are subject to change without notice. Listen to on board announcements, check signs in your local station and be prepared for longer than usual rides this weekend. Subway Weekender has the map.

At all times beginning until June 2011, the Manhattan-bound platform at 238th Street will be closed for station component work. For Manhattan-bound service, customers should take the Bx9 bus or walk to the 242nd or 231st Street Station.

From 11:30 p.m. Friday, June 3 to 5 a.m. Monday, June 6, there are no 1 trains between 14th Street and South Ferry due to Port Authority work at the WTC site and no 1 trains between 168th Street and 242nd Streets due to station component work between 242nd and Dyckman Streets. 2, 3 and A trains, free shuttle buses and the M3 bus provide alternate service.

Free shuttle buses replace 1 service at three locations:

Between Chambers Street and South Ferry
Between 168th Street and 191st Street (also the M3 bus)
Between 207th Street A station and 242nd Street 1 station

2 and 3 trains operate local in both directions between Chambers Street and 96th Street, 1 service runs express between 14th and 34th Streets.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, June 4 to 5 a.m. Monday, June 6, Brooklyn-bound 2 trains skip Bergen Street, Grand Army Plaza and Eastern Parkway due to platform edge rehabilitation at Bergen Street and Franklin Avenue and cable installation at Franklin Avenue.

From 4 a.m. Saturday, June 4 to 10 p.m. Sunday, June 5, Bronx-bound 2 trains skip Jackson Avenue, Prospect Avenue, Intervale Avenue, Simpson Street, Freeman Street, 174th Street and East Tremont Avenue due to track panel installation at Freeman Street and 174th Street.

From 6:30 a.m. to midnight, Saturday, June 4 and Sunday, June 5, Brooklyn-bound 3 trains skip Bergen Street, Grand Army Plaza and Eastern Parkway due to platform edge rehabilitation at Bergen Street and Franklin Avenue and cable installation at Franklin Avenue.

From 12:01 a.m. to 6:30 a.m., Saturday, June 4 and Sunday, June 5 and from 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, June 6, Brooklyn-bound 4 trains skip Bergen Street, Grand Army Plaza and Eastern Parkway due to platform edge rehabilitation at Bergen Street and Franklin Avenue and cable installation at Franklin Avenue.

From 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., Saturday, June 4 and from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., Sunday, June 5, Bronx-bound 5 trains skip Jackson Avenue, Prospect Avenue, Intervale Avenue, Simpson Street, Freeman Street, 174th Street and East Tremont Avenue due to track panel installation at Freeman Street and 174th Street. Note: During this time, trains run every 20 minutes between Dyre Avenue and Bowling Green.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, June 4 to 5 a.m. Monday, June 6, Manhattan-bound 6 trains skip Morrison Avenue-Soundview and Whitlock Avenue due to station rehabilitations at Elder and St. Lawrence Avenues.

From 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, June 5, Manhattan-bound 7 trains skip 111th, 103rd, 90th, and 82nd Streets due to completion work on elevated structure.

During the overnight hours, from 11 p.m. Friday, June 3 to 6:30 a.m. Saturday, June 4, from 11 p.m. Saturday, June 4 to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, June 5, and from 11 p.m. Sunday, June 5 to 5 a.m. Monday, June 6, uptown A trains skip 72nd, 81st, 86th, 96th, 103rd, 110th, and 116th Streets due track work south of 110th Street.

From 6:30 a.m. to midnight, Saturday, June 4 and Sunday, June 5, uptown C trains skip 72nd, 81st, 86th, 96th, 103rd, 110th and 116th Streets due to track work south of 110th Street.

During the overnight hours, from 11:30 p.m. Friday, June 3 to 5 a.m. Saturday, June 4, from 11:30 p.m. Saturday, June 4 to 6 a.m. Sunday, June 5, and from 11:30 p.m. Sunday, June 5 to 5 a.m. Monday, June 6, Manhattan-bound E trains skip 65th Street, Northern Blvd., 46th Street, Steinway Street and 36th Street due to track work north of 36th Street.

From 11:30 p.m. Friday, June 3 to 5 a.m. Monday, June 6, there is no L trains service between 8th Avenue (Manhattan) and Broadway Junction (Brooklyn) due to CBTC track and signal work. The M train, M14 bus and free shuttle buses provide alternate service. Free shuttle buses operate in three section:

Between Broadway Junction and Myrtle-Wyckoff Aves.
Between Myrtle-Wyckoff Aves. and Lorimer Street (L)/Metropolitan Avenue (G)
Between Lorimer Street (L)/Metropolitan Avenue (G) and Marcy Avenue (J, M)

The M train is extended to 57th Street-6th Avenue. The M14 bus replaces L train service between 1st and 8th Avenues. Note: Manhattan-bound customers should transfer to the A or J at Broadway Junction or the M at Myrtle-Wyckoff Avenues.

