Comments
beechcraft10 OP t1_jazl40k wrote
While they’re standing right now, once that piece of track gets lowered, they all get to work.
[deleted] t1_jazowi0 wrote
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EdgeOrnery6679 t1_jazzk3k wrote
Thats the secret on why MTA projects cost 5 times more than it would cost anywhere else. Job requires only 5 people? Lets get 20 in there, oh and it will still be a little late. Everytime i see MTA work, its always a quarter of the crew working while the rest of the team is standing around drinking coffee and joking around.
[deleted] t1_jb00atx wrote
Still gonna be annoyed.
[deleted] t1_jb01bsk wrote
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eldersveld t1_jb01cz0 wrote
I work in healthcare IT and regularly attend calls for system maintenance where (1) there are often a lot more participants than one might expect, (2) every single one of them is necessary for reasons that anyone who isn't in the field wouldn't understand, and (3) a lot of them are "idle" until it's time for them to perform their specific task.
To an uninformed observer it would look like waste, but these are tightly coordinated events that need to go like clockwork and, like this, need to be completed before the Monday rush. Lots of people doing specialized tasks that the public knows nothing about. When we do our jobs right, we're invisible.
Not saying the MTA is innocent of being corrupt/wasteful/etc, far from it, but I encourage anyone that sees this picture to first consider what they don't know before making snap judgments
HKtoSFtoNY t1_jb04677 wrote
Is it concerning that I can’t tell if this post is sarcastic or not?
PyramidClub t1_jb05qly wrote
A glance at his post history shows that OP seems to just really like trains.
And farts.
/shrug
IGOMHN2 t1_jb072l9 wrote
Real new yorkers don't appreciate anything and just complain.
smallint t1_jb076mn wrote
If you’re ever annoyed by service changes because of “Track Repair”, never forget that the work always happens at the worst time.
zo3foxx t1_jb08ml7 wrote
Nah they're not just standing around. My bf is a construction worker and I asked him about this once. And he said everyone you see is working. The guy just standing around drinking coffee is likely the site manager who may not be actively participating in the hands on work, but has to watch everything, answer questions, has emergency services or other important contacts ready to call in case something bad happens or they accidently break a buried line, etc. There might be a few of them on-site. The others also standing around could be the concrete guys just waiting for the other group of guys who laid the foundation to give the go-ahead to proceed. 2 other guys could be spot-checking another guy on the jackhammer to make sure he doesnt f up or see something he doesnt see. Another group could be waiting for clearance to continue their tasks. Another guy who appears to just wandering aimlessly or standing around could be an inspector monitoring the site. Maybe they're waiting on another contractor to arrive. And so on. And not everyone you see is an actual construction worker, but they could be confused as one since everyone has to wear the same protective gear.
Everyone is doing something which doesnt always involve movement. Theres a lot of checks and balances. In fact I'd really be surprised if there wasn't something in OSHA that says you can't be on-site just chilling because you're a liability. Who wants to be just joking with coworkers off the clock while on-site and get smacked with falling debris when you didn't have to be there in the first place
zo3foxx t1_jb097dw wrote
And people think they can just hop the turnstiles and think these workers can do all this for free
MrNewking t1_jb09g1j wrote
What time do you suggest they do it then? There's not enough time during the overnights to setup, get equipment there, do the work and leave before the morning.
961402 t1_jb09mzd wrote
I would be less annoyed if there was some noticeable improvement in the service on the weekdays but as far as I can tell we still have the same shitty infrastructure
thiskillstheredditor t1_jb0a8yq wrote
Taxes should just pay for it imo.
TeamMisha t1_jb0bg10 wrote
It is hard for me to be grateful when for us in Queens we were fucked with bad weekend service for what seemed like literally 2 years nonstop due to replacement lol
[deleted] t1_jb0bilw wrote
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IIAOPSW t1_jb0blef wrote
Tilt shift it so that it looks like a toy train please.
justpissingthrough t1_jb0bnn4 wrote
These "respect the heroes who xyz" statements about people doing the job they applied for, interviewed for, got offered, accepted, and are paid to do....
ME5SENGER_24 t1_jb0bzdm wrote
35 men in the photo, 3 working
stoopidjonny t1_jb0c58v wrote
More like 10 years. Occasionally a year with good service.
keepyourreceipt666 t1_jb0c7q4 wrote
everyone in that picture makes 500k a year
[deleted] t1_jb0ceaf wrote
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EvanWasHere t1_jb0ckcj wrote
So 5 people doing the work.
30 people watching.
Typical.
Same thing with cops. A crime happens. 20 cops show up for a 2 person job.
Tell me I'm wrong.
