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And The Point Is Exactly?????

Posted by
on April 13th, 2009 at 12:33 am

The transit news front has been kind of slow lately. Most of the news centered on the back & forth blame game on why no funding solution has been created to starve off the MTA’s financial crisis. The biggest news centered on a detailed time line of the proposed cuts in the agency’s “doomsday scenario“. Rich Schapiro of the New York Daily News had more in this report from Wednesday’s print edition:

The blueprint for doomsday is here.

The MTA on Tuesday unveiled a detailed time line for its withering service cuts to bus and transit lines – changes that will dramatically alter the face of public transportation in a city that thrives on it.

The cuts, starting this summer, will affect commuters from across the five boroughs:

1. On June 28, 21 local bus routes will be axed and weekend service on a total of 10 subway lines will be drastically reduced.

2. On July 26, all roving station agents will be cut, a total of 29 token booths will be eliminated and four subway stations will be shuttered overnight.

3. On Sept. 6, express bus service lines will be cut.

4. On Dec. 6, the Z and W lines will be terminated, and the G and M routes will be shortened.

The service cuts aren’t the only bad news: sky-high fare hikes will hit the subways and buses May 31, raising the cost of a single ride from $2 to $2.50.

Click here for the complete article.

Speaking of cuts, the B23 is one of the 6 Brooklyn bus lines up for elimination if these cuts become an executed reality. So with that in mind, can someone explain why two new bus shelters were installed along the line’s route? James Barron of the New York Times had more in this Friday report:

Maybe it was a case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand was doing. Two bus shelters on Cortelyou Road in Brooklyn — one at Ocean Parkway, the other at East Fifth Street — were replaced this week with shiny new steel-and-glass structures that can keep passengers on the B23 bus line dry on rainy days and unmussed on windy ones.

But the B23 is one of six bus lines in Brooklyn that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority says it will eliminate unless it gets a financial lifeline from the State Legislature.

Asked why new shelters were being installed along a line that could soon disappear, Seth Solomonow, a spokesman for the Transportation Department, noted that the proposed service changes were not definite. “But we will postpone any further installations on affected routes until the situation is clarified,” he said.

The shelters are being installed under a $1 billion contract with the Spanish company Cemusa, which is also replacing 330 newsstands and installing 20 public toilets citywide. The first of the Cemusa bus shelters was installed in December 2006; the Department of Transportation says more than 1,680 replacement shelters have gone up. Cemusa will put advertisements on the structures, which city officials call “street furniture.”

Other passers-by watched the crew at work and wondered why the two bus shelters had been replaced if the B23 was to be discontinued.

“I think it’s a waste of time, and it’s a waste of money,” said Moses Villaneuva, a stock clerk at a nearby store until he was laid off a few weeks ago. “They should be spending their time on something more important.”

Click here for the complete report.

I am all for the installation of new bus shelters for riders. However I am with Mr. Villaneuva in thinking this is a waste of money & time if the line does indeed get cut. Why not wait until the outcome is known & either proceed with or cancel the installations. One does not need to be a genius to figure out that is the way to handle this situation. Hopefully these installations won’t be done for nothing. However with our leaders focusing on the blame game instead of concrete solutions, I have serious doubts about anything good coming from this ordeal.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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MTA Issues 2 Million Commemorative Mets MetroCards

Posted by
on April 10th, 2009 at 5:29 pm

Sticking with MTA & New York Mets related news, the MTA just issued a press release to announce an issue of 2 million commemorative New York Mets MetroCards. Here are the complete details:

The best way to get to and from a Mets game is by riding the 7 to Mets-Willets Point. It’s fast, convenient and the 7 stops just steps away from the front gate. And just think, MetroCard is your ticket to ride!

For weekday afternoon and all weekend games, there is local service only to the stadium. However, for evening games express service whisks you from Midtown Manhattan to Flushing. Customers attending night games, including weekends, benefit from express service back to Manhattan.

Express trains leave Willets Point shortly after the conclusion of each home game and the service runs until about one hour after the game. Express trains are queued outside of Willets Point and arrive on the middle track every six minutes. The travel time between Mets- Willets Point and Queensboro Plaza has also been shortened by about six minutes compared with local service.

“Subway service to and from Mets games has been a major league hit with baseball fans,” noted John Hoban Flushing Line General Manager, who added that post-game express service after weeknight games was especially popular with the baseball fans.

To commemorate the new stadium and the Mets, NYC Transit has issued 2 million black and white MetroCards titled ‘Take the 7 Train to the Game,’ which are currently in MetroCard Vending Machines in 10 busy stations along the line, including Mets-Willets Point, Grand Central-42nd Street and Times Square-42nd Street.

Train service to Mets-Willets Point is also available on eastbound Port Washington Branch trains from Penn Station and westbound trains from Great Neck and Port Washington. The train ride is just 18 minutes from Penn Station to Mets-Willets Point. For those traveling on the LIRR from Long Island, the new ballpark is just six minutes from Woodside, 17 minutes from Great Neck and 27 minutes from Port Washington. From Long Island, customers may go directly to the stadium from Port Washington Branch stations. Customers from other branches should transfer at Woodside.

