Gothamist: L Train Ruled Best by Straphangers Campaign

duckert

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:25:37 -0500

you folks would have loved it back in 70's This is New York city REMEMBER!

increble_plum

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:07:04 -0500

Are we talking about the same L train here? The line with the rush hour delays? (not nearly as bad as the F, though)

KiljoyWasHere

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:39:42 -0500

The 6 rating so highly is a joke. During rush hours it takes at least one, usually two, trains going by before there is room for another passenger to physically fit in the train. And when it rains . . . the train just gives up on running entirely.

KhuntienNang

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:52:36 -0500

i used to live along 7 line, and work along L line. I have to say i like those lines. L is relatively clean if you compare to many other lines, sometimes it does stink, but which subway line doesnt? most L line, if not all, are new cars. It does get crowded during rush hour, but again, that normal and happens to many other lines too. and my, the line is very frequent especially on rush hour. 7 train is quite frequent too, yes it gets crowded, although i think it doesnt get as crowded as L. i used to live along N, and that line sucks. same thing as R, i hope they are more frequent. now i live along F, and it's decent.

soccerposeur

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:18:37 -0500

I lived on the L train for a year, and it was the worst train for quality of life. I used to think the F was bad, but now I embrace it every morning. The L Clean? possibly, but it smells awful, and it's not a people smell. ..a chemical thing since the cars are new? L is out of service often and frequently doesn't run past Lorimer. people reek of alcohol, and it doesn't matter what time of day. the L train has the worst drinking problem.4) the cars move in f-ing slow motion. has no one else noticed this??

Sammy the Bull

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:02:19 -0500

N/W rider here. When I first started taking this train years ago I was dreading the agonizing waits I'd have to endure (at least, according to my Astoria pals.) However, after a rough start, service has never been as horrible as I imagined it to be. In fact, recently its been getting better. Although its nice to get new cars, here's a word to the wise. Just make sure you look twice before you plop yourself down on a seat. The homeless have been enjoying them as well in the week hours of the AM. Coming home the other day some fragrant fellow took up residence in a corner seat and made himself ultra-comfy by removing his shoes and thoughfully placing them under his seat. The term executive rolling flop house came to mind...

The Edge

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:29:18 -0500

Let's not forget the rather large percentage of preachers and beggars on the A/C/E... which is just like icing on the cake.

MT

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 17:51:21 -0500

The 1 train generally rocks. I rarely have a problem and usually get a seat. Granted I'm inbound at 7:30 a.m. and outbound at 7:30 p.m. so I have no idea what it's like when it's overloaded with rush hour people. But you can pretty much time exactly when you're going to get to the ferry on that train. A remarkable feat for the MTA no doubt.

sourus

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 17:32:05 -0500

I cant believe the N did so well. I live in Bensonhurst and on the weekends it almost never runs normally...if at all. Also getting the N in the city is terrible... Most days i have to let 4 R&W trains pass before a N train comes. I agree with the person who said the old trains have more seating. I hate the new trains...they also smell kinda funny.

drchadwick1

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 17:30:45 -0500

The "quality of announcements" part is total bullshit. All they do is play the same loud, grating thing over and over -- and it's just a repetition of the information that's already on the screens. Some conductors will play those nagging "rules of the subway" announcements over and over again. And by the way, if there IS a delay, there will be no substantive announcement as to why or how long.

sarahlucy

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:17:03 -0500

pffft, the L. Yeah it's usually on time, but sucks if you have to PEE and are forced to wait through three trains during the end of evening rush hour just to be able to squeeze on (this didn't happen to me yesterday or anything...) i've been living on the g for two months and haven't had a lot of serious problems. every once in a while there's your 20 minute wait, but that's usually late night on weekends, or sunday evening or some such. it's actually pretty great for morning rush hour. i live in bed stuy and can be in midtown via e/v in as little as 25-30 minutes.

plk779

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:07:23 -0500

Yeah the E train can suck it. I often have to let a few pass me by at Queens Plaza due to way too many people, and there's a hell of a lot of busted A/Cs on there.

JRod5417

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:06:46 -0500

dev- I'm not surprised you can get a seat on the F if you are taking it from far in Brooklyn. However, by the time it makes its way to Carroll Gardens, it is often packed to the point where you cannot get on. The F train also gets very dirty later in the day as rush hour commuters feel free to toss bottles and the occasional slice of processed cheese on the few seats that are empty.

jgee

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:59:54 -0500

I take the G so I don't have to ride the L.

joshuagallaway

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:54:43 -0500

i live on the N/W in astoria, and i actually prefer the W's, because the older model trains seem better to me. perhaps clunky and dark, but don't they have more seats? or am i imagining that?

Steven

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:50:19 -0500

Where are the Queens commuters here? Try to ride the E daily and it's way worst then most lines in the city. The E train is dirty, broken ACs most of the time and it's the oldest train running in the system today (built in the mid 60s).

spiritross

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:48:13 -0500

The crowds though is the only problem with the L train now that they have increased train frequency and stopped the shuttle buses Almost all trains are crowded at some part of the day But most don't come every 5 minutes like the L does Time is money If you are looking for personal space, buy a car and move to LA

dev

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:47:43 -0500

I'm shocked that so many are having problems with the F...I only take it into Manhattan in the mornings from pretty far out in Brooklyn...always get a seat...always clean...

