More reasons why the MTA does not keep it's "Pledge to Customers"

I still don't understand how MTA continues to have it's "Pledge to Customers" when they have so much inaccurate information or they just don't care about updating the information.   Let's get right to each instance.

On August 10th, the MTA Bridges and Tunnels implemented a 24/7 lane closure of the southbound Henry Hudson Bridge (the lower level into Manhattan), yet (as of this post) there is no service alert about this round-the-clock lane closure.

While the MTA Arts for Transit has recently added information for the 34th Street Hudson Yards station on the 7 line, go back one stop to Times Square and you can see the description for the Roy Lichenstin artwork over by the N/Q/R/S and W trains.   The W line was discontinued in 2010.   Of course the MTA continues to ignore this.


You cannot uphold the MTA's Pledge to Customers if you refuse to correct the automated announcements on the newest subway cars.  Presently, transfer lines are announced based on the six specific time blocks of the day:  AM Rush Hour, Midday, PM Rush Hour, Evening, Late night and Weekend.  So a "Transfer to the Bx41 Select Bus Service (SBS+)" announcement from a 2 train arriving at Gun Hill Road or 3rd Ave 149th Street at 11:30 PM would be inaccurate because the Bx41 SBS+ stops running before 10 PM.  But because the Bx41 operates in the early evenings, that is part of the evening (7 PM to midnight) time period for these automated announcements inside subway cars.  And as I have said time after time the MTA NYC Transit should look into the ability to add or remove lines at transfer stops so theses announcements can be more accurate,  This would be exceptionally useful such as the A/C Cranberry Tube weekend reroutes.

Even new service changes have errors.  According to NYCT, the first Bx10 local bus leaves Riverdale at 1:40 am - - but the Bx10 operates 24/7 anyway so how could there be an first and last bus?


Bus Time, a popular bus tracking service which I use, now has the countdown minutes instead of the number of stops.  With that in mind, they also corrected only 50 percent of the errors of the bus stops at the Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream, NY.  While I noted in March 2014, that Sterns, Woolworths and Caldor are on the list of bus stops in their data, they took a long time to correct two of the three stops.  Since then, the Sunrise Multiplex Cinemas closed in January to make way for a significant expansion of Green Acres Mall.  So they still have two errors (The Caldor and Sunrise theater) in this Q5 and Q85 bus stop data.

When the driver of an tractor-trailer struck a major electrical cable on the elevated 4 line south of Woodlawn terminal, causing a major fire which shut down 4 service between Burnside Ave and the Woodlawn terminal, NYCT offered alternative bus suggestions while leaving out the obvious choice - - Grand Concourse and the B/D trains as well as the Bx1/2 buses.  The Bx10/28 are useful only between Mosholu Parkway and Bedford Park Blvd and Kingsbridge Road on the D, respectively.  The Bx32 does not have the frequency to take some burden off from 4 train riders who are displaced at Burnside and that bus route runs short of Bedford Park Blvd.

The MTA's Pledge to Customers continues to be a smokescreen.  They need improvement in proofreading as well as executing the proper notifications in an accurate and timely manner.  And the MTA needs to stop waiting for more than 10 years to fix long standing errors.  To be fair, their service notifications on the MTA website have been mostly good, when they take the time to post a good service alert.

34th Street-Hudson Yards, a late but great station

I visited the newest subway station, 34th Street-Hudson Yards, early Monday AM and I must say, it was a job well done by MTA Capital Construction - - despite the cost overruns and delays.  You can read the entire description of the new 34th Street station right here. 


I started my journey to the 469th station at Grand Central, guess what front window (or railfan window as railfans call them) I had?

The new rollsigns on the older R62A subway cars have the appropriate south terminal.  By early next year, the rest of these cars will be transferred to the 6 line anyway.



