New LIRR Timetables Due To Track Work
A few days ago the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) issued a press release via e-mail. The press release was to discuss the new timetables in effect for the month of March due to track work in the Valley Stream area. 5 branches will be directly impacted by the track work while some other branches will be indirectly. Here are the complete details:
On Four Weekends in March:
Buses Replace West Hempstead Branch Trains; Babylon Branch Service Affected; Hempstead, Long Beach and Far Rockaway Branches & Other Schedules Revised
New MTA Long Island Rail Road timetables will be in effect during the month of March to accommodate a track work program in the Valley Stream area that will take place on all four weekends during the month. Train service on five branches, West Hempstead, Hempstead, Babylon, Long Beach and Far Rockaway will be directly affected by the work and other branches will be indirectly impacted through connecting trains at Jamaica. Only two branches will not be impacted, Oyster Bay and Port Washington, although both branches will have timetables re-issued reflecting the March date.
The work in the Valley Stream area involves maintenance of track components, including ties and rails, and replacement where necessary. In addition, preparatory work will take place for installation and activation of a new signal system in the area during the fall. A later news release will detail train service impacts during this fall weekend.
Weekends of March 7-8, March 14-15, March 21-22, March 28-29
West Hempstead Branch:
Eastbound: Customers will board their regular trains at western terminals and transfer to buses at Valley Stream for their stations to West Hempstead. Customers should anticipate up to 19 minutes additional travel time.
Westbound: Customers will board buses at their stations and transfer to trains at Jamaica to complete their trips. Customers should anticipate up to 29 minutes additional travel time.
Babylon Branch:
Since there will be limited track space available during the affected weekends because of the work, it is necessary to reduce the number of Babylon Branch trains operating during these four weekends. Service will be reduced to approximately one train per hour instead of the regular two trains per hour. Affected customers should pick up a copy of the special Branch timetables for these weekends for further details.
Far Rockaway, Hempstead, & Long Beach Branches:
Train departure and arrival times will be revised during the affected weekends. Customers should pick up a copy of the special Branch timetable for these weekends for further details.
Other Branches:
Customers on the Port Jefferson, Ronkonkoma, and City Terminal Zone branches should pickup copies of the March timetables at their stations and at all terminals because of time changes in Jamaica for connecting trains due to the track work. Oyster Bay and Port Washington customers will also have new March timetables, although they will not reflect any time changes.
New timetables will be issued effective March 30, after the Valley Stream track work is completed.
xoxo Transit Blogger
You might enjoy reading these related entries:- New LIRR Timetables In Effect March 8th
- Buses Replace West Hempstead Trains This Weekend
- New LIRR Timetables Start May 18th
- New LIRR Timetables Start September 8th
- Last LIRR Train Departures
The V Reaches The Land Of Average
Jamaica/179th St. bound F train departing the 2nd Avenue station. Resized photo courtesy of Eye On Transit.
I have to admit it gets hard coming up with titles for these “Rider Report Card” entries. Anyhow, it is time for the V to get its time in the spotlight. The line (which many still hate to this day for even existing) showed a slight improvement as it finished with an overall C grade. This is compared to the C- it earned for itself in the 2007. Lets go straight to the breakdown:
V Train Riders Top 10 Priorities; 2007 priority rank in ( ):
01. Reasonable wait times for trains ( 1 )
02. Minimal delays during trips ( 2 )
03. Station announcements that are easy to hear ( 3 )
04. Adequate room on board at rush hour ( 4 )
05. Train announcements that are easy to hear ( 5 )
06. Cleanliness of stations ( 6 )
07. Cleanliness of subway cars ( 8 )
08. Sense of security in stations ( 9 )
09. Working elevators and escalators in stations ( 10 )
10. Sense of security on trains ( 11 )
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Complete V train riders priorities 2007 priority rank in ( ):
01. Reasonable wait times for trains ( 1 )
02. Minimal delays during trips ( 2 )
03. Station announcements that are easy to hear ( 3 )
04. Adequate room on board at rush hour ( 4 )
05. Train announcements that are easy to hear ( 5 )
06. Cleanliness of stations ( 6 )
07. Cleanliness of subway cars ( 8 )
08. Sense of security in stations ( 9 )
09. Working elevators and escalators in stations ( 10 )
10. Sense of security on trains ( 11 )
11. Station announcements that are informative ( 7 )
12. Courtesy and helpfulness of station personnel ( 14 )
13. Comfortable temperature in subway cars ( 12 )
14. Train announcements that are informative ( 13 )
15. Lack of scratchitti in subway cars ( 16 )
16. Signs in subway cars that help riders find their way ( 18 )
17. Ease of use of subway turnstiles ( 15 )
18. Signs in stations that help riders find their way ( 19 )
19. Availability of MetroCard Vending Machines ( 17 )
20. Lack of graffiti in subway cars ( 21 )
21. Lack of graffiti in stations ( 20 )
Click here for the breakdown of votes in this section.
