MTA drops the signal on cell phones

New York City NY - The New York MTA is about to drop the connection when it comes to connecting up the subways and stations to allow calls.

The MTA entered into an agreement with a new start up company to connect the subways and stations to allow riders to use their cell phones. The problem is that the company, Transit Wireless, has no track record and the deal shows many of the signs of being too good to be true.

What I see happening here is that the MTA has set itself up to be screwed. They allowed the awarding of the contract without initially requiring that Transit Wireless was properly funded and bonded. After some pushing by city council, the MTA is now requiring Transit Wireless to get funding and bonding by its major contractors.

The deal the MTA entered into is supposed to cost the MTA absolutely nothing and it has the possibility of earning the MTA a little bit of cash. I doubt that will be the case. The deal has already cost the MTA money. Conveniently, the money spent to investigate, write up the specs and bid the contract are ignored. Money will continue to be spent to monitor performance once the wireless network in in place as well as additional indirect costs.

Personally I think the MTA rushed this cell phone plan through. Bit on the first bid and ran with it. That move may turn around to bite them back.

Additionally related to the upcoming wired subway network, New York City Council is urging the MTA to have "quiet" cars where riders could go to get away from their fellow travellers who insist on yakking away on their phones. It won't be officially enforced but enforced by the fellow passengers. Yeah, that will work well. It's just like passengers stopping other passengers from committing vandalism and littering.

I sense problems ahead in the MTA's rush to wire up the subway system given what I have seen so far. This plan really should have had more time to properly investigate as well as properly choose a provider that at least had a track record of delivering what they promise.

NYMTA to Disabled Community: Prove it

New York City NY - In a move that the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority (NYMTA) is saying is not related to spiraling costs of paratransit service, the system is now requiring disabled customers to visit a testing center to be certified as being disabled. Doctor notes are no longer accepted.

The move is causing some outrage among many in the disabled community, not so much for the certification itself but in how the certification process is done. Many believe that the NYMTA needs to go to the assisted living facilities rather than have the residents trek down to a testing center.

This change of policy comes at a time when paratransit service nationwide is routinely abused. While the NYMTA claims the move isn't cost related, it really is as paratransit service is extremely expensive to provide and is rapidly draining operating funds.

Some of the abuse of paratransit comes from the ease of being classified as disabled. All you need is a note from your doctor and you can be permanently listed as disabled even for a temporary issue. The NYMTA is attempting to eliminate that rather large loophole.

The NYMTA does need to make a change in its policy however, customers from legitimate assisted living facilities should have the NYMTA examiners go there or certify a doctor at those facilities to make the determination. Other customers not in a registered facility should still be required to make the trek.

I do agree with the NYMTA however that such a certification is needed. The abuse of the much more costly paratransit service has gotten out of hand. I believe that if the NYMTA makes that one change to their policy, the criticism of the new plan will be greatly reduced as well as the abuses of the paratransit system in New York City.

NYMTA's new approach is congestion

New York City NY - The New York Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) is adopting an old concept for trying to improve public transit service. The Villager reports on the MTA's use of bus "bulbs" to facilitate the flow of bus traffic in the city.

In theory, bus "bulbs" should allow for a faster flow for buses by allowing them to pick up and discharge passengers without having to get out of the traffic flow. In reality, bus "bulbs" tend to create more traffic congestion without really speeding up the service.

The reality is what is happening along Broadway in the Big Apple. The bus "bulbs" are also generating many complaints from residents and businesses in the area. The only ones who seem to like them are the MTA brass, city officials and mass transit advocacy groups who claim the bus "bulbs" reclaim the street from cars and gives it to the buses and pedestrians.

Like many things related to public transit, bus "bulbs" have their place but often are not properly utilized. "Bulbs" technically narrow a street and space that was once used by trucks unloading at businesses will move to the street from the curb when that is all that is available.

