IV. Recommendations

What do we recommend based on our findings?

It’s only fair to start by acknowledging the great challenges involved in improving subway stations.

The numbers are daunting: There are 468 subway stations used by four million daily riders. To date, the MTA has fixed one-third of its subway stations since 1981. The MTA estimates that it will cost more than $8 billion and take more than 20 years to get all its stations to a "state of good repair."6

The MTA’s station rehabilitation program has been a controversial one. There have been many improvements, such as better lighting and striking art work through the MTA’s Arts for Transit program. But there have also been mixed results and a lack of ambition. For example, not enough stations have had their connections and flow for passengers improved and there have been only two pilot efforts to explore how to cool stations.

There have also been some disasters, such as poor planning, cost and schedule overruns, and inadequate financing that until recently had long delayed important projects, such as the rehabilitation of the Times Square subway station and the Atlantic Terminal subway complex.

MTA officials say they are and will be doing better. (An evaluation of the station rehabilitation program can be found at the web site of the Office of MTA Inspector General, an independent official who has issued reports on the MTA’s capital program, www.mtaig.org.)

All that said, we offer some suggestions based on our poll results.
First and foremost, New York City Transit should provide more service. Riders believe their stations are too crowded. That’s our poll finding­and of New York City Transit’s own poll.

These feelings reflect reality. Overall, subway ridership is up 17% since 1997, resulting in a staggering increase of more than 600,000 riders on an average weekday.

Unfortunately, transit officials have only added 4 percent more service in the same time period. In our most recent State of the Subways report, we found a rider’s chance of getting a seat during the most crowded rush-hour point dropped. Twelve lines grew more crowded, including the 6 and E, although the F did not.

It’s clear what riders want: "The most desired improvements to the subway are more frequent and more on-time trains," according to MTA Transit’s own poll of riders.7

More frequent service would greatly improve stations in at least two ways: First, frequent service would shorten waits. Second, it would more evenly space the discharge of passengers.

The Empire State Transportation Alliance (ESTA), a coalition of business, labor, civic and transit groups, has called for a city-wide standard of no more than a four-minute scheduled wait on any line in the subway system. Transit officials have calculated that this would increase yearly operating costs by a modest $30 to $40 million.

However, transit officials maintain that they "cannot add rush-hour service on any of our subway lines at this time. We simply do not have any additional subway cars available to do so. Service cannot be added to any line during the rush hour without reallocating our existing resources, i.e., shifting trains and service from one line to another."8

If that’s the case, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority needs to expand the subway fleet more than is currently planned. In May, the state legislature approved a five-year, $17.1 billion MTA capital plan that calls for the purchase of 1,130 subway cars. This is an important step forward, allowing for the replacement of aging cars. But it will allow for an expansion of 200 cars in the subway fleet, from 6,000 to 6,200.

The Empire State Transportation Alliance concluded that was insufficient to meet ridership needs and has called for a significantly larger purchase of subway cars. (A more detailed description of their assessment of MTA capital needs can be found at the web site of the Regional Plan Association, www.rpa.org.)
The MTA says it is considering retaining some of the best performing older subway cars­rather than retiring them­to provide short-term expansion to serve the explosion in ridership. The Straphangers Campaign has urged them to do so.
Second, New York City Transit needs to make good on its promises to improve the 51st Street and Lexington Avenue subway station. The station is dangerously overcrowded, especially for riders transferring from the E and F trains to the 6 line.

This concern was repeated again and again in comments received from riders. "This is the worst station in New York. Trying to exit during rush hour is difficult and dangerous," wrote one rider. Another commented: "It is so crowded that I am surprised no one has been killed." Yet another: "Every day I am afraid of getting pushed onto the tracks. Many people are frustrated with the situation and some shout at each other. It is a very unsafe place." And another still: "We feel like animals using this station. I am looking for a new job because of the overcrowding at this station."

In scores of comments, riders used the harsh words to describe the crowding at the station: "intolerable," "nerve-wracking," "accident waiting to happen," "awful," "disgraceful," "horrible," "horror show," "fire trap," and "nightmare."

Transit officials have made serious efforts to tackle crowding at the station. In the late 1990’s, four escalators were replaced at a cost of $19 million. This apparently has resulted in fewer breakdowns, at least for some escalators, although many riders we polled still complained about out-of-service escalators. At peak periods, platform conductors also assist passengers to move through the station. In addition, there should be some relief in 2001 when a new connection opens that will allow some Queens riders to take the E and F lines down the Sixth Avenue line and avoid this station.

The good news is that the MTA's current five-year capital plan calls for spending another $74.7 million to rehabilitate the station. Plans call for tunneling a concourse above the E and F platforms, which would allow riders an added way to transfer to the 6. The concourse would be served by new stairs and escalators; the entire station would get improved lighting and tiling.

This plan mirrors what riders we polled proposed as their own solutions. Many asked for "more escalators" and "another way for passengers who are coming from the 6 trains." Many riders also inquired about whether a closed escalator in the middle of the platform could be put in service.

The MTA has completed designs for the rehabilitation. It plans to award the contract by December. Construction would be completed by the end of 2004. Given the dangerous crowding at the station, the MTA should work hard to meet its timetable.

In the mean time, New York City Transit should explore other short-term improvements, such as providing MetroCard incentives to encourage off-peak ridership at the station; encouraging area businesses to offer more staggered work hours; and deploying more platform conductors.

In the long-run, building a full-length Second Avenue subway is critical to relieving crowding at the 51st Street and Lexington Avenue subway station, as well as others on the Lexington line.

Lastly, New York City Transit should involve riders and interested groups in reviewing its station rehabilitation program. The Straphangers Campaign has long urged that the MTA poll riders before and after rehabilitating stations to get their views on plans and reactions on completed projects. Over the next five years, the MTA is planning to spend $2 billion to fix scores of stations. If a private business were making that investment, it would conduct market research to insure that it was doing what it’s customers wanted. The MTA should do the same.

The MTA would also greatly benefit from the insights of a diverse set of independent interests.

That's why the Straphangers Campaign supports state legislation to establish an official MTA Capital Program Advisory Committee, with representatives of riders, the business community, labor, and civic groups. The MTA would have to seek the views of riders and the committee prior to implementing major projects. Rider views and reactions would be sought through pilot projects, the posting of diagrams of plans at its facilities, questionnaires, and opinion poll.

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