Subway's Future Dims as Economy Stalls

Ah, the Second Avenue subway project—that mythical, subterranean Chimera that mayors and governors have spun tales about since time immemorial—is once again in danger of abandonment. With all the talk of service cutbacks as the MTA stares down the barrel of a $1 billion budged deficit, some are wondering if the transit authority should really be spending an estimated $3,000 every minute of every day to dig under Second Avenue at this particular juncture.

Even Gene Russianoff of the Straphangers Campaign has begun to doubt the efficacy of this and other costly projects, such as the 7 train extension. He tells the Times, “The M.T.A. just proposed cutting a fifth of their core capital program. That included dropping fixing 19 stations, and hundreds of millions for emergency fans in the tunnels. At some point, maybe not yet, how vigorously can we proceed on these expansion projects if we don’t have the money to keep fixing the existing system?”

For instance, what about those wondrous electronic signs on station platforms, common in other cities, that the MTA promises will display the wait time for the next train, as well as other announcements? According to the Daily News, the cost of installing these futuristic marvels in 152 stations has swelled to $185 million, and now the MTA says not to expect them until 2011, five years behind the original schedule. Please be patient!

Instead of digging new tunnels, some advocates argue that the MTA should shift that spending to the cheaper bus rapid transit, particularly the new Select Bus pilot program that's successfully cut travel time between Manhattan and the Bronx using dedicated bus lanes and pre-paid fares. The cost of preparing the streets for rapid transit is $1 million to $2 million per mile, compared with $1 billion per mile for the Second Avenue subway. Joan Byron at the Pratt Center for Community Development tells the Times, "If you just took the cost overruns for one year on any of the megarail projects, that would pay for a handsome bus rapid transit network."

Not that buses are cheap either, what with the MTA paying through the nose for the ultra-low sulfur kerosene fuel they switched to back in 2000. When they renewed their contract with the supplier in 2003, some officials futilely warned that this particular kind of fuel could soon be hard to come by and pushed a cheaper alternative. Now, five years later, nobody else has made a bid to supply the MTA, so they're getting squeezed by a lone supplier to the tune of $26 million–three times what it paid last year. The Times a big expose on the debacle, which Howard H. Roberts Jr., president of New York City Transit, admits is the result of poor choices.

Photo courtesy The Real Janelle.

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

By John Del Signore in News on September 25, 2008 6:08 PM

Comments [rss]

longacre

Kevin: I couldn't disagree more. Building SAS is pointless if the rest of the system is not properly maintained and begins to fail.

Cliffer_ny

@spiritross,

"The subway system is still running at the highest most efficient level it ever has"

No kidding ? Well I guess we all should be grateful of this best ever system.

In the meantime allow me to find the 4 line pathetic, and the 2 line worst.

Not even speaking about the W line or the F line,

Yeah the F line you know the one when you are on Roosevelt island and wants to get back to Manhattan on week-end but doesn't work, no worry let switch to the tram, oh no tram...

But hey you know it seems this the most efficient level it ever has, (well except when it rains but that a different issue, I guess...)

spiritross

Just keep going on it

The subway system is still running at the highest most efficient level it ever has

people should never forget that

williambruce

Seriously? And I bet they get a bailout like Wall Street, only this one will come from the pockets of passengers. Oh wait, so does the Wall Street bailout.

Why are "we the people" left to clean up the mess these incompetent assholes make? This has got to stop. There needs to be accountability for once, but I guess when we have a douche bag at the highest office who has yet to be held accountable, no one else should.

Jerky

>ow, five years later, nobody else has made a bid to supply the >MTA, so they're getting squeezed by a lone supplier to the tune of >$26 million–three times what it paid last year.

Only a total idiot would think its a good idea to run your entire bus fleet on an obscure fuel produced at a single American refinery. In addition, having heard the inside story from someone at Sprague, it was also MTA's fault regarding their current supply situation. The incompetence is staggering.....

ANGRYGOD11

Howard H. Roberts Jr., President of New York City Transit

You lazy bastards couldn't be bother to Google him, so you don't know jack nor Howard.

Roberts served in the U.S. Army from 1961-1981, with assignments ranging from the White House to the rice paddies of South Vietnam. Roberts graduated sixth in his class at West Point and holds masters degrees in public affairs and engineering from Princeton University. Roberts previously served as Chief Operating Officer of Pennsylvania's SEPTA transit system and returns to NYCT more than twenty years after serving as its vice president for surface transit.

It seems on your little world a Princeton engineering grad doesn't know math?

Snoopy

I don't know what to do with this mess. Perhaps Spirit of 76 has an answer. He thinks he has answers to everything else.

angry_pickle

Howard H. Roberts Jr., president of New York City Transit, admits is the result of poor choices.

What exactly does this person do all day? I wonder if the MTA has ever hired anyone with a degree in science or math.

Steven

How many times have we heard this? When has the MTA EVER had enough money? All they do is cry the blues, keep wasting money and giving out bloated salaries.

JenChungsBaby

I just got a new job where I can walk to work every day. So screw you MTA, someone else can have my seat.

Wza

I agree with Kevin.

Whenever the MTA gives a timetable on projects I usually double the years..usually seems about right.

iralarry

Now both elevators at the Court Street stop in Bklyn on the R/M line are broken which means elderly people have to walk up or down 5 flights of stairs. This is the beginning of the end. ALL the money is gone now.

BxTiger

Par for the course when reporting on governmental agencies. MTA, PA, etc. Mismanagement is the norm when talking about MTA. If these goons actually had to manage a for-profit business, they would have been fired long ago (unless they worked on Wall Street).

peanut100

man, nyc is wearin me out these days. mta, you stink!!

ides_of_march

How much would it cost to get MTA employees to practice common courtesy towards passengers?

pudeljung

JESUS it sucks

Dear Michael Bloomberg:

Fire everyone at the MTA and start over. It's not working.

Thanks,

Arf

dr zippy

Kevin's exactly right. The electronic signs are a nice convenience but only provide a marginal benefit to the city's transportation system. The 2nd Ave subway and bus rapid transit, on the other hand, are vital for the city's future sustainability and growth.

Toby von Meistersinger

God forbid they cut management.

eyekantspel

jesus the MTA sucks

Kevin Walsh

Drop the electronic signs and station reno's in favor of the 2nd Avenue project. It must be built.

They probably won't, though.

www.forgotten-ny.com