TheJoseph97 t1_jb0d37t wrote
I’m sure you have relevant work background to make a statement like that
I’m sure you’ve toiled in construction and you’re totally not some thin gangly redditor who works from home and never leaves the house. Definitely not.
ihateusedusernames t1_jb0d46x wrote
100% agreed. I'd gladly pay additional local, state, and federal taxes if it meant that nobody in the US needed to pay to use "public" transit. I wonder how much that would cost, spread out over all the tax payers
Bestrafen t1_jb0d5uw wrote
1-4 am or when statistics show are the quietest periods. If it goes over into 6-7 am, that's fine but at least use the quietest windows to start.
TheJoseph97 t1_jb0datg wrote
What do you do for a living?
TheJoseph97 t1_jb0dc13 wrote
You’re wrong
TheJoseph97 t1_jb0desm wrote
Don’t be upset cuz you work a job that quite literally only exists in a 21st century environment where you need useless bean counters to sit at home all day long
totaldisrepair t1_jb0dixe wrote
I see more people standing around than actually working. The only hard work happening is taxpayer spending
ihateusedusernames t1_jb0dmkd wrote
I live in an elevated line, and for about 9 months we didn't have uptown local service because of track replacement. The yanked out the old segmented track and replaced it with continuous track. It's a massive improvement to the quality of life in the neighborhood. The clacking noise of the wheels hitting the seams between track segments is gone, it was well worth the wait.
My only complaint is that when they upgraded the station (a separate year-long closure), they weren't able to install an elevator to either platform from the street. Our station remains inaccessible, which is, I think, a failure on the part of the redesign plan.
eldersveld t1_jb0dvxg wrote
Or, you know, spread out over the richest taxpayers. Just sayin
BreadBoxin t1_jb0e7ti wrote
Boot licking for the MTA is wild my guy.
cleverpunnyname t1_jb0ebvf wrote
I’ve been harping on the lack of continuous rail since I moved to NYC. So glad they are finally making a change
[deleted] t1_jb0eneh wrote
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gh234ip t1_jb0g33j wrote
The track panel that is being lifted by the crane has just been removed, so until that panel is lowered to the ground and the replacement panel is lifted there isn't much to do.
MrNewking t1_jb0g4v2 wrote
Problem Is there's not enough time to get much work done. Most of these repairs take longer than a few hours to complete. It also takes hours to setup and get everything tested and ready for service.
For simple stuff that works and most work can even be done under traffic. But for heavy duty stuff like that, there's not much that can be done without inconviniencing someone.
bat_in_the_stacks t1_jb0gjpx wrote
Never forget the MTA workers that destroyed their time clock rather than be paid for the hours they actually worked.
asian_identifier t1_jb0hoxp wrote
except other cities do it during off hours to minimize amount of people affected
brooklynbotz t1_jb0i3l2 wrote
Hard work? I see a few people working and a dozen standing around.
caffeine314 t1_jb0iwly wrote
Did my undergrad and graduate work in northern California. Somehow, MUNI and BART both did their track work between 9pm and 6am and tried very hard to get the lines all back to normal by morning rush hour.
But aside from that, I don't really see improvement during weekday service from track work. Still sucks.
Those of us who are in our 50s lived through really bad NYC crime when we were teens. But the trains were so freaking reliable. Fast. Frequent. Reliable. Yeah, they were all graffitied up. Yeah, they weren't safe. But you chose one of the conductor's car, and it was always OK. Coming home from a night partying was awesome. Even in the dead of night, you'd wait maybe 20 minutes.
These days I can wait 20 minutes during rush hour!
MarquisEXB t1_jb0izqb wrote
That's actually not the reason why. If you figure the a average worker gets $50k or even $100k a year it would take hundreds or thousands of them doing nothing to equal to the tens and hundreds of millions lost to huge projects.
A study showed the reason costs overrun more in the US is because different government agencies poach from such an undertaking. For instance they needed a place to store stuff for the 2nd Ave subway, and they wanted to use a local playground for a few months. The parks department charged them an exorbitant amount (tens of millions of IRC) to do so.
In other countries government agencies act in unison. Here in the US city, state, federal are all separate, and hence it makes doing large projects more difficult and costly. Additionally underfunding our government makes them "thirsty" for these opportunities when they arise.
We sold our souls by cutting taxes to corporations and the wealthy and we end up paying for it in taxes, fees, and crumbling infrastructure.
smallint t1_jb0jbxm wrote
Maybe it’s time for the MTA to innovate.
DapperBoiCole t1_jb0jmyz wrote
Agreed, but richest taxpayers feels like an oxymoron. Make the rich pay their taxes, make it a requirement of patriotic duty to the country. Screw these scalpers
Bestrafen t1_jb0lby2 wrote
Fair but at least use those windows.