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Now here is the graded breakdown for all 21 categories; 2007 grade in ( ):
01. Minimal delays during trips C (C-)
02. Reasonable wait times for trains C- (C-)
03. Adequate room on board at rush hour C+ (C)
04. Sense of security in stations C (C)
05. Sense of security on trains C (C)
06. Working elevators and escalators in stations C- (C-)
07. Signs in stations that help riders find their way C+ (C)
08. Signs in subway cars that help riders find their way C (C)
09. Cleanliness of stations C- (C-)
10. Cleanliness of subway cars C- (C-)
11. Station announcements that are easy to hear D (D)
12. Station announcements that are informative D+ (D+)
13. Train announcements that are easy to hear D+ (D+)
14. Train announcements that are informative D+ (D+)
15. Lack of graffiti in stations C+ (C+)
16. Lack of graffiti in subway cars C+ (C+)
17. Lack of scratchitti in subway cars C (C-)
18. Courtesy and helpfulness of station personnel C (C-)
19. Comfortable temperature in subway cars C+ (C)
20. Ease of use of subway turnstiles B- (C+)
21. Availability of MetroCard Vending Machines B- (B-)
Click here for the breakdown of votes in this section.
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A quick glance of the grades makes me ask where is the improvement that warranted an uptick in overall grade? The biggest change in ranking was “Station announcements that are informative” which dropped out of the top 10 priorities to #11 (#7 in 2007). This does does not warrant an uptick in the grade though. I am curious of the metrics used to figure out this grade.
Pretty much what I wrote in 2007’s results analysis continues to ring true today. Here is a sample of that analysis:
Personally I think this line got what I & many others expected it to get. In reality, it is hard to imagine a part time line that only runs during the week to score very high. I am sure it does not help that many see the V as being the evil choice that took away F service from the extremely busy 53rd Street corridor. Lets look at a few of these grades more closely.
Let me start with the #1 priority of “reasonable wait times for trains”. This priority ending up at #1 does not surprise me as when one waits for the V, you get the feeling the service is consistently sub par. I have had many adventures on the V & it seems to be one of many lines that seem to have riders waiting forever until the next one arrives. I usually tend to hop the V in Manhattan & when I just miss one, I expect to wait a minimum of 10 minutes for the next one to arrive. Depending on my location, I expect to see either multiple E or F trains to arrive before the next V.
Click here for the complete 2007 analysis.
The responder amount was over 600 less from 2007’s report card. This once again continues the trend of riders paying less attention to these cards or simply not knowing they were being run again. Either way, a different marketing tactic must be used for the next round of report cards if such an event will occur.
xoxo Transit Blogger
You might enjoy reading these related entries:- Riders Say The C Is Just Below Average
- The 5 Produces More Of The Same
- The N Shows A Slight Improvement
- The 1 Is Still Not #1
- (Q)uincy Will Still Hope To “C” Better Days
The N Shows A Slight Improvement
Coney Island-Stillwell Ave. bound N entering 39th Ave. station; Resized photo courtesy of Eye On Transit.
