Platforms Need Conducting

The Daily News says that the MTA will be spending $6.7 million to put workers on platforms to help with crowds- aka "platform conductors" - and give assitance during emergencies. Gothamist thinks this is a great idea, because sometimes there is absolutely no place for people to move in or out. However, one subway rider tells the Daily News she rather have more off-hours presence, which is a good point, but the MTA will do what the MTA will do. And this is still a good thing. Platform conductors are also going to be on the lookout for suspcious packages - so you can say something to them if you see something. We wonder if they'll radio to the command center if someone has dropped an object onto the tracks.

The stations include 72nd Street (1, 2, 3), Lexington Ave./59th St. (4, 5, 6 lines) and Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn (B, Q, 2, 3, 4, 5). Gothamist is going to try to find a list of all 20 stations, but we would imagine that Times Square (1, 2, 3) and Union Square (4, 5, 6), as well the 53rd Street (E, F, V) and some Financial District locations would be prime candidates as well. Just think - platform conductors might yell at people for trying to bumrush the train cars before people can get out!

Photograph of Times Square subway station from Farl via Flickr

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on February 15, 2006 12:11 PM

Comments [rss]

fuegochick

When my Mom commuted in the late 50's/early 60's the good old NYC subway system employed folks to help cram and many people as possible into the cars.

Gwinny

If the conductors really are partly to make sure folks don't bumrush the trains when the doors open, might I suggest the B/D stop at Grand Street and the F stop at East Broadway? The people at those stops are the height of rudeness when it comes to pushing onto trains before one has had a chance to get off.

outtake

Not such a good idea if having a "platform conductor" means taking a MTA worker out of the token booth.

I was at a subway station in the Chelsea area a few months ago and there was no one in the token booth, just a so-called platform conductor wondering around. If you can read a subway map, what's the real purpose of a platform conductor? It would have been nice to have someone in the token booth transfer the money on my transit chek to my metrocard.

NoName

How about employing some Tokyo-style pushers to make sure those gaps in the middle of the cars get filled?

Ryan

That's cool, but if they're really serious about safety what they ought to do is get rid of those iron-maiden looking tall turnstiles. Crowds back up in front of em bad enough in rush hour - they'd turn the platforms into death traps in a fire or other emergency.

Dave H.

I don't know if he's still there, but when I used to ride the 4/5 regularly there was a middle-aged MTA employee with a cowboy hat and a five-pointed-star sheriff's badge who used to wrangle people on the platform at 42nd St. during rush hours. Made me feel more like cattle than usual, but I appreciated his presence.

kristin

When I used to ride the E at 51st there were platform conductors. Those are the guys that shine their flashlights once everyone is safely in (i think what MT was referring to), right?

Wendy

The Daily News says the figure is $6.7 million, not $67 million.

There's often a conductor on the C/E platform at 34th Street in the mornings--I, for one, appreciate having an actual MTA employee enforce things that should be common sense like, say, letting people get off the train before trying to cram on.

MT

The platform conductors at the Times Square station are great! I love it when they yell at people for not letting go of the doors. On the flip side, they are also helpful in making sure everyone gets a chance to actually get inside the doors before the train conductor decides to mash you in them. After seeing them there for so long they really become familiar fixtures. (anyone remember when the NYT profiled the conductor from the S platforms in Times Square? It sure brought my appreciation to new heights.)

Kojak

A Good idea, only if they also help disposing of the assholes who try to jam open the doors to get onto the trains.

They should be armed with batons and loudspeakers.