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News Release
Groups
Launch Drive to Win Re-Route of Unpopular V line A coalition of transit and community groups today launched a campaign to reverse recent major changes on the E, F, G and V lines. As part of the drive, they handed out 25,000 flyers in the subways urging riders to call Governor Pataki to voice unhappiness with the unpopular new routes. The groups
said the new routes offered riders poor choices and asked transit officials
to change the routing. The groups included the NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign,
the Queens Civic Congress and the Noble Street Block Association and
Friends and were supported Council Member John Liu, chair of the City
Council’s Transportation Committee. “The new routes offer many Queens riders poor choices,” said Councilman Liu, who represents the Flushing section of Queens. “Those seeking the heart of the city’s business district on the East Side of Manhattan can either pack onto crowded E expresses, or take a slow local V, or ride an F express to a Manhattan stop few want to go to.” (See attached leaflet, fact sheet and map.) Under the MTA’s changes—which started in December 2001—the F express no longer goes to the 53rd/Lexington Avenue and Queens Plaza stations. Rush-hour riders seeking these popular destina-tions can either take a packed E express—or ride a slow local V, which takes 12 minutes and 10 stops longer between Forest Hills and Manhattan’s East Side. The F now goes to 63rd Street and Lexington. The V has proven unpopular, operating at only 49% of capacity during peak hour, according to March figures from MTA New York City Transit. Riders aren’t taking the V because it’s a local and too slow, as said 66% of those New York City Transit surveyed at the Roosevelt Avenue subway station in April 2002. Transit officials argue that there’s only a five-minute difference in scheduled running time between the E and V going from Roosevelt Avenue to 53rd Street and Lexington Avenue. “Taking the V each work day can add an hour or more of extra commuting time a week,” said Sean Walsh, president of the Queens Civic Congress. “Many Queens riders already having long bus-to-subway daily rides find the many extra local stops inconvenient.” Walsh added, “E, F and G service must be restored to its previous configuration. The V should run through the 63rd Street tunnel and down Broadway to increase service to Queens riders." In January,
the Straphangers Campaign polled riders on the line about what they
thought about the new routes. Out of 335 responses the Campaign received,
nearly two-thirds rate the plan poor or fair. Overall, the ratings were:
38% poor, 27% fair, 25% good and 9% excellent. Under the MTA’s plan, the Brooklyn-to-Queens G line was also cut in half, terminating at the Court Square subway station during weekdays. As a result, riders must make an inconvenient transfer to crowded trains at the Court Square-23rd Street/Ely Avenue station and also lost a one-seat ride to Forest Hills. Teresa Toro of the Noble Street Block Association said: “G riders lost 13 stops for a V line that most Queens commuters shun. That just doesn’t make sense.” She called for restoration of weekday G service through to Forest Hills. The groups noted that the new routes are providing only minimal relief of crowding on the Queens Boulevard lines. In January and February 2002, crowding on the E was still above capacity (116% and 104% respectively), according to MTA New York City Transit. Only in March did crowding fall below guidelines (96%), but with above-guideline crowding at Roosevelt Avenue in all but the two middle cars out of ten. That’s because many riders want to be at either the front of the train (to get off near the escalators at the 53rd Street and Lexington Avenue Station) or the back of the train (to get off near the Madison Avenue exit at Fifth Avenue Station.) - 30 - _____________________________________________________________________
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