From 6 a.m. to midnight Saturday, June 4 and from 8 a.m. to midnight Sunday, June 5, M service is extended to 57th Street-6th Avenue due to work on the L line.

From 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 4 and Sunday, June 5, M trains skip Fresh Pond Road in both directions due to platform edge repairs. Customers should use the Forest Avenue station instead. There is a free bus connection to the Q58, B13 or B20.

From 4 a.m. Saturday, June 4 to 10 p.m. Sunday, June 5, Brooklyn-bound N trains skip 30th Avenue, Broadway, 36th Avenue and 39th Avenue due to structure painting.

From 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday, June 4 and Sunday, June 5, N trains run local in Brooklyn between DeKalb Avenue and 59th Street in both directions due to structure painting.

From 5 a.m. to 6 a.m., Sunday, June 5, Brooklyn-bound R trains skip 65th Street, Northern Blvd, 46th Street, Steinway Street and 36th Street due to track work north of 36th Street.

June 3, 2011 8 comments

Queens

Months late, Court Square entrance finally opens

by Benjamin Kabak June 3, 2011

written by Benjamin Kabak on June 3, 2011

The new connection between the 7 and G at 23rd Street and Jackson Avenue opened this morning. (Photo by Benjamin Kabak)

With 7 trains clanking past on its elevated tracks, Transit officials and local politicians gathered in Long Island City this morning to celebrate a long-awaited station opening. Shortly after 10:30 a.m., state Assembly member Catherine Nolan cut the ribbon to mark the official opening of the Court Square Station and the new ADA-compliant and fully covered connection between the 7 and G trains. The long rumored dispute between Citi and the MTA has finally been resolved.

Noting that the connection should see 20,000 passengers per day who can now avoid an out-of-system transfer, Transit President Thomas Prendergast spoke of the ways in which the authority is connecting key station. “The creation of this complex will facilitate travel for customers heading to and from Queens and give choices in the case of a disruption on any of the lines,” he said. “This is very similar to our project in Downtown Brooklyn, where we linked two stations, Jay Street and Lawrence Street into the Jay Street-MetroTech complex and improved travel options for thousands of subway riders from day one. There is also a project underway to provide a free transfer between the Sixth Avenue Line to the uptown 6 at the Broadway-Lafayette and Bleecker Street stations.”

A glimpse down the walkway connecting the G platform to the elevated 7 tracks. (Photo by Benjamin Kabak)

The new transfer area features a variety of upgrades for customers. There are two protected escalators, three elevators and a new staircase and passageway. The entire station complex has also been renamed as Court Square.

Overall, the project cost a total of $47.6 million, and Transit picked up $13.9 million, most of which went toward ADA compliancy. Later this month, the TA will award a contract that will overhaul the 7 platform as well. That work will include full platform replacement, new windscreens and ADA-compliant boarding areas. For now, the saga of Court Square has come to an end, then, many months later than it should have.

After the jump, a full slideshow of photos from the ribbon-cutting.

June 3, 2011 25 comments

Asides PANYNJ

Crain’s: Ward’s PA job is safe

by Benjamin Kabak June 3, 2011

written by Benjamin Kabak on June 3, 2011

It appears that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is going to keep Christopher Ward in charge of the Port Authority after all. Despite a report yesterday of a chilly relationship between the new New York executive and the well-regarded head of the Port Authority, Crain’s Insider says today that Ward will remain atop the PA for now. Says Crain’s, “Foes of Ward in New Jersey are believed to have planted the rumor.” The governor, meanwhile, issued a perfunctory statement in support of the executive director: “There are no plans to replace Chris Ward at this time.”

June 3, 2011 10 comments

ARC Tunnel

The rising costs of disputing ARC dollars

by Benjamin Kabak June 3, 2011

written by Benjamin Kabak on June 3, 2011

The fight for ARC dollars has long outlasted the project.

It’s been nearly nine months since the ARC Tunnel met its untimely demise, and still New Jersey and the Feds are fighting over the money. Gov. Chris Christie wants to keep the earmarked dollars and apply them to the state’s other underfunded transportation projects while the Feds, unhappy that the Garden State unilaterally pulled the plug on the largest public works project in the country, just want the dollars back.