Pittsburgh has one as well from the time when South Hills routes still used Oliver Avenue. After placing the bus "bulb" in, the buses faced a much harder right hand turn as well as more problems with vehicles in a legal loading zone because of the narrowing of the street.

Bus "bulbs" do work well in residential areas with lower volumes of traffic but transit planners love to place them in already congested areas rather than where they would work best. The idea is to keep the bus in the traffic flow to speed the ride but as I mentioned, the reality is that is just makes a congested area even more congested which ultimately slows the service down as buses behind are slowed down as well. When all is said and done, everything is slowed down by the incorrect usage of what should be a valuable transit tool.

Free subway service studied

New York City NY - A New York Post story tells of a study being done by a transit advocacy group that is urging that the subway service in the Big Apple be free.

The 4 month study, being done by the Institute for Rational Urban Mobility, is being funded by a $100,000 grant from environmentalist Theodore Kheel.

Citing that other cities, such as Portland and Seattle, offer free transit service in their downtown cores, the group seems oblivious to the fact that the transit systems in those cities are extremely small compared to the behemoth known as the MTA.

The plan appears to center around paying for the free service through congestion pricing of travel by car in New York City.

This plan is fraught with problems. Primary of which is that they are depending on the very mode of transportation they want to eliminate to pay for the free subway service. What they should call the congestion tax is a "sin tax" because that is exactly what it is. Just like with other sin taxes that are used to fund programs, it won't bring in anywhere close to the money that the advocates say it will.

The days of free transit service in the downtown core is rapidly coming to an end as well. With the cost of providing transit service going through the roof, many systems are making contingency plans to scrap the free downtown core service with my home town being one of those operations.

Ultimately what will happen if NYC adopts this free subway plan is this. The MTA will be bankrupt within a year. Taxes on all residents will be raised to pay for it and the bus service that many do depend on will suffer through massive fare hikes and service cuts.

This is just another plan by radical environmentalists to further destroy public transit which is disguised as a plan to save it. I am actually surprised that the source of the funding for the study was identified as an environmentalist. Usually the media buries that fact when reporting on environmentalist plans to "improve" public transit.

Red Tape Alert

Rockland County NY - At least 9 brand new buses have been sitting since November due to bureaucratic red tape according to The Journal News report.

The brand new MCI commuter coaches came without the required "Buy American" paperwork to prove at least 60% of the bus was assembled in the United States.

Given the fact that the buses have already been paid for by Federal and State funds, having them sit over a paperwork snafu is a bit on the ridiculous side. Once the paperwork arrives from MCI, the buses will continue to sit until the papers are audited to ensure 60% of the bus was assembled in the US.

It's a waste of needed resources to keep these buses, which are already paid for, out of service when they are needed over such a trivial issue. I shouldn't be surprised though, public transit in general is drowning in sea of bureaucratic red tape.

Those buses should have been put in service when they arrived. If the paperwork shows that the buses failed the 60% rule, then sue the manufacturer.

Under the current setup, all that would happen is the manufacturer would replace a few parts on the buses, it would then pass the audit and the same buses that initially failed would then be accepted. Keeping these buses out of service, given that MCI is a reliable manufacturer and sells to many transit operation, is a dumb move in my opinion.

Fainting dieters among cause of MTA delays

NYC NY - A story at the Newsday.com site caught my eye. The number 3 reason for subway delays in New York City is due to dieters that pass out on the trains. While other illnesses are also included in that number 3 ranking, fainting passengers lead the pack for the "sick customer" classification according to the MTA.

Only track work and signal problems beat out the dieters for delaying the subway network in the Big Apple.

The last line of the story will bring some grief for the MTA:

The MTA strongly urges all riders to eat something - anything - in the morning to keep the subway rolling.

You just know some group is going to complain about the MTA encouraging people to eat in this day and age of the government and advocacy groups telling us all that we're too fat and that we need to diet and exercise. "How dare the MTA encourage people to eat just so they can keep the subways on schedule" and "What about the homeless or poor that can't afford to eat in the morning?" It's coming, just wait...