Pictures of the station platform:

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And the lower mezzanine:

These are the two incline elevators which are really cool to look at - - they are the first of it's kind in the NYC sbway system (and one of the first in the Northeast)

Here is the video I took from the adjoining escalator which shows one of these elevators in action, going to the upper mezzanine,

Long way up or down on the other 3 escalators

And outside on Hudson Blvd East - - a dead end street off 34th Street.  Because the elevators and escalators travel east, you would wind up closer to 10th Ave.

I like this station.  It's large but it's not excessive like the bloated Fulton Transit Center building or the PATH WTC terminal arch superstructure.  The station can handle anything, Javits crowds, High Line walkers, travelers from the Bolt  and Mega bus lines, and even the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks, if they decide to hold the next show on the Hudson side of Manhattan.  Very nice job, considering the City of New York ponied up most of the funds for this project.  

Big NYCT embarrassment - Q56 bus route on ten signs at Flushing - Main St

A sign error may sit unnoticed for months or years - - it's just an error which does need attention.   But what if the error was on TEN signs at a major transportation hub in Queens and sits unnoticed for years while hundreds of employees walk through this station?  Yes.  Only the MTA and NYC Transt can accomplish this feat and they have done it at the Main Street-Flushing, Queens terminal on the 7 line.  This terminal is the home to nearly 2 dozen feeder bus routes, a nearby LIRR station and a very diverse community.  19 million people went through the turnstiles in 2014, making it the 12th busiest station.  While I do not have exact figures, about a good 200 to 300 NYCT employees work at this station at any given 24 hour period. 

And no NYCT employee saw the mistake on the ten station signs, all of them on both platforms - - one of the bus routes listed on these signs is mistakenly the Q56.   The Q56 bus route runs between Downtown Jamaica, and East New York along Jamaica Ave - - that's about 6 miles from Downtown Flushing.   The route which NYCT intended was the Q58 which starts on 41st Road, about two blocks south of Main and Roosevelt and runs to Ridgewood at the Brooklyn/Queens line.    Here is the YouTube video I took last week where nobody saw something and said something about this goof.





Usually NYCT places a sticker over an existing sign to update subway and/or bus routes - - this is done to save cost of making signs from scratch.  Regardless of the method NYCT used, none of the hundreds of employees who worked at this station - - conductors, train operators, station agents, station supervisors, train service supervisors, etc. noticed this mistake as they walked down either platform.  Those who are familiar with the Queens bus network, couldn't tell between the Q56 in Jamaica and the Q58 in Flushing.  I don't expect every person to be knowledgeable  about the bus routes at the Flushing terminal but when some employees who live in the area or take a bus to report at this terminal, and nobody sees this for years (these sticker based signs apparently were installed around 2010 with the Q15A) then there is a total inability for NYCT to correct something.  It's unacceptable for station supervisors and mangers to walk around this complex and not report this condition because one of the responsibilities of a station supervisor is to report deficient conditions such as sign errors like the Q56 - - and with ten wrong signs on two station platforms in the same terminal, how could they MISS this???  What if the E/F/M/R transfers were on these ten signs (there are no transfers to other subway lines at this station), would they be overlooked and ignored for years?  With NYCT, suspend your disbelief, because it's most likely a yes.

NYCT accomplished the impossible when it comes to ignorance to their own errors.

Disgrace in Brooklyn during the West Indian Day parade

All lives don't matter

That should be the slogan in Brooklyn among some minorities, after what happened during the J'Ouvert pre-dawn parade when Carey Gabay, a Harvard educated aide to NY State Governor Andrew Cuomo, was shot in the head as he tried to run for cover.  The shooting was gang related and one of several incidents which continue to tarnish the West Indian Parade and related festivities.  The J'ouvert early morning parade and the main event later in the day are supposed to celebrate millions of West Indians through their cultures and food.  Let us pray for Mr. Gabay's recovery.  I used to attend these parades to see the floats and the costumed women (when I was single, of course) but in the pas 10 years, violence at this parade continues to tarnish the black image.  But I guess if black people really care about their image, then they should empower themselves to change the ghetto mentality while invoking change to develop a stronger dialogue and respect between minorities and law enforcement.  Start with a ban on those saggy pants boys (not men) wear down at their kneecaps.  It's disgusting to walk with your children, especially girls, to see boys showing their asses through their drawers.  Next, clean up your language and 'hood.  See a bottle on the sidewalk?  Pick it up and find a recycling or trash canister to put it there.  The first image an outsider sees is neighborhood appearance - - when they see wine bottles, cigarette butts on the sidewalk while illegal billboards, graffiti and paper signs plaster everything that is nailed down to the ground, it's a sign of lawlessness and disorder.   Then make it your business to attend your local community board or police council meetings.  Show your concerns about the quality of life and let them know we need more houses of worship, restaurants and jobs than liquor stores and motels. 