The legal fight, which isn’t over yet, is starting to cost the state, and while the numbers are ticking ever upward, there is a rationale behind the battle. In a fairly nuanced piece from The Star-Ledger, Salvador Rizzo looks at the economics behind the legal challenges. Of the costs, he writes:

Gov. Chris Christie’s fight with the federal government over abandoning a train tunnel under the Hudson has already cost New Jerseyans more than $1 million in legal fees and interest, records show.

For a month, Christie has been vowing to appeal a decision from the Obama administration ordering the state to repay $271 million for abruptly pulling out of what was the largest public works project in the country.

In the meantime, interest on New Jersey’s debt is adding up at the rate of $225,000 a month. In addition, bills from Patton Boggs, the Washington law firm hired by Christie in December to fight his battle, have averaged another $300,000 a month, invoices obtained by The Star-Ledger show. The interest on the $271 million, which began accruing on April 29, could be frozen by a federal judge once an appeal is filed, but neither the governor nor Patton Boggs has said when the case will be brought to court.

New Jersey’s transit advocates aren’t quite sure what to say about the expenses and mounting interest. “Christie is not arguing about dollars and cents. He’s saying they don’t owe anything, and he’s on unsound ground,” ARC advocate Martin Robins said. “I suggest we should be talking in terms of collaboration and reduction in the debt that he owes and that he caused by the stomping of this project.”

Yet, even if there’s a small chance — say ten percent — that New Jersey could keep the money, it’s a fight worth pursuing for some time. As with the MTA’s dispute over the TWU raises, if New Jersey believes it has a fighting chance, it could spend dollars on lawyers up to the point of recovery. So if there’s a 10 percent chance of keeping the entire $271 million, legal economics would dictate expenses of $27.1 million.

In fact, some advocates think the state may be able to keep some of the money. As the former head of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign said to The Star-Ledger, attorneys from Patton Boggs are making “some persuasive arguments.” Some — but not all — of the stimulus money going into the tunnel project had been awarded before the ARC-specific grants were signed, and Christie might be able to keep those funds.

Ultimately, though, this still feels like wrangling over a missed opportunity, and as one former Port Authority official said, Christie was awfully quick to cut bait. “Only the governor felt that the entire burden would have fallen on the state of New Jersey,” David Widawsky, the PA’s one-time lead on the ARC Tunnel, said. “Over the course of the many years of construction ahead, these kinds of things could have been worked out.”

June 3, 2011 18 comments

Asides SEPTA

Dispatches from Philly: SEPTA bus tracking goes live

by Benjamin Kabak June 2, 2011

written by Benjamin Kabak on June 2, 2011

While folks within the MTA are working off of the B63 pilot to deliver real-time bus tracking to Staten Island (and eventually, the entire city), Philadelphia has, after ten years of work, finally flipped the switch on its on GPS-based real-time bus tracker. The project — called TransitView — follows 116 bus routes, 3 trackless trolley and 8 trolley lines, and the data is updated every three minutes throughout the day. The service also includes SMS notifications for bus arrivals. For more information, check out Technically Philly and the TransitView website. It’s certainly fun to poke around on the live map as well.

Ideally by the end of this year, Staten Islanders will enjoy this feature, and the rest of the city’s buses will follow suit as well. It should help revolutionize bus travel within the city too. As buses become less reliable and more prone to delays, ridership has dropped over the past two years. If riders know when the bus is coming, how far away it is and how long their rides should take, they can better plan their bus trips. It’s all about customer convenience in an age of technology.

June 2, 2011 4 comments

Asides PANYNJ

Report: Cuomo to remove Ward from PA post

by Benjamin Kabak June 2, 2011

written by Benjamin Kabak on June 2, 2011

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is going to remove Christopher Ward as executive director of the Port Authority shortly after the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, The Post reported last week. According to sources, Cuomo and Ward do not have a very strong relationship, and in fact, the Empire State’s new governor, who has likely planned to replace Ward from the state, won’t take the Port Authority head’s phone calls.

Transportation advocates are not happy with this development. The Tri-State Transportation Campaign called Ward an “innovative leader who has started new green freight programs and projects, implemented a bicycle policy, and spoken in favor of increased infrastructure investment.” They fear that Cuomo will appoint a new head who is more willing to dole out ARC dollars for road projects. Streetsblog offered up a full overview and defense of Ward’s time as leader of the Port Authority.

For his part, Ward issued a terse defense. “I have dedicated my life to turning around the World Trade Center and running this place the best I can,” he said. “My record speaks for itself, and I am not going to speculate on the political aspects of the job.” Losing Ward could be a major blow to transit policy, but it appears, sadly, to be a fait accompli.

