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It's been a big subway week. Yesterday, it was announced that subway ridership is at a 50 year high, thanks to the advent of the Metrocard. However, the MTA still has that $600 million deficit. Subway expert and author Clifton Hood makes a very good point to Newsday, pointing out: "There's no rapid-transit system in the world that's not subsidized and New York's is less subsidized." The lack of subsidies is a point driven home in New York magazine's feature on the subway crisis we're almost in. The feature also has suggestions on how to improve the subway experience - video cameras, glass walls between the platform edge and subway car, universal fare cards - all great, but Gothamist feels these are too ambitious in its current unsubsidized form.
On the Metrocard tip, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly asked that the MTA give out Metrocards to all cops. What's shocking is that the NYPD and MTA didn't have this covered already. Less than half of the 37,000 officers have them, and of course the MTA will approve that the rest get them, but isn't a Metrocard as essential as a badge in this town? Anyway, according to the Times, the NYPD will be retraining its officers on entering the subway quickly; the NYPD also says that criticism that a closed token booth may have led to a murder victim's death is misguided, as the cop was delayed by seconds. The Times also had a profile of NYC Transit head Lawrence "The C train will be out for five years" Reuter yesterday, who admitted he shouldn't have spoken so soon during that incident. Sure, but Gothamist admits that it's nice to have a bureaucrat to beat up every once in a while.
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That "there's no rapid-transit system in the world that's not subsidized" would be a good point if it were true. Hong Kong's MTR Corp, which runs Hong Kong's subway system, receives no subsidy and made a profit of HK$4.4bn last year.
But isn't the MTR a partly private concern?
Well, yes, that's the whole point. HK privatized its subways, and, shortly thereafter, they became profitable. Now I'm not saying that the same thing would happen in NYC. But clearly the profit motive did make some kind of difference in HK.
After witnessing my first passenger-fall-to-the-tracks at the Times Square station this morning, I'm all for the glass the partitions.
I'd love to see the glass partition too. Besides rider safety, it would stop people from throwing trash onto the tracks and maybe, just maybe, it would discourage people from trying to beat the closing doors. They'd need to install some proper ventilation too though.
Seriously, I hate door holders. I wish MTA would grow some nutsack and install blades onto the doors. That'll teach them.
Really seriously, NY's suggestions are all great, but they need to take care of the bureaucracy and the budget shortfall first. And part of the problem is that MTA wouldn't (and shouldn't) drop the single fare system and charge fares by zones or distance. As long as people who can afford to pay the least also have to travel longer to get into the city, MTA would have to stick with $2/ride.
NYC's MTA lacks subsidization?
I was under the impression that the bridge and tunnel commuters are subsidizing the subway, since only about 6% of the money collected by tolls go toward bridge and tunnel upkeeping and operation.
Subsidies in the form of state and federal monies...
I'd privatize the subway. If it can work for Hong Kong, Tokyo, and London (I think), it can work here.
But theres a price to pay. NY 1 made an interesting point with their special comparing NY and Tokyo's Subway system. Tokyo Shuts down their system at around 1 and reopens at around 4 or 5. Gives them enough time to maintain the system and save money.
Plus Tokyo has twice the riders, yet runs with less miles of track then the NYC subway.
The best way may be to close stations.
The NY Mag piece is good, unless you're a certain empty suit who commutes from Garrison to Albany and works in an office with the word "Governor" on the door.
Pataki should be stripped to his underware and left in the 205th subway station. Then he can see what the working people, who he's supposed to be all for, are enduring just to get to work in the city that keeps his state afloat.
They should raise income taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers to subsidize the subway. If Christo can afford $20 million for the Gates, then Upper East Siders can shell out a few extra bucks for a public good.
"They should raise income taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers to subsidize the subway. If Christo can afford $20 million for the Gates, then Upper East Siders can shell out a few extra bucks for a public good."
Is it fate or irony that your name is "Rob"?
What's your middle and last name, M. Blind?
Can some one ask him about this past weekends Subway changes.. I still haven't figured out why the trains ran like this,
All weekend long
The A Train going to brooklyn from West 4th St. to Jay street makes all local stops along the F line
and then below that...
The F Train going to brooklyn from West 4th St to Jay street makes all local stops along the A Line.
i can understand if they had to do work on a particular line say the A line between West 4th and Jay St... but those changes made no sense except to screw with everyone trying to figure out what is going on and probably cost the MTA 1 Million dollars..
Where are we proposing that new subsidies for the MTA come from, given the enormous fiscal problems at both the state and the federal level? Maybe slash some Medicaid spending? Reduce outlays on affordable-housing programs? Legislators are going to keep a vigilant watch on their pork levels in an election year, so just about the only way to bankroll a handout to the MTA would be to raise taxes (again, not gonna happen in an election year, which at this point is basically every year) or cut spending on big social programs.
Put me in the "privatize it" camp. The local, state and city governments have enough problems coming down the pipeline because of demographic shifts in the tax base, the looming prospect of a slide in housing values, etc. without having to figure out how to wrap the MTA in more bacon.
I think realistically, even with the problems in the current system, if it were privatized you would see rates go up dramatically since there would be few controls on what could be charged in a private concern - privitizing a transporation monopoly is not a good solution IMO.
King of Zing, they're still doing track work at Chambers Street, post fire, which I think is the reason the A ran weirdly south of West 4th.
I think the MTA should just get gutted, with new officials appointed. I learned recently that MTA leaders are all appointed by Pataki, so I guess the MTA corruption, which I'm sure is part of the budget problem, can be blamed on Albany.
The Subway started off as a private enterprise, and it worked well, with a nickel fair, for many years, until the 3 companies operating it merged and became owned by the city. Privatization might be a good solution. Or, you know, government subsidies for mass transit generally, as there are other train systems around the country that are suffering because the powers that be don't want to fund it. Because Americans like thier cars.
Erin
you wrote: "King of Zing, they're still doing track work at Chambers Street, post fire, which I think is the reason the A ran weirdly south of West 4th."
That doesn't explain why then the F line ran along the A track from West 4th to Jay St they same time.
and we here in the land of zing refer to the fire as The HOBO fire. It's just so much more romantic
Maybe one of us armchair quarterbacks should actually do something about it.
I feel that the mta needs to dig into some of the money that they have collected from the "port athority toll fund," that way they have no excuse as to where the money is "not comming from."