» Subways

NYC Subway Touchscreen Maps
March 12, 2012

NYC_Subway_On_The_Go_TouchscreenDo all those paper posters telling you about NYC subway service changes – taped to the subway platform poles –  confuse you?

Good news is here. According to the NY Daily News, the MTA has plans to install 47-inch interactive tablets throughout the entire 468-station NYC subway system. Features will include:

  • Subway schedules
  • MTA subway maps
  • NYC subway service changes
  • Neighborhood map with stores, landmarks, restaurants, other subway stations, etc.

These touchscreens will replace the paper maps and all those posters telling you about service changes. No details about the rollout schedule or cost yet.

You can see one of these touchscreens in the Bowling Green NYC subway station, Atlantic Ave.-Pacific St. in Brooklyn, and Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Ave. in Queens.

 

 

Filed under: Subways — Tags: , , — mtohn @ 9:28 am
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Great NYC Subway Announcements
March 5, 2012
Bernie_Wagenblast NYC Subway Announcer

Bernie Wagenblast, NYC Subway Announcer

‘We’re currently experiencing a delay due to work on the tracks’.

‘The next downtown 6 train will arrive in 4 minutes’.

‘Mind the gap’.

So boring that we tune out these NYC subway announcements, right?

Well, here are some new announcements, recorded by the fabulous Bernie Wagenblast — the voice of many NYC subway platforms. The announcements were part of a competition by The New York Times.  Whilst you probably won’t hear most of them on the subway, we’re sure you’ll enjoy these messages telling you to wake up and giving you compliments, warning about loud headphones, a poem, and even a rap!

Filed under: Subways — Tags: , , — mtohn @ 6:15 pm
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NYC Subway Announcements
February 15, 2012

Bernie_Wagenblast NYC Subway AnnouncerHow many times have you been on a NYC subway and wanted to have the announcer say something funny, or useful, or maybe even a little sarcastic? Maybe you want to know the nearby landmarks, or the famous actor who was born in the neighborhood, or if the forecast is for rain?

Now is your chance. Bernie Wagenblast, the voice you hear on the platform of the Seventh Avenue and Lexington Avenue lines: Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, wants to know what you want to hear.

Click here to post what you’d like to hear on the NYC subway platform. 

Filed under: Subways — Tags: , , — mtohn @ 12:20 pm
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Cell Phones in NYC Subways
February 13, 2012

The MTA is adding more NYC subway stations to have cellphone access. We already have these station stairs and platforms with cellphone access:

F/M and L platforms on 14th St. and Sixth Ave.,
1/2/3 platform at 14th St. and Seventh Ave.,
L and A/C/E/ platforms at 14th St. and Eighth Ave., and
C/E platform on 23rd St. and Eighth Ave.

New stations will be:

B/D and F/M platforms at Rockefeller Center,
1/2/3, 7, and N/Q/R platforms at Times Square.

You should be able to access your cellphone in these NYC subway stations by late July or early August 2012. After that, about 5-6 stations a month will begin to offer cellphone service.

 

 

Filed under: Subways — Tags: , , — mtohn @ 12:26 pm
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Apps for Subway Riders
February 8, 2012

NYC’s MTA has just announced the winners of the best smartphone software applications for riders. The winners were chosen by the MTA.

Embark NYC — lets you plan your NYC subway trip and see subway schedules for a particular route. Includes an interactive map of the subway system.  IPhone, Android.

Free NYC Subway Locator — lets use find the nearest NYC subway stop. IPhone.

The public also voted on a winner:

CityMaps,–  gives you real-time information about local businesses with NYC subway information about how to reach them.

8.5 million people use the NYC subway system every day.

Filed under: Subways — Tags: , , , — mtohn @ 5:36 pm
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Pay the Subway Fare or Pay $500
January 30, 2012

If you jump the NYC subway turnstile or scoot through the emergency exit, think again. The NY State Senate just passed a bill to fine you $500 for trying to save on the $2.25 fare.  The current fine is $100.

If the NY State Assembly passes the bill, then it’s the law.