Finally, it's all up to you to raise your children the right way before they fall into the cracks and join gangs.  Take them to parks,libraries and to the house of worship of your choice.  Stop using profane words in front of a child.  The dining table is the most important place to have a good conversation with your child. Show them the world and how important they are within - - there are many free resources available for parents and their children.   And then, remember to say Please and Thank You to anyone when needed - - say hello or good morning to a stranger on the street and see what happens.  If blacks can change the 'hood for the better then these gang related incidents would not happen. 

Rick Perlstein and his POW-MIA flag rant

Rick Perlstein is an anti-American and left-wing liberal who wrote an article for The Washington Spectator and was reprinted in Newsweek about the POW-MIA flag being racist and should be removed like the Confederate flag.   Mr. Perlstein, a purported historian, claims the flag is simply black-and-white and most POWs were "anti-war activists".  Additionally he notes that Ronald  Reagan was the first U.S. President to order the POW-MIA flag flown at the White House.

That makes Mr. Perlstein an anti-war activist himself too - - clearly the writing based on his so-called biased history shows his disrespect to every captured or presumed dead soldier during the Vietnam conflict.  Yes, I have a longstanding belief that the United States involvement in 'Nam was a big mistake and many soldiers died for nothing but that does not mean we should not remember the missing and captured.   NYC and Long Island have, NY State Rt. 27 in Queens (through Long Island). The POW-MIA flag is proudly waved by hundreds of spectators at most Memorial and Veterans Day parades across the nation (I was one of them at a Memorial Day Parade in Little Neck, NY) and Mr. Perlstein wants nobody to fly that flag?  Please - - this is not like the Confederate flag.    Although Mr. Pearlstein apologized about the racist remark against the POW-MIA flag, my view that he hates U.S. soldiers still stands. 

Mr. Perlstein, find another country to live in, like North Korea or Iran.  Your hatred to the U.S. Armed forces shows you have no place in the United States - - Red, White, Blue or Black and White, these colors don't run. 

The A/C Cranberry tunnels reconstuction - - same old wrong information.

Last weekend was the first of 40 non-consecutive weekends where A and C trains were rerouted on the F line in both directions between Jay Street-Metrotech in Brooklyn and West 4th Street in Manhattan.  The repairs are directed at the Cranberry Street tubes - - the portion where A and C trains travel under the East River between Fulton Street in Manhattan and High Street in Brooklyn.  Cranberry Tube is not named after a delicious fruit which is good for your urinary tract system but rather it's named after a street on the Brooklyn side of the tubes which A and C trains run underneath.  These tunnels were heavily damaged by Superstorm Sandy and were in the third worst condition after the R Montague Street and G Greenpoint-LIC tunnels.

As usual, MTA New York City Transit knows how to screw up information a well as their lack of proofreading skills.  This MTA-NYCT Press Release, dated August 6th, shows travel alternatives for weekday services even though the page clearly shows the words "WEEKEND(S)(ER)" a total of eleven times.  Noted alternate services include the M at Broadway-Lafayette, the Z at Delancey/Essex, and the 5 at Borough Hall station.  If NYC Transit really knows how to proofread and check their own services, they would realize and correct these mistakes - - the Z runs weekday rush hours only, the 5 does not normally travel to Brooklyn on weekends and M service does not travel north/west of Delancey Street or Myrtle Ave on weekends as well.    These mistakes were carried over to a least one news story from WABC-TV which is not really their fault since MTA screwed up this information. 


