July 7, 2006
TA Admits L Train is Too Crowded
It's just like the MTA to problem solve a couple years after the problem starts. The NYC Transit Authority will be adding more trains to the L line because the current, snazzy R143 line is "not enough" to serve the masses of people. The TA will have to figure out how to make the signals work with both the current, (relatively) high-tech R143s and the old cars (maybe the slant R40s?), and that could take months. We liked these stats in the Daily News article:
Annual ridership for the L line, not including major transfer stations:Community Board 1 chairwoman Teresa Toro puts the blame on the city and TA for "not accurately projecting the strain on the subway system and ensuring enough trains could be placed in service" and for encouraging development.
1994 . . . 16,968,025
1996 . . . 18,107,243
1998 . . . 21,196,693
2000 . . . 26,155,806
2005 . . . 30,452,319Five busiest stations in 2005:
- First Ave., Manhattan
- Bedford Ave., Williamsburg, Brooklyn
- Rockaway Parkway, Canarsie, Brooklyn
- DeKalb Ave., Bushwick, Brooklyn
- Graham Ave., East Williamsburg, Brooklyn
And in other transit news, a judge threw out a firefighter's lawsuit against the transit union for striking and breaking the Taylor Law. Matthew Long was biking to his firehouse during the transit strike when a bus, hired by a company to transport its workers during the strike, hit him in Midtown and left him in a hospital for months. The Post reports that Queens Supreme Court Justice Joseph Dorsa "said the Taylor Law's purpose was not 'intended to protect individuals from the negligent acts of third parties - such as the traffic accident, in this case.'" Though Long's lawsuits against the Bear Sterns (the company that hired the bus), the bus driver, and bus' owners are moving on, his lawyer will appeal the decision.
Photograph of crowded L train from lauratitian on Flickr
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it's only going to get more crowded with all the buildings going up around the first few stops on the brooklyn side.
and i've noticed that they've been running a lot more old trains.
Teresa Toro is Transportation Chair of CB 1 in Brooklyn, not 11.
Thanks.
And why hasn't Matthew Long ever come out about unsafe conditions for cyclists. It would seem the NYC DOT would be a much more worthy target than the TWU.
Poor cramped hipsters.
Great, now that I've moved away they add more trains! At least there's always a seat on the R train in the morning.
yes, aristocrat, the L train ONLY services hipsters. nothing but hipsters all the way to canarsie. dumbass.
Not for nothing, but has our good friend ever been on any of the three Lex lines at rush hour?
I think not.
Ok, then what about the 1/2/3 lines? Any time of day those trains are packed as well. Makes you wonder why the MTA took away the #9 train?!
Time and again the MTA has done nothing but piss off NY'ers that have to rely on their antiquated system as their primary mode of travel....incompetent morons!
Yes, it would be nice for Matt Long or his attorney to ask some questions about why the city DOT is sitting on a 10 year old bike Master Plan that is only 15% complete.
Did I say it only services hipsters matt? go drop dead, wanker.
the 6 is 10x more crowded than the L
1st Avenue is the busiest stop on the L? I hope they're all going to Brooklyn. If not, walk to Union Square, you lazy bastards.
"the 6 is 10x more crowded than the L"
Wrong. Sorry. Ride them both every day.
(Amendment to my previous snippy comment)
The L Train gets my heart rate up. Forgive.
I only ride the 6 from Union to Grand Central. Not once have I been forced to wait. Sure, they are crowded, but I can get on (if I choose to.) The L, on the other hand, there have been numerous times where I have had to wait for 4 or more trains before even thinking about getting on. It's horrible. It has been for a long, long time and consistently so. The 6 may have its days, but it's not nearly as bad as the L.
In my not so humble opinion. :]
Ok, then what about the 1/2/3 lines? Any time of day those trains are packed as well. Makes you wonder why the MTA took away the #9 train?!
The 9 was removed as an elimination of skip-stop service. All the 9s were "converted" to 1 trains, as had been right after 9/11... taking the 1 train every day, I don't notice much of a difference (e.g., was awful during rush hour back then, is still awful during rush hour now... and it's not really packed during middays or evenings).