We were thinking, ‘What’s a few people beating the fare? How much can it really cost NYC?’ Get ready to pick your jaw up from the floor, because the MTA estimates that all that turnstile jumping in the NYC subway loses the MTA $31 million every year.

The bill was drafted by Senator Charles Fuschillo (R – Long Island), who also serves as Chairman of the NY State Senate’s Transportation Committee. Fuschillo initiated the increase after the NY Daily News broke the news about a NYC Transit study showing that most regular fare-beaters get caught and fined $100 once every six to 13 weeks. At that rate, it’s cheaper to just pay the $100 fine rather than buy 6 weekly MetroCards.

According to a recent Daily News story by Pete Donohue, the MTA has the authority to increase fines for violating the Rules of Conduct.

 

Filed under: MTA MetroCard,Subways — Tags: , , , , , — mtohn @ 1:13 pm
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Fixing Subway Signs
October 30, 2011

If you’ve taken the NYC subway on a weekend in the last six months, we applaud your efforts for braving the hundreds of route and time changes due to maintenance and hope you actually got where you were going, when you wanted to get there.

Even during the weekdays, the NYC subway system is a labyrinth of passages, platforms, signs, inaudible announcements, and confusing maps. The MTA is testing out a new ‘way finding’ system of maps in some of the stations, and a NYC design firm recently presented its design to improve the NYC subway maps and announcements.

According to FastCoDesign, the design firm, Original Champions of Design (OCD), has three initiatives:

Digital Signboards would be at every station to give updates on route and schedule changes, real-time. Read more…

Filed under: Subways — Tags: , , — mtohn @ 10:44 am
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NYC Subway Cell Phone Svce
October 29, 2011

In August 2011, we told you that the MTA was planning to provide cell phone service in some of the NYC subway platforms and stairwells. And as of October 2011, it happened.

As you’re waiting on these platforms, you’ll now be able to call to say you’re on your way to that meeting or dinner date:

F/M and L platforms on 14th St. and Sixth Ave.,
1/2/3 platform at 14th St. and Seventh Ave.,
L and A/C/E/ platforms at 14th St. and Eighth Ave., and Read more…
Filed under: Subways — Tags: , — mtohn @ 10:10 am
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MTA Customer Satisfaction Survey 2011
October 27, 2011

Are you happier riding the NYC subways and NYC buses than you were last year? That’s what the annual MTA Customer Satisfaction Survey sets out to determine. Based on surveys from June 2011, customer satisfaction with NYC subways and NYC buses service increased over last year.

How did the Subways Do?

  • 84% of subway customers reported being satisfied with the overall comfort and convenience of using the subway, up six percentage points from last year. Satisfaction with temperatures onboard trains increased five percentage points to 84%.
  • Countdown clocks appear to be having a positive impact on the overall customer experience. Customers using stations with countdown clocks rated 54 attributes more highly than customers at stations without the clocks. 96% of customers reported being satisfied with the clocks themselves.
  • Customer satisfaction with information about planned service changes increased to 76% this year from 69% a year ago.
  • Ratings for six of the eight major categories increased significantly: comfort and convenience, safety and security, service reliability, service frequency, cleanliness of subway cars, and information and communications aboard trains.

And What about the Buses? Read more…

Filed under: Buses,NYC Public Transportation,Subways — Tags: , , — mtohn @ 10:03 am
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New NYC MTA Chairman

Jay Walder signed a 6 year contract to be the Chairman of NYC’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) but resigned after just two years to exponentially increase his salary and run an international transportation and development corporation in Hong Kong. Jay Walder had a tough two years dealing with the Second Avenue Subway, more than one fare and toll hike, the 60 MTA unions (yes, 60!), lower revenue due to people losing jobs, and interest payments on debt from the MTA’s capital plan.

The new MTA Chairman is Joseph Lhota. Who is Lhota?

  • Lohta is a former investment banker who specialized in public finance,
  • He worked for former Mayor Rudy Guiliani’s as Budget Director and and served as Deputy Mayor of Operations looking after NYC’s Department of Transportation from 1998 to 2001, Read more…
Filed under: Buses,NYC Public Transportation,Subways — Tags: , , , — mtohn @ 7:06 am
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