So how were the train announcements related to the A/C closure on the first weekend?  To be honest, I surveyed only the 2/3 lines for about 45 minutes by traveling back and forth while listening to the car announcements at the Fulton Street and Park Place stations, both are transfer points to the A/C lines - - all but one failed the test.  All but one had the "Transfer to the A/C ..." announcement.  One conductor said he didn't know about the A/C closure - - two conductors thought there was no J service at Fulton Street on weekends.  This sample was taken on Saturday (8/8) evening

Time	Line	Direction	Car #	Result
8:50	2	SB	6425	Fail/Fail "No J"
8:55	3	NB	1411	Pass/Pass "No J"
9:01	2	SB	6415	Fail/Fail
9:15	2	NB	6316	Fail/Fail  "I didn't know (no A/C)" when asked
9:30	2	SB	6386	Fail/Fail
9:35	2	NB	6486	Fail/Fail

If this is going to be the norm of 40 weekends of misinformation and incorrect announcements - - just as I stated the miscommunication during the L line shutdowns  or when the R Montague tunnels were shut down for repairs , nothing appears to change about how the way MTA New York City Transit informs their customers - - not even after a so-called Pledge to Customers  which I stated it's funnier to read than watching Airplane. when they post wrong information or make wrong announcements.  NYCT President Carmen Bianco is retiring on August 21 and is being replaced by interim President James Ferrera  who has zero public transportation experience - - Mr. Bianco, don't hit your head on your way out. 

Vision Zero - - why it should be nationwide

32,719

That's the total number of deaths from all automobile accidents in 2013, nationwide.  That's 32,719 too many deaths.  3,154 deaths are related to distracted driving.  600,000 drivers are using cellphones while driving at any time during the day.  Then there is the untold number of accidents caused by drivers breaking the simplest of laws to follow:  obeying STOP signs, yielding to right-of-way, maintaining at or near speed limits, especially on populated streets.  Google the news feed with adding "accident" after each phrase; "Texting while driving", "STOP sign" or "DWI" and you will always get at least one news story about a tragic accident which seriously injured or killed someone related to distracted and dangerous driving practices. 

Here are some more sobering statistics:

• 10,076 deaths in 2013 were attributed to a DWI driver
• 36 percent of all fatal crashes in 2009 were at STOP signed intersections - - 11 percent more than fatalities which had no traffic control devices (STOP/YIELD signs or traffic signals) at 25 percent
• Speeding was the cause of 9.613 deaths in 2013 or 29 percent of all fatalities. 
• Rubbernecking, the dangerous and stupid act of gawking at an accident scene or something unrelated to the road while driving - - even when the accident is on the opposite side/direction of the roadway, is not only a major source of unnecessary traffic delays (like NY State drivers starting at the new Tappan Zee Bridge which us under construction) - - it caused more accidents like this incident in Sacramento, CA - uploaded a user named @Cindy046 in 2014 - - watch the number of rubberneckers causing MORE than one accident.   EDIT:  I found the same video from a CBS local station capturing it live. 

One traffic-related death is one too many -  this is why Vision Zero is being implemented in cities such as New York, San Francisco, and recently, Washington D.C..  Vision Zero is modeled after Sweden's Vision Zero to eliminate traffic deaths by implementing various public policies and laws.  In NYC, the speed limit was lowered in  November, 2014 to 25 MPH except where posted.

Now, I started a new Facebook page about two weeks ago which is devoted to a Nationwide Vision Zero - - we must reach out to every diver that running STOP signs, texting while driving, drunk/impaired driving, excessive speeding and reckless driving are unacceptable, illegal and dangerous.   You can't read a daily dose of stories across the nation right here.  Of course we cannot eliminate all accidents but we can at least try educating the public that the simplest of laws most drivers break can lead to avoidable accidents.  Please drive carefully and obey the law.