First, fancy new train cars, now, silencio! The pilot program for quiet cars on Metro-North trains has proven so popular that it'll be rolled out to all lines. According to the Post, "The railroad says the last car on all morning trains and the first car on all evening trains will be designated as quiet cars. That means cellphones, music players and other electronic devices will be prohibited unless they can be operated quietly. Headphones will have to be at a volume that cannot be heard by others. Conversation must be subdued."
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Results tagged “metronorth”
Watch Out, "Very Well-Educated Person": Metro-North Brings Quiet Cars To All Rush-Hour Trains
Video: Rowdy St. Patty's Day Revelers Turn Train Luggage Rack Into Luge
Oh, the fun to be had on St. Patrick's Day! As this lively video demonstrates, there's no reason to wait until you arrive at the watering hole of your choice to start getting your "Irish" on. Here, for example, are some exuberant St. Patrick's Day revelers en route to NYC, passing the time by racing each other along the luggage racks above the seats:
Smoking Ban On LIRR, Metro-North Platforms In Effect, But Is It Fair?
It's been a fun, bold, smooth, satisfying three months, but the grace period is over and the MTA will begin enforcing the smoking ban on outdoor LIRR and Metro-North stations this week. The law, passed in August and enacted in November, makes it a $50 fine to smoke on commuter rail lines, or the possibility of as much as 30 days in jail. Still legal: drinking on the platforms, because even though alcohol kills more people than second-hand smoke, it also helps you work up the nerve to talk to that hottie with their headphones on.
Woman Faints, Falls Into Metro-North Tracks At Grand Central
A woman was rescued from the Metro-North tracks at Grand Central Terminal this morning. Authorities say that the 30-year-old "fainted and tumbled" into Track 28 after geting off a train that had arrived from Hartsdale around 8:30 a.m.
When Will Penn Station Get Metro-North Service?
The MTA is taking seriously a proposal to bring Metro-North and 28,000 more commuters to Penn Station. Trains on the Hudson and New Haven lines would use existing Amtrak lines to service the West Side, but the LIRR would be forced to cut some service to make room for Metro-North, a move that advocates for the plan say is only fair given that the LIRR will serve Grand Central in 2018. Naturally, some (read: Long Islanders) are skeptical. "It's the old saying," the executive director for the Association for a Better Long Island tells Newsday. "Once it's gone, it's gone forever." Yet this assertion was famously disproved by the McRib and the Mickey Rourke Accords of 2005.
Video: Charming Harmonica-Playing Metro-North Conductor
Do you know what the Metro-North has besides fancy new seats? An adorable conductor who plays the harmonica and shows off some literal hat tricks who says, "I was born to be clown, but I found this job instead." Check it out:
Metro-North "Pledge To Customers" Vows Crackdown On Seat Hogs
It's a big week for Metro-North and LIRR riders, who have just received the railroad's sacred "Pledge to Customers." The pledge, which you can print out and laminate via the MTA website, comes with some great American flag clip art and a promise to get you "to your destination safely, comfortably and on time." In particular, Metro-North says employees are going to make sure everyone gets a seat by cracking down on inconsiderate passengers who fill up an extra seat with their stuff.
Planes, Trains And Automobiles Struggle With Fat Americans
Shortly after learning that half of all Americans will be obese by 2030, the Times has decided to investigate the pressing issue of fat Americans on public transportation. It's a real problem, you guys! Just ask Kevin Smith.
New Haven Metro North Cars Getting Pretty Swanky!
Riders of the New Haven line on Metro North: relief is on the way. Those grimy trains that were cool when mustaches weren't ironic are being steadily replaced by these beauties, the M-8. MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan says the "top of the line" cars are "roomier, have higher-backed seats, bigger bathrooms, and outlets at every seat." Your move, Richard Branson.
MTA's Survey Says More People Are Satisfied With MTA
The survey says the Countdown Clocks are a big hit, with 96% of customers declaring satisfaction with the clocks. Overall satisfaction with local bus service increased to 70% from 62% last year, and 76% were satisfied with information about planned service changes. But this survey isn't a total pat on the back for the MTA: customer satisfaction declined on both the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North. Of course, there's an explanation for that, says the MTA.