June 2, 2011 4 comments

Public Transit Policy

A lukewarm reception for East River ferry service

by Benjamin Kabak June 2, 2011

written by Benjamin Kabak on June 2, 2011

The Long Island City ferry stop awaits some passengers. (Photo by East River Ferry on flickr)

Pardon me if I don’t immediately jump for joy over the city’s announcement that regular, year-long East River ferry service is set to debut on June 13. We’ve been down this road too many times before to think that this time will be any different from the last. We know what happens when the city starts subsidizing gimmicky transit options in the hopes of “revitalizing” the waterfront or encouraging creative travel. It hasn’t worked then, and for the same reasons, it’s going to face an uphill battle now.

Before I delve into my pessimism, the details: The idea of an East River ferry service has been percolating since last summer, and while the price will be higher than initial proposed, the details remain the same. The ferries will run a seven-stop route on a regular schedule with pick-ups and drop-offs in Midtown, Long Island City, Greenpoint, north and south Williamsburg, Dumbo and Wall Street. Boats will run every 20 minutes during peak hours and every 30 minutes off-peak. On the weekends, the route will include a stop at Governor’s Island and operate every 35 minutes from April to October and once an hour during the winter.

For Midtown-bound passengers, a free bus will provide access into the heart of Manhattan. Check out the map right here. If all goes well, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said, the route will expand to include the Bronx, Roosevelt Island and perhaps the Hudson River side of Manhattan as well.

City officials are excited about the new transportation offering. “It will spur economic development on both sides of the river with literally thousands of residents within walking distance of the neighborhoods in Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan being able to reap the benefits of this new service,” Seth Pinsky, president of the city’s Economic Development Corporation said.

The city, meanwhile, is banking a good amount of money on this project. Fares will be kept relatively low as one ride will cost $4, an unlimited day’s worth of travel $12 and a monthly pass $140 as the city is subsidizing the ferries. New York will pour $9 million into the service over the next three years and has already committed $10 million in upgrades for piers in Queens and Brooklyn. (For a closer look at the newly renovated piers, check out coverage from The L Magazine.)

So what then are the problems? Besides the fact that I’m skeptical of the city’s investment — $19 million could have saved a good number of bus routes — the plan seems to be overly enthusiastic and divorced from reality. We don’t need better service for people close to the waterfront, and this seems to be yet another example of misplaced transportation priorities. Let’s run ’em down.

Regularity and Popularity of Service. Through a combination of design and planning, New York’s waterfronts aren’t very populous. Long the purview of industry, only in recent years have waterfront developments sprung up on the east side of the East River, and those developments have catered to distinctly upper class residents. Condos in Dumbo and Williamsburg do not come cheap, and these areas are relatively transit-accessible already. I question if we truly need ferry service that runs more frequently than some bus routes servicing some relatively lower-density, transit-rich neighborhoods.

All in all, Greenpointers who work in Midtown stand to benefit the most simply because it right now takes a while for them to get there. A direct ferry service would be a big boon for that neighborhood, but the other stops in Queens and Brooklyn likely do not need three ferries an hour for 14 hours a day.

Waterfront Access. Again, it’s worth reflecting on the city’s waterfront access. It isn’t great right now, and not that many people live close to the edge of the water. If my choice is between a 10-minute walk to the F in Dumbo or a 10-minute walk to a Ferry that still has to make five more stops before landing at 34th St. and the East River, it’s not a tough decision for any commuter in a hurry. The free bus on the Manhattan side is a welcome perk, but it creates a two-seat ride through some heavily congested areas of the city.

Targeted Underserved Areas. If the city has only a limited amount of money to invest on transit right now, it should spend it with an eye toward the underserved. Here, only Greenpoint kinda, sorta fits the bill as Long Island City, Williamsburg and Dumbo enjoy subway coverage. The money would be better spent improving transit for those who live far away from the city’s central business district or on improving access to non-Manhattan job hubs in the other boroughs.

Acknowledging King MetroCard. When it comes to travel in New York City, the MetroCard is king, and the sooner the city realizes that fact, the better. With the ferry service’s fare structure, riders will have to pay a $4 one-way fare (or a bulk ride option) to take the boat. If they have to go to or from the ferry stops, they’ll have to pay another fare for the connecting subway or bus. The city should figure out a way to provide free transfers between the ferry and MTA-operated transit routes, but stubbornness and territorialism rule the day when it comes to inter-agency cooperation.

Ultimately, East River ferry service isn’t doomed to fail. It is, after all, one of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s transportation goals, but it seems to be a misguided one at a time when we desperately need true leadership on real issues surrounding mass transit in New York City.

June 2, 2011 30 comments

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