Monday, June 29, 2015

Transit infrastructure can't keep up with population


From the Daily News:

New projections show the New York region’s population should reach 20.5 million people by 2020, further taxing the region’s already overcrowded and cash-strapped subway, bus and train systems.

The projections — calculated by the mapping service ESRI for The Associated Press — estimate the region is growing at a clip of almost 100,000 people annually. Long Island, Westchester County and much of northern New Jersey are included in the metro area.

The importance of these systems can’t be overstated: 31% of metro area commuters use transit to get to work, the U.S. Census estimates.

As the region’s population booms, the strains on mass transit are increasingly evident.

Overcrowding was the single biggest cause of delays on the New York subway system during the last year, MTA stats show. Ridership has also grown on NJ Transit and the PATH trains.

Yet politicians display little appetite for funding transit, while fare hikes have riders digging deeper.

20 comments:

Snake Plissskin said...

Yet politicians display little appetite for funding transit, while fare hikes have riders digging deeper.

This is what happens when the hipsters go nuts over Thai food and Brazilian soccer games but consider politics beneath their dignity. The public doesn't give a crap, the pols don't give a crap. At what point will the hipsters crack, (and trust me, those little darlings sooner or later will have reality bite them in the arse.)

Queens Crapper said...

Snake, judging by their reactions over recent L train meltdowns, it won't be long.

Anonymous said...

The trains and platforms didn't look that crowded . It was worse in the 40s and 50s when there were more riders using the subways.

Queens Crapper said...

"The trains and platforms didn't look that crowded."

I guess you haven't taken the trains in a while if you are relying on the video to judge how crowded they get.

Anonymous said...

Over exaggeration. NYC subways have always been crowded. Ever been to Tokyo? No crybabies there.

Anonymous said...

The point is that the subways aren't running properly due to overcrowding, not the overcrowding condition itself. Some of you really need to take your heads out of your asses. It's not fun to be late to work every day because of overdevelopment and piss poor planning.

Anonymous said...

Stuffing 12 lbs of shit in a 6 lb bag causes bursting at the seams.
No shit, Sherlock!

JQ said...

What's with the music in that "news" segment? It makes it sound like it's part of a travel ad.

This has been obvious for a while now, and our elected's know it. Jesus, didn't they know it from reading about the failures of the MTA or commuting themselves while they were just citizens before this deluge of tourism and dead behind the eyes and in the skull hipster transients have moved to the tony areas of Brooklyn and now Queens?

These subways are ruined for all time. And even the 2 ave line (which nobody wanted) or if they even renovate the abandoned rockaway line for transit will barely stem the tide. Well it won't because the former won't be finished in 5 years and the latter will never exist for it's going to be another gentrification germination project elevated park

I don't think the hipsters are capable of rage, since they don't seem to mind living by and partying by superfund sites. I am more concerned about regular and mental folks snapping.

example:http://animalnewyork.com/2015/two-idiots-fight-over-one-subway-seat/

Anonymous said...

The trains and platforms didn't look that crowded . It was worse in the 40s and 50s when there were more riders using the subways

NYC has not build a new subway line since 1956, and has over a million more people since the 1950s.

As for Tokyo, trains there at least run promptly, are state of the art, FAST, and not filled with stinky bums. It's an entirely different culture, and a lot more efficient.

Anonymous said...

the rank and file are facing ever longer commuting times for the same old commute.

the elite are taking Uber everywhere, even if the price is jacked at peak times. They never even set foot in what they call the "stinky old subway."

so the money the politicians listen to aren't riding the subway so they care nothing about it!

Anonymous said...

the politicians are building the SAS and 7th ave extension to serve new luxury real estate projects. meanwhile the trains in the outer boroughs where most of the people live are overcrowded and falling apart. almost $10 billion for these projects including old signals instead of upgrading the system to modern signaling tech to be able to run more trains

Anonymously Grey Gardens said...

And yet, it staggers me how New York is still viewed and incorrectly labeled as a 'world class' city and high level tourist destination, when for more than 45 years, the entire New York infrastructure has been steadily crumbling and decaying, faster than the Flushing Meadows World's Fair Pavilion (where the evidence is instantly visible, even before leaving LaGuardia Airport itself---a fossil of unsustainable runways and buildings that now resemble the decrepit and abandoned ruins of Sarajevo's 1984 Winter Olympics complex)!

Ironically, no matter where I travel to in other cities and countries of purported decay and neglect, I still am able to travel on new, clean, first rate, state of the art transportation systems!

And, sadly, many, if not all of these cities are now a testament to how far lost and sinfully neglectful all New York politicians have always been, if they still continue to ignore the monstrous pink elephant in the room, while extolling the many false virtues of a city whom they laughably claim to love, while lavishing a publicly paid lifestyle of privilege and private splendor for themselves (and their grabby, unresponsive henchmen), while keeping their cruddy, vapid seats to full term, as they collectively point both middle fingers in the face of a languishing, overburdened New York, whose very heart, pulse and middle class soul have been long ago murdered by the draconian 'Emperor With No Clothes' himself, Michael Bloomberg!

Anonymous said...

lots of residential buildings going up in Long Island City -- has anyone thought about how are all those people going to get to work?

Anonymous said...

The MTA is mired in union contracts and BILLION dollar a year pension payouts. And politicians don't give a damn about their constituents. And you want a world class subway? Ha Ha.

Unknown said...

i am sick and tired of all the whining, nyc is the most crowded 9-5 m-f place i have ever lived..

So its up to you to find alternative employment or reverse commute to kew gardens, i had a job like that and one day i was the only person in the last car at 9:30 AM on a Tuesday.....i loved the commute too bad it was a 8 month temp job...

Of course the only real solution is REVERSE TAX CREDITS.. base any credits on the number of employees you have working on 2nd 3nd shift weekends and holidays.

everyone does it its call prime time pricing......you never ever ask a wedding dj for a discount in june but in january a lot of them will even do it for half price

Anonymous said...

This overdevelopment in then name of "growth" is unsustainable. At some point we need to admit that there is no more room for growth. The politician will never address this as long as they don't have to ride mass transit or even drive in traffic on a regular basis. And it's not just the politician that get to keep themselves out of this mess. When I commute from Long Island in the morning I see MTA vans on the parkway so that a single employee can commute to the Jamaica yards. Can't he commute by LIRR?

Anonymous said...

New York is full, please move on to the next parking lot.

Anonymous said...

Lhota hiked!

Anonymous said...

You cant fit 5 quarts into a gallon container. When will people realize this!?!?!?!?

Anonymous said...

Queens has become a way station filled with new hotels and motels for tourists who then take the 7 train into the city. There are hipsters who like Brooklyn because they want to have fun...you know when you were young yourselves. Bunch of old farts. Lol.