Was Rumored Subway, Bus Slowdown Real Or Just Typical Service?

Photograph by aminTorres on Flickr

After rumors that the Transit Workers Union would "slow it down"—it being subway and bus service—yesterday during its "Day of Outrage," the jury is out on whether or not service was truly affected. One reader described, "The worst B/Q train service I can remember. Waited 20 minutes this morning, and the train was too packed to fit on. When another one finally arrived, it went half speed the entire way into Manhattan," yet another who must have slipped into a Bizarro dimension said, "My service this morning was actually noticably better than it usually is (on the F)"?

NYC Transit spokesman Paul Fleuranges told the NY Times, "It was a run-of-the-mill rush hour...It’s the usual things that can happen." The Times cataloged the subway issues: "A sick passenger caused the E train to be rerouted along the Avenue of the Americas track for 15 minutes. No. 7 trains were suspended for 10 minutes. Emergency brakes engaged on two L trains." But for conspiracy theorists, they may ask this—who engaged the emergency brakes?!

The TWU, which denied that it told members to slow down yesterday, was protesting the MTA's refusal to pay arbitrator-ruled 11% wage increases over three years. The union held protests and TWU Local 100 acting president Curtis Tate told NY1, "To the MTA, to the powers that be, understand this. Do not under estimate us. This is day of outrage number one and there will be 101 if necessary."

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By Jen Chung in News on October 15, 2009 10:18 AM

Comments [rss]

kneeohsoul

I don't buy it. The 7 trains (which were packed) ran on 15 minute intervals. Also, the 4/5 clocked in at 30 minutes from Grand Central to Bowling Green. Unbelievable.

pastaboy12

took me for fucking ever to do anything. the TWU is a joke. they should be happy they got ANY sort of raise. most people dont even have jobs.

Hugh Sansom

I took three subways and two buses on Wednesday and all took significantly longer than usual -- as much as 30% longer. There was just no missing it.

NannyState

Even the cabs are slower today...

bklynbagel

i thought it was bad yesterday. then while waiting for the f this morning for 10 minutes, it came and sat for 5 while waiting for a train in front of it. there was no train in front of us.. just bs.

whitecastlerock

The underlying concept that the MTA and TWU run the trains on a "schedule" is laughable. They get paid whether or not you wait for 3, 5, or 20 minutes. They could give a flying fuck about the paying customer. They have the city by the testicles and they know it. I know plenty of people who haven't gotten a raise in years, but still show up to work and act professionally... If they chose to act otherwise, they would be fired-they of course are non-union hired at will types

withgrace

No uptown 1/2/3 service from from 6:00 to 6:20 to "space the trains". The platform was so overcrowded that people were backed up onto the stairs. I take this train everyday and these trains come every 3 minutes on average.

Absolutely deplorable.

Kojak

I don't understand how this will help their cause if it truly did happen. It does bring attention to the contract impasse between the Union and the MTA, but most riders will blame the Union.

After the transit strike, the Transit Workers Union became almost as hated as the MTA management. I have contempt for both.

hotstepper

i don't trust any organization that can be reduced to an acronym.

thereader

Waited 20 minutes for an uptown A in the afternoon, and when the train arrived at the station, it came at a crawl. And we slowed down for train traffic quite a bit - I was 15 minutes late even though I left early because of the rumored slow down.

woodendesigner

I think the F train has been on a work slow down for months.

shovel

The morning commute was normal, but there was definitely sabotage on the 6 train downtown and the B61 during the evening hours.

Tgirl

real...

last evening on both the 1 train and then the Lex ave train, after the doors closed, conductors waited longer than usual (at every station) to actually move the train. Train just sat there, packed w/ people, not moving. It was subtle, short pauses, but consistent enough, station-to-station, to render cumulative effect very very annoying. Heinous.

longacre

I noticed that, too, on the N and the 6.

nycviabos

The driver of the M2 bus who sped by me last night while I was waiting at the bus stop at 57th and Fifth Avenue certainly drove like he was outraged, but he was clearly in no mood to slow down and pick me up like he was supposed to.

Fortunately, a speeding M3 came soon after and stopped just long enough to pick up some passengers.

focalmatter

While attempting to get to Union Square last night, I saw EIGHT Uptown 6 trains stop at the station before I saw a single Downtown 6. Mind you, this was at 6:15pm, when there should've been one every five minutes. Going 20+ minutes without a single 6 train was ridiculous.

jlocke

I was waiting for an uptown 6 at Astor, saw 3 uptown 4s and 2 uptown 5s before a 6 showed up, probably waited a good 15 minutes (I only take the 6 when I'm too late/impatient to take the N/W)

ckl

Yeah, I was waiting for a 6 too. I think it was the MTA's revenge for seeing my comment on my morning F luck.

Sorry!

I ended up just walking a few aves to another line.

dbc

I thought something was wrong on my way to work yesterday (ended up 15 minutes late despite leaving at my usual time). My E train was held at 50th Street for several minutes "to maintain proper spacing between trains" according to the automated announcement.

Wza

Seemed like the normal, slow service to me.

poopmast

Time to call Japan for that order of subway conductor robots

hotstepper

totally and can we make them sexy too? hot robot love is just around the corner, say the experts, and i want to be sure to get first dibs.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21271545/