Comments on: Roberts: MTA Needs Congestion Pricing

By: Angus Grieve-Smith

Angus Grieve-Smith — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 02:31:54 +0000

So what's better, Phoenix? Please.

By: Jon

Jon — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 01:23:12 +0000

This congestion pricing is UTS because anyone who rides the subways during rush hours (which is a few hours in morning and night) already knows how crowded and uncomfortable it i s---- I cant beleive I pay for it -- I have to wait 4 time sto get on same train ith everyone pushing each other like were fighting for an xbox -- its sewaty nasty and crowded and its same price-- freakin BS can you imagine how bad it will get not to mention that everyonein city will have tinnitus because our subways suck and make tons of noise--- the quality of life in NYC is terrible against almost any other city --- when I hear frank sinatra sing about it now I tell him to keep quiet --- I have to move -- everyones rude, no one speaks english, subways crowded and noisy--- THIS CITY SUCKS!

By: Chris

Chris — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 03:13:31 +0000

Clayton,

Where is the money going to come from the pay for the mass transit improvements? There are already plans on the books to improve the buses before implementing congestion pricing, but to pay for projects such as the second ave subway, congestion pricing is the most viable option available to the city.

If you have another, realistic, alternative to raise the funds to improve the city's mass transit infrastructure, please let me know.

By: Gelston

Gelston — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 14:31:26 +0000

Exiting trains could be expedited by posting lists of which side the doors open for each stop. Passengers would then position themselves accordingly. Much time is wasted jostling to get to the right door.

By: Clayton

Clayton — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 14:08:34 +0000

Congestion pricing is NOT the answer...yet. If you implement congestion pricing, you have to anticipate thousands and thousands of new mass transit users using an already crush loaded infrastructure. How about implementing changes to the mass transit system, and THEN introducing congestion pricing.

By: anonymous

anonymous — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 03:42:50 +0000

There's a couple of quick and easy fixes that do not require heavy construction and five years to implement. The first one is to increase the speed of train doors. Door-holding is a major factor in dwell time and reliability, which both in turn affect line capacity. Making the doors close faster will reduce door holding substantially, and cut dwell times and reduce train headways. The other quick fix is to simply make trains go faster. NYC subway trains are the slowest in the country and quite possibly the world. Faster trains that accelerate better will be able to complete their trips faster, and thus each train will be able to do more trips per day. All that it would take is reversing the modifications made to the trains in the early 90s to make them go slow for reasons of "safety". A slightly less quick fix, but still easier than lengthening station platforms, would be to install cab signalling on key lines, allowing trains to run both faster and closer together safely. Functionally, the effect would be much the same as that of the failed CBTC that the MTA installed on the L train. Unlike CBTC, however, coded track circuits are a proven technology with a 50 year record of reliability. Of course, there aren't nearly as many nice consulting jobs for NYCT officials who buy this cheap system, but I'm sure that's not an insurmountable problem. And at the end, we can have trains running every 90 seconds and hitting top speeds of 40-70 mph, rather than the current 2 minute headways and top speed of 30 mph for locals and about 40 mph for expresses.