Hurrican't Irene Cost MTA $110 Million
Although tropical storm Irene caused serious damage upstate, in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and parts of New England, New York City was largely spared. But not financially—the storm is estimated to have cost the city $55 million, and the MTA incurred roughly $110 million in storm-related expenses. According to figures obtained by the Post, that total includes $10 million spent on shuttle buses for ferry passengers, lost subway and toll fares, and "massive overtime costs incurred in shutting the system down in preparation for the storm." Plus an additional $50 million needed to fix Metro-North’s Port Jervis line.
Shhhh: Metro-North Expands Quiet Car Pilot To Hudson, Harlem Lines
Just as cell service is coming to New York's underground subway stops, Metro-North has announced that it is expanding its pilot "quiet car" program to include its Hudson and Harlem lines. Good news for commuters looking for a few minutes of peace, yes, but possibly bad news for "very well-educated" people!
Photos: Metro-North's Catastrophically Damaged Port Jervis Line
Last week, the MTA made the historic decision to shut service across its system with Hurricane Irene's approach. It took a few days for the MTA to recover from flooding and service was restored—except to the Port Jervis line on the Metro-North commuter rail. The Port Jervis line, in the MTA's words, has sustained "catastrophic damage" and the agency has invoked "emergency powers" to get the line rebuilt.
UPDATE: Metro-North, NJ Transit, LIRR Struggle After Irene
The city's subways are up and running, as are the buses, but the commuter rails that feed into the region are not faring so well. Five Long Island Rail Road lines—Far Rockaway, Long Beach, Montauk, Oyster Bay, Port Jefferson—are suspended while Metro-North and NJ Transit are totally suspended.
MTA Offers Photographs Of Irene-Wrecked Stations, Tracks
Perhaps in an effort to shut up critics who mocked its decision to close down systemwide, the MTA has photographs of flooded stations, tracks and railyards—even a mudslide at the Metro-North track near Spuyten Duyvil. NYCTSubwayScoop answered, via Twitter, the burning question of when would MTA service be back, "We have to assess the damage, dry out track, remove downed trees then get equipment back into place. No ETA."
Photos: See Grand Central Terminal (Nearly) Completely Empty
The MTA just released these photographs of Grand Central after the last Metro-North trains left and the MTA police secured the station—all part of the agency's systemwide shutdown today. The MTA has closed the terminal, and all commuter rail, subway, and bus service has been suspended. Only MTA bridges and tunnels are open now, and those will close if winds become very intense.
Cuomo Outlines Hurricane Irene Plans: "We Are Preparing For The Worst"
Governor Cuomo has officially announced a full-on MTA shutdown starting tomorrow at noon ahead of Hurricane Irene. Subways, buses, LIRR, Metro-North and Access-A-Ride are all being cancelled, and, if things get really bad, bridges and highways will be closed, too.
Smoking Ban On LIRR, Metro-North Platforms Becomes Law
You've got just 90 days left to kill time by killing yourself while waiting for a train on LIRR and Metro-North platforms. Smoking is already verboten on NYC subway platforms, even in if they're outside, and today Governor Cuomo signed into law new smoking prohibitions that expand the existing smoking ban to outdoor ticketing, boarding or platform areas of railroad stations operated by the MTA or its subsidiaries.
Keith Olbermann Is Back, Weighs In On "Very Well-Educated" Metro-North Rider
Keith Olbermann returned to cable television last night with his Current TV version of Countdown with Keith Olbermann. The former ESPN anchor-turned-vocal libtard left MSNBC in January and announced his move to Al Gore's network in April. His show is pretty much the same as before, if only on a different channel, and he's still "madder than hell." His first "Worst Persons In The World" segment featured everyone's favorite "very well-educated" Metro-North rider, Hermon Raju (see video below), but to some MSNBC viewers, Olbermann is a Worst Person for running four minutes in the 9 p.m. Rachel Maddow hour!
Video: "Very Well-Educated Person" Flips Out On Metro-North Train
In this instant classic video, a self-described "very well-educated person" chews out the train conductor for doing her job. It's such fun when very well-educated people throw tantrums! According to the person who uploaded the video to YouTube, the woman had been talking too loudly on the train when the conductor "politely asked her to keep it down and stop using profanity or to take it to the vestibule." This is where the video picks up, with the "educated" woman getting more and more irate over the perceived insult:
Metro-North To Cars: Get Out Of Our Way, Or Pay
On Sunday, a car and Metro-North train collided in Milford, Connecticut, injuring a woman and her seven-year-old daughter. There are still conflicting reports about who is to blame for the accident, but today, Metro-North made it abundantly clear who they believe is responsible: "The train was where it was supposed to be, and the car was not. The car caused damage to our train," said Metro-North Spokeswoman Marjorie Anders.
