Idiots of the Week: The MTA
Not that this should ever come as a surprise, but this week’s Idiots of the Week are the folks at the MTA, who apparently live under a rock.
You see, for years, people on the L Train have been living with substandard service. And just about everyone who has ever taken an L Train knows this. It’s been going on since the turn of the century, and it has only gotten worse. And what has the MTA done about it? Practically nothing. Some minor improvements were made to the line (minor in the sense that passengers barely noticed - despite putting up with almost three full years of service shutdowns), but for the most part, the slowdowns are still there.
Until yesterday.
Yesterday, the MTA miraculously announced that they were adding a whopping 23(!) new round trips to the L Train every weekday, and even more on the weekends. Why? Because the L Train is overcrowded! Tell me something I didn’t know when today’s middle-schoolers were still in diapers, MTA. You’re trying to swoop in and act like heroes, but the fact that you waited this long to solve the problem shows that you are an agency incapable of springing to action when faced with any problem.
And what led them to realize that the L Train needed more service?
No, not dozens of editorials in local newspapers about overcrowding.
No, not MTA data that indicated the trains were well over capacity.
No, not the handful of websites dedicated to encouraging upgraded service.
It was last month’s ”Rider Report Card” that suddenly made them see the light, when L Train riders gave the train a “D” for “adequate room at rush hour.” Or, at least according to amNewYork, that’s why they added service.
Really, MTA? Are you serious? You took a completely non-random survey and suddenly you’re going to add more trains. Four years ago, I could’ve walked up to 50 people on the L Train and asked them, “does the L Train need more trains?” and 49 of them would have said “yes” (the 50th person was a hipster who just moved from Bumfuck, Minnesota and was using the subway for the first time).
Congratulations, MTA. You are the Idiots of the Week for this week - and for many, many weeks to come.
This entry was posted on Thursday, October 18th, 2007 at 9:53 am and is filed under Idiot of the Week. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
October 18th, 2007 at 10:07 am
brookLyn gaL says:A good point, but at least service will be improving soon! (If only this had happened when I still lived on the L…)
October 18th, 2007 at 11:30 am
Brooklyn Bitch says:23 round trips a day, huh?
I’ll believe it when I see it.
October 18th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
Lauren says:I saw this picture today on BBC. This is apparently what the French subway looks like during a massive transit strike. Not impressed.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7050604.stm
October 18th, 2007 at 10:09 pm
MTA adds more service after L, 7 lines get D grades « Second Ave. Sagas | Blogging the NYC Subways says:[…] certainly silenced those cries. While the East Village Idiot, a frequent victim of the L train, is rightfully annoyed at the MTA, the fact that the MTA is responding to the demands of the riders is a positive sign, even if this […]
October 19th, 2007 at 2:40 am
Cody says:You’re citing AMNewYork in this posting?!?!
You can’t have it both ways.
October 19th, 2007 at 10:00 am
quin says:try the 1 at rush hour
October 19th, 2007 at 10:05 am
RK says:May have something to do with the new electronic signs. The NYC subway still uses signalling from the late 19th century which creates a maximum of number of trains which can run, which is a function of the placement of deadlock switches on the track, and the track distance required for a train to make a full emergency stop. By moving to modern signalling, the space in between trains can be reduced. The L is the first line to get the new system (thus the electronic signs).
October 19th, 2007 at 10:15 am
RK says:Reference for above:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L_(New_York_City_Subway_service)
Second-to-last paragraph in “History”
October 19th, 2007 at 10:52 am
another east villager says:does it really matter if commuter (brooklyn) trains are overcrowded? how about making life better for the people committed enough to manhattan to live AND work in the city.
November 16th, 2007 at 1:26 am
Second Ave. Sagas | Blogging the NYC Subways » Blog Archive » MTA adds service after L, 7 get D grades says:[…] certainly silenced those cries. While the East Village Idiot, a frequent victim of the L train, is rightfully annoyed at the MTA, the fact that the MTA is responding to the demands of the riders is a positive sign, even if this […]