According to 3,416 riders, the 
is average. The line finished with an overall C grade in the 2008 Rider Report Cards. This is an improvement from the C- it earned in the 2007 edition. Lets see how the riders felt by going to straight to the breakdown:
N Train Riders Top 10 Priorities; 2007 priority rank in ( ):
01. Reasonable wait times for trains ( 1 )
02. Minimal delays during trips ( 2 )
03. Adequate room on board at rush hour ( 3 )
04. Cleanliness of stations ( 4 )
05. Station announcements that are easy to hear ( 5 )
06. Sense of security in stations ( 7 )
07. Train announcements that are easy to hear ( 6 )
08. Sense of security in trains ( 9 )
09. Cleanliness of subway cars ( 10 )
10. Station announcements that are informative ( 8 )
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Complete N train riders priorities 2007 priority rank in ( ):
01. Reasonable wait times for trains ( 1 )
02. Minimal delays during trips ( 2 )
03. Adequate room on board at rush hour ( 3 )
04. Cleanliness of stations ( 4 )
05. Station announcements that are easy to hear ( 5 )
06. Sense of security in stations ( 7 )
07. Train announcements that are easy to hear ( 6 )
08. Sense of security in trains ( 9 )
09. Cleanliness of subway cars ( 10 )
10. Station announcements that are informative ( 8 )
11. Working elevators and escalators in stations ( 14 )
12. Courtesy and helpfulness of station personnel ( 12 )
13. Comfortable temperature in subway cars ( 11 )
14. Train announcements that are informative ( 13 )
15. Availability of MetroCard Vending Machines ( 16 )
16. Lack of graffiti in stations ( 17 )
17. Ease of use of subway turnstiles ( 19 )
18. Signs in stations that help riders find their way ( 18 )
19. Signs in subway cars that help riders find their way ( 20 )
20. Lack of scratchitti in subway cars ( 15 )
21. Lack of graffiti in subway cars ( 21 )
Click here for the breakdown of votes in this section.
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Now here is the graded breakdown for all 21 categories; 2007 grade in ( ):
01. Minimal delays during trips C- (D+)
02. Reasonable wait times for trains C- (D+)
03. Adequate room on board at rush hour D+ (D)
04. Sense of security in stations C (C)
05. Sense of security on trains C (C)
06. Working elevators and escalators in stations C- (C-)
07. Signs in stations that help riders find their way C+ (C+)
08. Signs in subway cars that help riders find their way C+ (C+)
09. Cleanliness of stations C- (D+)
10. Cleanliness of subway cars C (C)
11. Station announcements that are easy to hear D+ (D+)
12. Station announcements that are informative C- (D+)
13. Train announcements that are easy to hear C (C-)
14. Train announcements that are informative C (C-)
15. Lack of graffiti in stations C (C)
16. Lack of graffiti in subway cars B- (C)
17. Lack of scratchitti in subway cars C+ (C-)
18. Courtesy and helpfulness of station personnel C (C-)
19. Comfortable temperature in subway cars C+ (C)
20. Ease of use of subway turnstiles B- (C+)
21. Availability of MetroCard Vending Machines B- (B-)
Click here for the breakdown of votes in this section.
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From where I sit, the grades seem pretty accurate along with the top priorities. The top 10 priorities remained the same for 2008 albeit in a slightly different order. The top 3 priorities could be flip flopped in any order as each would be justified in the #1 slot. If I had to choose, I would probably say priority #3 should be #1. However that is more of a nitpick than an outright criticism.
If any specific grade caught me off guard, it was for the train announcements being easy to hear. With an upgraded fleet, I expected the to score high in this category. I wonder if people really had a hard time hearing the announcements (doubtful) or they were too wrapped up in their own word (probable). I will take that grade with a grain of salt.
Overall the results speak for themselves. The responders were down by almost 3000 from 2007 which comes as no surprise to me. For months, I have questioned the overall marketing of these Rider Report Cards. If they do happen to come back for a 3rd go-around, I suggest a different approach to getting maximum response.