That's because the most crowded leg of the 6 is between Grand Central and 86th. I used to live off 77th (where the bulk of UES commuters get on/off) and in the mornings I would often have to let 2 or 3 trains pass before I could get on. That's why the 2nd Ave. subway is such a precious concept to east-siders.
Thanks, Constant Dater. I will make sure to avoid it if at all possible. :]
most know the 4/5/6 is really crowded because there's only one line going up the East Side.
I live downtown and take the 6 at City hall going up to 96th. I always get a seat but coming home is another problem, I take the slow bus.
Grand central to 86th is jam packed during the morning rush. don't forget the transfer at 59th street with Queens commuters from the N/R.
What ever happened with the 2nd Avenue line anyway? I remember that was a go then not, then it was a go again, then I heard nothing.
I imagine it is a lot busier up above GC. I should have thought about that. Is there a bus? I guess that's the main problem. In Brooklyn, there really is no other alternative for many of us living on the L. I guess some folks (nearer to the water) could take the G to the 7 (if they work in Midtown). But otherwise, the L Train kind of has us by the balls (or boobs!).
I wish I worked at a place bike friendly. I would ride in. But I am so afraid of locking my bike outside. I know it'd be stolen eventually.
Now, about that 2nd Avenue line? What up?
As Jordan was saying, the 2 line I know for sure, at least from my visit to nyc last year, is packed with hordes of west indian aliens going from brooklyn to manhattan and back and needs a few extra cars just like the L line does for its hipster invasion in williamsburg.
I love to read instruction manuals on the train!
The cramped quarters in the L train was one of the reasons I chose not to live in Brooklyn.
Cool - so if we blow up this tunnel overnight, all the filthy hipster trash will be stranded in brokelyn!!
Hipsters? Wall-streeters. Anyone who rides it has noticed that the L train is filling up with suits.
It's the Yupsters or rather Hipster with legitimate jobs.
Good Morning Gripers,and Complainers ! So now you all want to bitch about the overcrowding on the (L)line. "Tough titties"! Get used to it because anythings gonna change. If anything shit on this line will get worst! The whole point of purchasing these new trains was to update the service with newer cars that are suppose to run longer without breakdowns. That was the point if paying like what half a million for those shits right! The MTA is run by a bunch of donkies in human clothing! You all should have known this was going to be problematic. Adding more trains to the schdule won't do anything at all. If anything it will encourage people to ride more often,Thus creating more crowding . This "Solution" by adding old trains that they brought the new ones to replace makes no sense at all. They will now have to reconfigure the signals (Which is going to take months)to register these old trains to operate over the same tracks. This brings up an intriguing question, Where will they get these trains from? Maybe the (J)line, or the (M)line either way somebodies commute will get just a little more painful. Total waste of time and money here with the MTA. I have a suggestion, How about running a skip-stop service during rush hours like they do on the (J/Z) lines. Hmmmmmmmm, Bad idea because it will cost the MTA money to waste time creating another line to run along side the (L)when they can just run every other train express to the most serviced stations. The comming months are going to be very interesting, I can't wait for the drama to unfold !!!!! P.S. The (E)train is one of the most crowded lines in the system. Personally, I take it every day and it's diffinity the most crowded line! End of discussion !!!!!
I hate hipsters so much my brain is going to explode!!! argrrrr@ERRrrrrrrrrr!
Chris
1st Avenue is the busiest stop on the L? I hope they're all going to Brooklyn. If not, walk to Union Square, you lazy bastards.
Some of us 1st Avenue-ers are going to 8th Ave. to transfer to the A/C/E (and I imagine to transfer at 6th Ave. too). The bus is too slow in the morning. Not everyone is going to Union Square from 1st Avenue.
"The cramped quarters in the L train was one of the reasons I chose not to live in Brooklyn."
Because the L is the only line that goes into Brooklyn.
NotinB'Lyn, please don't breed. The world doesn't need more idiots.