However, I don't really buy that reasoning either because most of the time, I see all the equipment idle on closed tracks for days on end with no one working. Also, like other comments have stated, there is only 2-3 total people doing work or 4-5 doing work with 15 standing around.
Dump_Bucket_Supreme t1_jb0llfz wrote
yeah but bart and muni stop running at like 12am. not really comparable
killerasp t1_jb0m23d wrote
should have done a time lapse so we can see them working or not
DiddyDoodat2 t1_jb0m7ni wrote
Have friends that work in the MTA. They clock and work about 3 hours a day. When needed for OT they’ll just go and take a nap and get paid for it.
ClamatoDiver t1_jb0n77s wrote
Dunno where you've been but CWR has been going in for a long time now. It's not everywhere, but it's been installed in lots of places in the system.
BATMAN_UTILITY_BELT t1_jb0ncts wrote
People who use the trains a handful of times should not pay the same tax rate as people that use trains multiple times a day.
Free public transportation eventually results in shitty public transportation and eventually no public transportation. You think the trains are bad now? Wait until there is literally no barrier to entry/use.
People should pay for the services they use. That’s how it is in Europe and Japan, and they are lightyears ahead of the US in terms of public transport.
[deleted] t1_jb0ngey wrote
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sockalicious t1_jb0ohes wrote
> I don't really see improvement during weekday service from track work
Tracks wear out, you know? The improvement is that the trains are still running
[deleted] t1_jb0ow78 wrote
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beechcraft10 OP t1_jb0pecl wrote
This is becuase they were actually upgrading the signaling system, bringing you faster, more frequent, and more reliable trains.
EdgeOrnery6679 t1_jb0q5hv wrote
Found the MTA worker getting that hundreds of thousands in fraud overtime
donttouchthirdrail t1_jb0qpn4 wrote
That is not at all what my mom described the trains like when she was growing up
barbaq24 t1_jb0qy7n wrote
TIL it takes 39 people to replace a subway track.
c3p-bro t1_jb0s66j wrote
Don’t forget that we are still paying the unions for jobs that got automated..40 years ago
HowdyFrankenstein t1_jb0s79z wrote
Hard work? There are 12 guys just standing there accruing overtime in this pic
thiskillstheredditor t1_jb0ssbs wrote
You could say that about any social service. My house has never caught fire but the fire department can’t be just paid by the people who use it. It’s the social contract you enter by being a part of a community. Most people in nyc use a service, it should be taxpayer funded.
ClamatoDiver t1_jb0udug wrote
It's always funny hearing people say stuff when they have no idea what the duties of the people working are.
Work can require multiple teams to be in the same spot to finish something.
Let's take changing a section of track for example...
You have flagmen setting up safety zones and controlling the movement of trains, laborers removing and replacing, thermite welding teams replacing bonds or welding joints, the gauge has to be measured and checked and the track readjusted if needed, signalmen checking wiring and stop arms and lots of other little things.
Everyone is on site at the same time even if the thing they have to do isn't being done at that moment.
When I flagged I heard people complain about us just standing around when we were waiting for contractors to show up before work can start.
We sign in long before a job starts and get to a location in order to be ready to work when the contractor gets there and we get permission to set up the track once commission hours are over.
On general order jobs you have to wait for the G.O. to go in and get confirmation, so yeah lots of people are standing around waiting and doing nothing until they're allowed to begin work.
In locations where equipment can be pre staged so that it doesn't need to be brought in on the day of work allowing more time to work on the task of the day instead of spending time bringing in materials and equipment then that's what is done.
People just love to complain.
smallint t1_jb0ujov wrote
There are 2 others having sex in the bathroom. You don’t see them in this photo.
Mr_Stoney t1_jb0vtxu wrote
OMFG, bruh hundreds of thousands of dollars LOL
You dont even have the slightest idea what a track worker makes, do you?
shutupburd t1_jb0w5os wrote
Except the barrier to entry for using the fire department is your house catching on fire.
RyuNoKami t1_jb0wn5m wrote
especially since we can even look it up. these fucking people.
Not_FinancialAdvice t1_jb0wtj3 wrote
> A study showed the reason costs overrun more in the US is because different government agencies poach from such an undertaking. For instance they needed a place to store stuff for the 2nd Ave subway, and they wanted to use a local playground for a few months. The parks department charged them an exorbitant amount (tens of millions of IRC) to do so.
I think part of this is due to a management philosophy where every department has to make a profit. As a result, deoartments that are typically cost centers "bill" other departments for their services internally. From one perspective, this makes sense; that means some departments need to keep operations tidy to keep from dumping work on another while walking away with all the proceeds from messy work. Put differently, its basically a method for accounting for all costs of their operations within a sub-organization. Unfortunately, it also means more overhead and can lead to its own issues (as you mentioned).