NY Congressman calls for bus takeover

Staten Island NY - The Staten Island Advance reports on New York State Congressman Vito Fossella's (RINO) attempts to force a takeover of two South Shore bus routes that are currently handled by a private carrier.

The problem with Fossella's attempt is that the two lines, run by Atlantic Express, have a good track record and very low rider complaints. Why then force these lines to be taken over by the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA)?

The answer is simple. Fossella thinks the Government Transportation Monopoly, aka the MTA, can do a better job regardless of the fact that it has been blasted for years over poor quality service.

Based mostly on a handful of complaints he received over Atlantic Express service, he came to the conclusion that everyone feels the same as the few critics do. Rep. Fossella needs to realize that you can't please all people. Atlantic Express could run every 5 minutes with 5-star service, spotless buses, never be late and offer free fares and some critic will still find something to complain about. A few complaints hardly warrants pulling the two routes from Atlantic Express unless Fossella is of the belief that Government can always do things better than private industry.

Given the fact that Atlantic Express has run the two South Shore routes well, ridership is increasing and hundreds of daily riders support Atlantic Express running the service it appears clear that Fossella can only see Government as the answer.

Fosella stated: With MTA-operated buses, he said, "there's reliability; there's accountability. I think that has and continues to be denied to the people of Staten Island" because of the MTA's refusal to take on these routes in the past.

Give me a break Rep. Fosella. The MTA's reliability is far less than Atlantic Express' reliability and don't get me started on accountability to the public. The MTA has a very poor track record when it comes to being accountable to the public.

Public transit is hard to operate to start with, public or private. When you have something that is working well, leave it alone. The problem is that politicians can't leave well enough alone. They just have to meddle and usually make things worse. Rep. Fossella is doing just that with his proposal to force the MTA to take over the routes run by Atlantic Express.

New York State Congressman Vito Fosella (RINO) gets the Lance for his attempts to force a takeover of the two bus routes run by Atlantic Express. It is not in the best interest of the public to do so and only serves to punish private industry for daring to do what the Government Transportation Monopoly can't do.

A free marketing campaign? Where's the champagne!

New York City NY - The Newsday.com site has a story of a nice little courtesy campaign for the Christmas season being run by the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA).

Partnering with the folks on Broadway to bring Dr. Seuss' Grinch character to the subways, the MTA is using the Grinch to remind people about simple common courtesy on the subways.

The people who run the "How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical" are offering a $10 MetroCard with purchases of tickets to the show and the MTA is offering free promotional mention of the show on the subway courtesy ads featuring the Grinch.

The lyricist of the musical provided three transit related rhymes in the Seuss style to be used for the MTA courtesy campaign.

What is extremely nice about this campaign is that it costs the MTA nothing as it is a trade of advertising between the MTA and the Broadway show. It is also a fun way to remind people to show some courtesy during the holiday season.

At most, any costs which are incurred by the MTA for the logistics of the campaign (printing costs and costs to place and remove the ads) will be a small fraction of the cost of doing this without partnering with the people at the musical.

The MTA earns itself a Laurel for this innovative and low cost courtesy campaign.

Someone actually gets it...

New York City, NY - The NYMTA Commissioner, Barry Feinstein, sees the light regarding over designed transit projects as described in the NY Post.

Feinstein complains that the latest plan for the Fulton Street transit hub puts "fancy" form over substance. This viewpoint appears based on the fact that the MTA had to eliminate a transfer tunnel which would be beneficial for the riders of the system. The elimination of the tunnel was done to reduce costs on the already over budget project.

It's funny how something that will actually benefit the ridership gets eliminated while millions continue to be wasted in unneeded frills for the transfer station.

Barry Feinstein is awarded the first Laurel for understanding that you need to place service first and frills second.