New Haven Line Rolls Out New M-8 Cars
New Haven Line commuters who are used to their M-2 cars and all the scheduling problems they create are in for an upgrade. After months of testing, the MTA revealed the first of the new M-8 cars (video below). Jeff Parker, Connecticut's Transportation Commissioner, said in a statement, "I am thrilled to be able to introduce a new era of comfort and reliability for New Haven Line riders. Even a single eight-car train set will help alleviate crowding and bring hope to our beleaguered New Haven Line customers." Here's what the ride is like:
Slain Poughkeepsie Cop To Be Buried In Brooklyn Today
Right now, there's the funeral procession for Poughkeepsie police officer John Falcone is heading to Brooklyn, where he will be buried at the Cemetery of the Holy Cross. Falcone was killed in the line of duty last Friday, when he was shot by a man in a parking lot near the Poughkeepsie Metro-North station. Earlier today, thousands of mourners gathered inside and outside the Putnam County church where the funeral was held.
Poughkeepsie Cop Killed Near Metro-North Station, 2 More Dead
Yesterday afternoon, a series of shootings near the Metro-North station in Poughkeepsie have left three people dead, including a police officer. The Poughkeepsie Journal reports, "Police said a man apparently shot and killed his wife in a car in a downtown parking lot, then was fatally wounded in a confrontation with police in which a 18-year veteran of the department was shot in the head."
Grand Central Terminal Apple Store Rumor Excites Nerds
Will Beaux Arts style meet sleek technology? Well, if the Cult of Mac's report is to be believed, then Apple is putting its largest store at Grand Central Terminal: "The store will open in the fall, likely early September — and it will be Apple’s largest retail space in the world. The store already has a name: Apple Store, Grand Central, according to a source close the company. The source said Apple will be making an internal announcement within the next month or so."
Commuters Still Angry At New Haven Line Cuts
The MTA has released more information on the new cuts to service on the New Haven Metro-North line. MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan tells us the new schedules are up on the Metro-North website, and that "on weekdays, off-peak schedules remain the same as under the current timettable. On weekends, a Sunday Schedule will be in effect for Saturdays as well as Sundays." That doesn't sound as bad as the cuts could be, but commuters and MTA workers are still shocked that they even happened.
Is Six Minutes Late "On Time"? The MTA Thinks So
According to the MTA (and the commuter railroad industry), a train that arrives within five minutes and 59 seconds of its scheduled arrival time is still not late. But an official advisory council says the MTA should set a higher standard than that, and change to a two minute window for the commuter trains. In a new report [pdf], the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA [PCAC] looks at the MTA's online metrics, and finds them wanting:
MTA "Operating Near Normal" During Ice Storm
The MTA says it's "operating near normal, regularly scheduled service across the commuter rail, subway and bus regional transportation network" except for the Long Island Rail Road is on a weekend schedule and there's busing on the Waterbury branch on the Metro-North New Haven Line, "due to weather-related equipment shortages."
MTA Gives Evening Commute Update: We're Working Hard!
The MTA had a challenging morning, after basically a foot of snow fell, forcing the agency to suspend bus service citywide, suspend some subway lines, and make adjustments to the LIRR and Metro-North trains. Now the MTA gives an update for this evening's rush hour commute, "We're working hard to restore full service in the aftermath of a storm that dumped nineteen inches of snow on New York City and more than a foot of snow in other parts of the region. While we have restored service across the entire system, recovery efforts are ongoing and customers may still experience some delays and cancellations..."
MTA UPDATE: Some Bus Service Restored, All Subway Lines Running
Thanks to the big snow accumulation overnight (according to NY1, "Central Park received 11" of snow overnight, in addition to the four inches that fell on Wednesday"), the MTA has suspended all NYC Transit and MTA bus service to avoid scenes like ones during the blizzard. Some subway service was suspended too, though all lines have been restored. Update: Now, as of 9:30 a.m., the MTA has restored limited services to some bus lines (but if you're in the Bronx, you're out of luck). Here's what the transit agency says about NYC Transit bus and subway, plus Metro-North and LIRR:
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