MisterTissue

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:37:39 -0500

I'd like to meet the people who are getting all these supposed seats on inbound morning rush hour Q trains. I live at Parkside, which isn't TOO far out...but I get a seat in the mornings once every two weeks if I'm lucky...and usually once a week I have to let a train pass b/c it's too crowded for standing.

dustyrebel

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:35:23 -0500

Lies, lies, lies! The L train has become so impossible to get on, that I stopped taking it two years ago. It may come on time, but you can squeeze on that clean but absurdly crowded train.

Roquentin

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:33:24 -0500

In general the 7 is good, but there are no chances whatsoever of getting a seat during rush hour. In fact, that they would even suggest it scored well in that department makes me doubt their results are worthwhile. It's crowded to the point where you can barely stand in it a lot of mornings.

ny2102

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:31:42 -0500

Also, for all the crap I've heard about the G train, I've been riding it regularly and don't see what all the fuss is about. It seems fairly consistent, even if the headways are kind of long. I like it better than the C or F for sure. My biggest problem with it was SPRINTING to catch up with it one time when I came down the stairs. Silly short train.

zodak

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:31:35 -0500

a lot of talk about the F, G, L & C train from you guys, does anyone on any of the other lines read this blog?

ny2102

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:30:03 -0500

The L train is pretty great these days. In fairness to the W, it's a supplemental train and it's going to run entirely brand spanking new R160 models in a matter of months.

dbc

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:20:36 -0500

As a daily E train rider, I'm surprised it did so well. The cars are filthy and serve as rolling condominiums for the homeless. The frequency of service is pretty good (except on weekends/late night), but when delays happen, they're terrible (tunnel flooding, etc.). I agree with the commenters above that the F sucks.

slyseekr

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:20:23 -0500

Complain all you want about the L train, however, all those delays and shutdowns over the past few years are finally paying off. I rarely wait for a train more than 5 minutes on weekdays (10-12 mins on late night weekends), make the hop between Brooklyn and Manhattan in 2 minutes and haven't had any major service changes for nearly 2 months.

Outter Burrougher

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:18:40 -0500

actually, in regard to the w trains being dirty, they've been switching new subway cars into the W line's rotation.

petebfd

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:16:20 -0500

i like to refer to the L as the twatwaffle express... although, it really should be a local since it stops every 10 fucking feet. 3rd ave anddd union square? montrose and morgan? dekalb and jefferson? c'mon you could throw a rock from the dekalb stop and hit someone coming up the stairs at jefferson.

jack9

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:11:09 -0500

"The Straphangers Campaign found that the L did the best out of all the line on measures of..."

brooklynbs

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:02:07 -0500

I guess all the track work they did on the L over the past decade finally paid off. I remember when the L simply wouldn't run once a week because of some issue in the East River tunnel. It was nice back then because no one outside of Brooklyn was familiar with the L and you could tell your boss, "Sorry man, gonna be late because the train is not running." Of course, you never said you could take the G or JMZ to get to work. F train is horrible and only the C rivals it in terms of filth.

jink

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:01:02 -0500

face it, the L train rules. it's clean, it runs frequently, and is usually pretty on time. as long as you don't have to ride from one of the first 2 bk stops at 830 am, you're pretty much fine most of the time. now, can we all agree to stop using the word "shitshow?"

henricus

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:00:50 -0500

The L??? Really? (Not a trust fund kid, I work on the LES and have to ride that god-awful hipster infested train twice a day.) On the return trip, those lovely LCD signs inform me that I have to wait more than 15 minutes at least three times a week. Pathetic.

esquared

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:51:53 -0500

The L train gets good marks on"regularity of service and announcements" ..."frequency of scheduled service, delays caused by mechanical breakdowns and the percentage of dirty cars." OF COURSE! We don't want to inconvenience these trust fund kids and hipsters from shuttling them back & forth to to the EV to their watering holes.

heywood

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:50:44 -0500

if you follow the link you can get the info for the G - ranks as the dirtiest and the most likely to break down. that's pretty generous.

Kojak

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:47:20 -0500

The 7 train feels as if its going to derail running on the express tracks. Shit is scary.

fakenewyorker

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:42:59 -0500

the L definitely has the hottest chicks

Billiamsburg

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:39:24 -0500

Yes the F train is horrible. The G is bad too. I actually prefer the C to many of those rated above it. It's relatively quick and finding a seat is no issue. Though I guess that's the thing about the trains... it's all relative.

Rocknrope

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:36:18 -0500

How in the world did F score a buck? It is the worst line, especially at the worst possible times (rush hour and late night). How often have people waited 6 deep at Jay Street waiting for that crappy train, watching 3-4 A/C trains go by?

BootyInMyEye

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:36:15 -0500

the G line is missing, just like it is on the weekends (beyond court square in queens). seriously, why even bother saying it runs to forest hills anymore on those days? instead of notifying us when it doesn't run, i'd rather be alerted when the G does run on the weekends. now that would be a useful weekend advisory.

JRod5417

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:33:19 -0500

The F train is pretty abysmal. No service announcements at all, constant signal problems, MIA during evening rush, slow-moving, packed to the gills and often with no AC or doors that refuse to close.

dev

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:29:54 -0500

not sure how the N is a better train than the F... though, I guess they're not taking into account the people who ride the train...

meowster

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:26:22 -0500

The L & 7 trains are the worst trains in the city with exception of the 6 train possibly. I actually walk to the F (the F!!) from Williamsburg everyday just to avoid the L shit show at 830am. How is this possible? Obviously those surveyed do not work.

cornholioNYC

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:24:02 -0500

and no G train cause that shit don't count I guess...

faprilano

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:23:21 -0500

how strange - the G train is missing which, as a G train rider unfortunately, says to me that it sucks so bad it did not even register a score in this survey.