xoxo Transit Blogger
You might enjoy reading these related entries:- The 1 Is Still Not #1
- So That’s Where You Have Been Hiding
- The 5 Produces More Of The Same
- Riders Say The C Is Just Below Average
- B’s Results Showcase More Bogus Improvement
The R’s Grade Is Still Too Generous
Uncoupled R trains laying up at the Parsons Boulevard station. Resized photo courtesy of Eye On Transit
Well it is time for things to get back to normal in regards to the 2008 Rider Report Cards. Who has time for lines showing a grade improvement? I know that I love to write about lines who once again earned the same exact grade from the initial 2007 results. The subject this time is the train affectionately known as “Rarely”, the 
. The line once again earned an overall grade of C- which I once again find way too generous. Lets go straight to the breakdown:
R Train Riders Top 10 Priorities; 2007 priority rank in ( ):
01. Reasonable wait times for trains ( 1 )
02. Minimal delays during trips ( 2 )
03. Adequate room on board at rush hour ( 3 )
04. Train announcements that are easy to hear ( 5 )
05. Station announcements that are easy to hear ( 4 )
06. Cleanliness of stations ( 6 )
07. Cleanliness of subway cars ( 7 )
08. Sense of security in stations ( 8 )
09. Sense of security on trains ( 9 )
10. Working elevators and escalators in stations ( 12 )
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Complete R train riders priorities 2007 priority rank in ( ):
01. Reasonable wait times for trains ( 1 )
02. Minimal delays during trips ( 2 )
03. Adequate room on board at rush hour ( 3 )
04. Train announcements that are easy to hear ( 5 )
05. Station announcements that are easy to hear ( 4 )
06. Cleanliness of stations ( 6 )
07. Cleanliness of subway cars ( 7 )
08. Sense of security in stations ( 8 )
09. Sense of security on trains ( 9 )
10. Working elevators and escalators in stations ( 12 )
11. Station announcements that are informative ( 10 )
12. Comfortable temperature in subway cars ( 13 )
13. Courtesy and helpfulness of station personnel ( 14 )
14. Train announcements that are informative ( 11 )
15. Lack of scratchitti in subway cars ( 15 )
16. Signs in stations that help riders find their way ( 16 )
17. Ease of use of subway turnstiles ( 17 )
18. Availability of MetroCard Vending Machines ( 19 )
19. Signs in subway cars that help riders find their way ( 18 )
20. Lack of graffiti in stations ( 20 )
21. Lack of graffiti in subway cars ( 21 )
Click here for the breakdown of votes for this category.
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Now here is the graded breakdown for all 21 categories; 2007 grade in ( ):
01. Minimal delays during trips C- (C-)
02. Reasonable wait times for trains D+ (D+)
03. Adequate room on board at rush hour C- (C-)
04. Sense of security in stations C (C)
05. Sense of security on trains C (C)
06. Working elevators and escalators in stations C- (C-)
07. Signs in stations that help riders find their way C+ (C)
08. Signs in subway cars that help riders find their way C (C)
09. Cleanliness of stations D+ (D+)
10. Cleanliness of subway cars C- (C-)
11. Station announcements that are easy to hear D (D)
12. Station announcements that are informative D+ (D)
13. Train announcements that are easy to hear D+ (D)
14. Train announcements that are informative D+ (D+)
15. Lack of graffiti in stations C (C)
16. Lack of graffiti in subway cars C+ (C)
17. Lack of scratchitti in subway cars C- (C-)
18. Courtesy and helpfulness of station personnel C (C)
19. Comfortable temperature in subway cars C+ (C)
20. Ease of use of subway turnstiles C+ (C+)
21. Availability of MetroCard Vending Machines B- (B-)
Click here for the breakdown of votes for this category.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
I once again will stand by my statement from last year that this overall grade was way too generous. The R has not shows much improvement if any at all in the last year. This line does not even deserve to be considered just below average.
This is one line I try to avoid at all costs. The ride is painfully slow which I can understand since it shares tracks nearly its entire run. However my main complaint continues to be the wait times. There is a very good reason why many say the R stands for “Rarely”.
The top 10 priorities are pretty identical from 2007’s results. The same can be said for all priorities as there were no big jumps in either direction in terms of placing. The amount of responders was 4,267 which was down 3,554 from 2007’s results.
I would read my thoughts from last year as they still ring true today.
xoxo Transit Blogger
You might enjoy reading these related entries:- The 1 Is Still Not #1
- The N Shows A Slight Improvement
- The Result Is Still Not Close To Its Name
- Riders Say The C Is Just Below Average
- So That’s Where You Have Been Hiding
Rockaway Park Shuttle Shows Improvement
Not the Rockaway Park Shuttle but a shuttle train nonetheless! Resized photo courtesy of Eye On Transit.
