In a surprise twist that will shock the world, or at least most of Brooklyn and some of Queens, a recent analysis of the MTA by the Straphangers Campaign found that the dreaded G train has the fewest delays of all the train lines.

So Brooklynites blaming failed relationships on the G may need to direct blame elsewhere — like its Park Slope companion, the F, which had the most delay alerts in the first ten months of 2012.

Less surprising was the discovery that delay alerts increased after Sandy, in a comparison of the first three months of 2012 with the first three months of 2013. The campaign largely focused on the first ten months of the year, to avoid confounding the results with the aftereffects of superstorm Sandy.

The study analyzed the MTA “electronic alerts,” which are sent out in realtime to warn riders of significant issues that lead to delays.

Straphangers only included delays that are deemed controllable by the MTA. As the MTA apparently does not record the duration of a delay, it was not possible to determine how long the delay lasted — so while the G train had the fewest delay alerts with 34, or one percent of a total 2,669, those 34 delays may have extended far longer than the F train’s, which comprised eight percent of the total 2,669.

The G is the MTA’s Most Improved Player, though: it had 19 percent fewer delay alerts in the first 10 months of 2012 than in the same time period in 2011, down from 42.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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There are certain feelings that come with riding the G train. Anger, frustration, exasperation and impatience all perfectly describe the experience. There’s a reason the only line that connects Brooklyn and Queens has been nicknamed “The Ghost Train.”

According to the MTA’s newly released 2012 ridership data, the G train had the largest percentage growth in average weekday ridership. The line grew 4.2 percent in popularity, which translates to about 2,000 riders per weekday.

Despite the surge in ridership, the lackluster service remains the same.

“The MTA’s new numbers show what G train riders already know. These trains are overcrowded, and we need to run more of them,” Riders Alliance Executive Director Josh Raskin said in a statement.

G trains do not run often, and because of that are usually packed.

“Service is not frequent enough to say to myself, ‘Oh, I’ll just wait for the next one.’ The next one could be 12 minutes away. I love my fellow Brooklynites, but I am tired of spending my mornings pressed up against them,” said Rider’s Alliance member Annemarie Caruso.

MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz released the following statement to Gothamist:

“We will of course use the latest ridership figures as we assess G Line service, but total ridership is only one of the elements we use to determine levels of service. Transit schedules are, in fact, based on ridership through the peak load point of a route at any given time, and these measurements are taken a minimum of three times each year. The last time we looked at ridership trends, the level of service on the G was sufficient, but we will continue to analyze.”

Follow Mary Ann Georgantopoulos on Twitter @marygeorgant

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The post MTA completes blasting for Second Avenue Subway Line appeared first on Metro.us.

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  MTA completes blasting for Second Avenue Subway Line

The final blast, finishing the work clearing space for a future elevator entrance, occurred at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 28, the MTA said.

Drilling and blasting for the 72nd Street Station began on January 18, 2011.

Its completion has come through the work of nearly 500 laborers working 24 hours a day, five days a week.

They removed a total of 183,000 cubic yards of rock, which the MTA said is the equivalent to the volume covered by 500 city avenue blocks 10 feet high, or more than half the Empire State Building.

The Second Avenue Subway line will extend the Q line, and is the largest expansion of the subway system in generations, according to the MTA. The subway line will have new stations at 72nd Street, 86th Street and 96th Street, and is expected to open in December 2016. The MTA estimates its cost at $4.45 billion.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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“While more East Siders are on board with Select Bus Service, my office constantly receives complaints about broken ticket machines,” Lappin said. “The MTA needs to tell fare inspectors when machines are out, so riders aren’t unfairly issued a $100 summons.”
 
Twenty percent of the 1,300 riders surveyed rated the ease of paying tickets as “poor” or “very poor.”  Nearly 26 percent of riders even said that SBS service has gotten worse since it was first implemented last year. Lappin’s office even said that 20 respondents said they were issued $100 summonses by MTA police while the ticket machines were broken.

The MTA claims that its data shows that the ticket machines work 98% of the time.
 
Riders say otherwise.

“Half the time the machines don’t work,” said Staten Island mom Megan Izzo, 23, who rides the bus every day. “Often, only one will be working and there will be a long line and you’ll miss the bus.”
 
Izzo said sometimes, a bus driver will let her get on if the machine is broken and tell her to get a receipt at the next stop.
 
“Sometimes they’ll tell you to get off at the next stop, but I got off and the cops were waiting,” she said of a bad trip she took two months ago. “Instead of letting me pay, they gave me a ticket.”
 
M15 bus driver Kwabena Amponsah said that he often makes riders get off the bus to get tickets at a working machine. “They run and they rush, but we wait for them,” he said.

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Think like a business traveler and avoid checking bags altogether. But be sure to adhere to carry-on limits, as they’re especially enforced during holiday travel periods.  If you must check bags, don’t over-pack; some overweight bags cost $100 if they’re more than 50 pounds — or $400 if they’re more than 70 pounds on international flights.

2. Be transparent

The plastic baggie is your friend, so know the TSA’s 3-1-1 Rule: limit liquids and gels to 3-ounce containers in 1 quart-sized zip-top baggie, and 1 bag per flyer. Also, do not wrap Christmas gifts, as anything that looks suspicious could be unwrapped at security.

3. Use technology to your advantage

Download apps to help keep track of things like schedule and gate changes, weather and alternate flights; Travelzoo’s iPhone app (and others on the market) allow travelers to browse, book and redeem geo-targeted travel and entertainment deals from their phone, without having to print from a computer.  Also, check in from your computer as close to 24 hours before your flight as possible — and program as many details of your itinerary as possible into your smartphone.

4. Package as much as you can up front

Bundling as many aspects of your vacation as possible will save you money. Include things like hotels, show tickets, tours, transportation, etc. to make your overall travel simpler and easier.

5. Consider alternate modes of transportation

Want to avoid airport lines, fees and delays?  Map out a highway route and make it a family road trip; just be sure to keep tabs on the weather. And look at travel by train or even bus to both cut travel costs and to create a unique, memorable travel experience. 

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