The LIRR’s Mets-Willets Point Station is not handicapped accessible. LIRR Customers with mobility impairments who are traveling to see the Mets should travel to Woodside Station. At Woodside Station, which is ADA accessible, customers should transfer to a Flushing-bound 7 subway train to the Mets-Willets Point subway stop, and then use the ramp to reach Roosevelt Avenue, across from the ballpark. To return to Woodside after the game, customers with mobility impairments should board the 7 subway and travel one stop east to its end point, the Flushing-Main Street Station. There, after a brief wait on the train, the subway will head west to Woodside. This is necessary due to the location of the ramp, which will only permit access to the eastbound platform.

Any commemorative cards for the new Yankee Stadium? I hope I did not miss them if they were handed out.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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A Fresh Look At The Mets-Willets Point Station

Posted by
on April 10th, 2009 at 5:04 pm

Just a short time ago, MTA New York City Transit issued a lengthy press release. The release was to talk about the fresh new look for the Mets-Willets Point Station. Here are the complete details:

Take me out to the ballgame has a whole new meaning for Mets fans this season as their favorite team takes to the field in a brand new ball park. Transit-savvy fans, however, will be impressed before they even get to the gate with the visible improvements made to the newly-named Mets-Willets Point Station, including the addition of accessibility features that make traveling to Flushing Meadows easier for everyone.

The Flushing Line’s Mets-Willets Point subway station has been substantially refurbished with $15 million of investments aimed at improving station appearance while also introducing accessible features. Customers stepping off the 7 train will immediately notice that the station’s three platforms have been renewed with the installation of new rubbing boards and new ADA platform edge tactile strips. The platform concrete slabs and canopy column bases have all been repaired while the platform stairways have been upgraded with new treads and railing. Additionally, the entire station has been freshly painted.

“While this is not a station rehabilitation, we have taken the opportunity to freshen the station, add some important ADA features and work cooperatively with the New York City Parks Department to improve access,” said NYC Transit President Howard H. Roberts, Jr. “With the changes, we’ve made taking the train to the game an even smarter, environmentally sustainable alternative to driving.”

NYC Transit has invested $4 million to install a ramp which will provide partial access to the station used by an average of 2,000 riders in 2008, many of whom attended Mets games. “The Mets new ballpark has many improvements for fans with disabilities, and we have been eager to find a way to begin providing accessibility at the station at least during game days,” said Roberts. “With the addition of this ramp, we have been able to take the first step into making this station at least partly accessible,” added Roberts. The Mets-Willets Point station is not one of NYC Transit’s eighty-five accessible stations, and is not on the list of 100 key stations where ADA improvements are scheduled to be made by 2020.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Service Diversions 04-10

Posted by
on April 10th, 2009 at 4:09 pm

I have just updated the service diversions page with the latest scheduled diversions for the weekend & upcoming week (and beyond in some cases). Don’t forget to check in for any changes to the page. I also suggest printing out a copy of the page to use while riding the system. Have a safe & wonderful weekend. I also want to wish anyone celebrating Easter, a Happy Easter as well!

xoxo Transit Blogger

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Buses Replace Midday Montauk Trains

Posted by
on April 9th, 2009 at 11:53 am

Here is yet another LIRR catch up entry. A couple of days ago, they e-mailed a press replace to announce that buses will replace midday Montauk trains. This service change will be in effect for 3 days & is due to rail inspections. Here are the complete details:

The MTA Long Island Rail Road will provide bus service in place of midday, off-peak trains on the Montauk Branch on Tuesday, April 14, Wednesday, April 15, and Friday, April 17 while rail inspections are conducted. During testing on April 14 and 17, two eastbound trains will be affected—one will be canceled east of Babylon, and the other will be canceled at its origination station.

Additionally, two westbound trains originating at Patchogue will be canceled. On April 15, three eastbound trains will terminate at Patchogue and three westbound trains will originate at Patchogue. To minimize inconvenience, buses will be provided for passengers.

In performing track inspection, LIRR track maintenance crews will utilize a vehicle fitted with ultrasonic technology and electro-magnetic induction test equipment. This bright yellow vehicle, the Sperry Rail Car, is designed to detect internal rail defects not readily visible to the eye. Track maintenance workers will immediately correct any defects uncovered.

To ensure that our rails are properly maintained, the Sperry Rail Car is used biannually to inspect approximately 500 miles of LIRR track.

The following trains will be affected:

April 14 and April 17 – Babylon to Sayville:

Eastbound:
Customers who normally take the 10:26 AM train from Babylon will instead board buses for stations Bay Shore to Patchogue. Customers on the 8:52 AM from Jamaica, will transfer to bus service at Babylon for points east to Patchogue. Eastbound customers should anticipate up to 27 minutes of additional travel time.

Westbound:
Customers who normally take the 9:33 AM and 10:33 AM trains from Patchogue will instead board buses for stations Patchogue to Babylon. Westbound customers can expect up to 36 minutes of additional travel time.

April 15 – Patchogue to Montauk

Eastbound:
Customers who normally take the 8:52 AM, 11:26 AM and 12:07 PM trains from Babylon will board buses at Patchogue for eastbound service to Montauk. Eastbound customers should anticipate up to 35 minutes of additional travel time.

Westbound:
Customers who normally take the 12:41 PM, 2:07 PM and 4:14 PM trains from Speonk will board buses at their station and transfer to trains at Patchogue for westbound service. Customers who board buses from Montauk to Speonk will instead board buses to Patchogue to continue to points west. Westbound customers will depart up to 1 hour and 10 minutes later than usual and should anticipate up to 45 minutes of additional travel time.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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