Well this is a change of pace for me. I get to write about a line that showed an overall improvement in its Rider Report Card. The Rockaway Park Shuttle finished with an overall grade of C. This was up from the D+ it earned in the 2007 Rider Report Cards. However as one might expect, the positivity might have to be taken with a grain of salt as only 60 people responded for 2008. Lets go straight to the breakdown:
Rockaway Park Shuttle Train Riders Top 10 Priorities; 2007 rank in ( ):
01. Reasonable wait times for trains ( 1 )
02. Minimal delays during trip ( 2 )
03. Adequate room on board at rush hour ( 11 )
04. Sense of security on trains ( 6 )
05. Sense of security in stations ( 4 )
06. Cleanliness of stations ( 3 )
07. Courtesy and helpfulness of station personnel ( 15 )
08. Station announcements that are easy to hear ( 9 )
09. Comfortable temperature in subway cars ( 14 )
10. Working elevators and escalators in stations ( 10 )
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Now here is the entire order of riders’ priorities 2007 priority rank in ( ):
01. Reasonable wait times for trains ( 1 )
02. Minimal delays during trip ( 2 )
03. Adequate room on board at rush hour ( 11 )
04. Sense of security on trains ( 6 )
05. Sense of security in stations ( 4 )
06. Cleanliness of stations ( 3 )
07. Courtesy and helpfulness of station personnel ( 15 )
08. Station announcements that are easy to hear ( 9 )
09. Comfortable temperature in subway cars ( 14 )
10. Working elevators and escalators in stations ( 10 )
11. Lack of scratchitti in subway cars ( 6 )
12. Signs in subway cars that help riders find their way ( 19 )
13. Signs in stations that help riders find their way ( 19 )
14. Cleanliness of subway cars ( 5 )
15. Train announcements that are easy to hear ( 8 )
16. Station announcements that are informative ( 12 )
17. Train announcements that are informative ( 15 )
18. Lack of graffiti in stations ( 13 )
19. Lack of graffiti in subway cars ( 19 )
20. Ease of use of subway turnstiles ( 18 )
21. Availability of MetroCard Vending Machines ( 15 )
Click here for the breakdown of votes in this category.
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Now here is the graded breakdown for all 21 categories; 2007 grade in ( ):
01. Minimal delays during trips C (C-)
02. Reasonable wait times for trains C- (D)
03. Adequate room on board at rush hour C (B-)
04. Sense of security in stations C (C-)
05. Sense of security on trains C (C-)
06. Working elevators and escalators in stations C- (D+)
07. Signs in stations that help riders find their way C+ (C)
08. Signs in subway cars that help riders find their way C (C-)
09. Cleanliness of stations C (D+)
10. Cleanliness of subway cars C (C-)
11. Station announcements that are easy to hear C (D+)
12. Station announcements that are informative C (D+)
13. Train announcements that are easy to hear C (C-)
14. Train announcements that are informative C (C-)
15. Lack of graffiti in stations C (C-)
16. Lack of graffiti in subway cars C+ (C-)
17. Lack of scratchitti in subway cars C (D+)
18. Courtesy and helpfulness of station personnel C (C-)
19. Comfortable temperature in subway cars C+ (C)
20. Ease of use of subway turnstiles B- (C+)
21. Availability of MetroCard Vending Machines B- (B-)
Click here for the breakdown of votes in this category.
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Another year has passed & not much as changed here. I still rarely ride the shuttle but when I do, the wait times are unreasonable. I am honestly shocked that this particular aspect earned a better grade. However as I mentioned, you can take these results with a grain of salt considering the lack of responders.
Overall there is not much I can say about these results. If one thing caught me a little by surprise was the sudden change in rankings for a few categories. I can’t recall ever seeing a report card have so many categories rise or fall by 5+ spots. Once again though, this is probably due to the limited amount of responders. I thought the 2007 turnout was pathetic at 132 but who would have thought that would be double what we got in 2008? Oh well……..
xoxo Transit Blogger
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