DonConnection t1_jb0xilb wrote
I never worked with MTA but I do work in construction (non-union pipefitter) and sometimes we work alongside union crews. It's a long running joke that those mfs have it easy compared to us. The same job we do in a day they'll take a week. Their crews are also a lot larger than ours.
The thing is, that's more how it should be. Non-union construction in the city pays shit and treats us like shit. There is a tinge of jealousy and bitterness coming from us non-union tradesmen but the guy you're responding to is not wrong when he's saying they could be more efficient. Not saying they should be worked to the bone like us either. There's a balance.
bottom t1_jb0xjb4 wrote
True. V annoying.
Also harder to complain when dead.
But I hear ya
DonConnection t1_jb0xnz4 wrote
Copy and pasting from another comment but is your bf in the union?
I also work in construction (non-union pipefitter) and sometimes we work alongside union crews. It's a long running joke that those mfs have it easy compared to us. The same job we do in a day they'll take a week. Their crews are also a lot larger than ours.
The thing is, that's more how it should be. Non-union construction in the city pays shit and treats us like shit. There is a tinge of jealousy and bitterness coming from us non-union tradesmen but the guy you're responding to is not wrong when he's saying they could be more efficient. Not saying they should be worked to the bone like us either. There's a balance.
iamjacklame t1_jb0yc2h wrote
Funny because I see a group of guys working and a line of other guys watching them
Footy_Call t1_jb10amw wrote
Thank you for your service, especially finishing this work prior to the start of the 2023 Mets Baseball Season !
thiskillstheredditor t1_jb11mfr wrote
Fine bad example. The FDA, building inspectors, EPA, food safety people who inspect restaurants, etc. This libertarian notion that people should all pay for services a la carte as they use them is a fantasy.
The trains in most cities are used by a minority of people, but in Manhattan it’s the vast majority.
ButteredBeans40 t1_jb12ox8 wrote
MTA are the biggest group of scammers in NY. I’ve never seen more bloat and waste in my life than MTA. Everyone needs an assistant and everything needs to be done 5-6 times because it’s just fun for them to waste resources. They are criminals.
Plays_On_TrainTracks t1_jb139nw wrote
Its a still picture of a bunch of guys waiting for that giant piece of track to be placed down by the crane.
BATMAN_UTILITY_BELT t1_jb145oj wrote
Those are completely different still. Those are services that apply to all people.
Train use is something that varies from person to person. While almost everyone in Manhattan uses them, the frequency of use varies from person to person. Therefore, there needs to be a cost associated with frequency.
Not only should people pay, the amount they pay should be based on the location they are traveling to. This is how all major cities in Europe such as London do it. You pay for what you use and the amount you pay depends on where you go. And they have far better public transportation services than the MTA.
Childish_Redditor t1_jb15a3o wrote
Nah the riding is crazy
JordanRulz t1_jb15ngs wrote
wasn't there some issue with being unable to install CWR on the elevated tracks due to thermal expansion/contraction issues?
BombardierIsTrash t1_jb16y6i wrote
So does many subway lines every time we have to do even minor work.
LoneStarTallBoi t1_jb1a3dp wrote
Yeah, if there's waste and graft, it's in no show jobs and management consultants. The guys on location are there for a reason. I don't know shit about track replacement, but I'd imagine some of those guys are keeping eyes on a specific point to make sure that track comes down properly, and then as soon as it's down each has a job to do so they can get to the next one as fast as practicable.
LoneStarTallBoi t1_jb1b37c wrote
People who's entire job is sending emails love to complain about people who sacrifice their own bodies for the sake of keeping this city alive.
JordanRulz t1_jb1b8sj wrote
you know how bad things have gotten when californian public transit can be positively compared in any way to public transit here
ihateusedusernames t1_jb1boic wrote
Was there? I don't know. I believe there are stretches of continuous welded rail on the line near me, if not the entire line.
[deleted] t1_jb1c6c6 wrote
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beechcraft10 OP t1_jb1dvbo wrote
You’re correct that I like trains, but lol where did farts come from?
beechcraft10 OP t1_jb1e3an wrote
I see how it can be read either way, but I didn’t intend for this to be sarcastic.
Jokershigh t1_jb1fp6o wrote
I don't think it runs 24/7 and I believe the systems are massively smaller
Guest-Speaker t1_jb1frge wrote
Yeah, well, we're walkin heye
Luke90210 t1_jb1gsuy wrote
Thats not completely true. Parts of the BART system are now reaching end of life stages where the very concrete is wearing out. It wasn't designed to be used so heavily by so many. In contrast the NYC subway is designed and expected to move millions 24/7.
kraftpunkk t1_jb1io2x wrote
It’s a still photo….
Mugs45 t1_jb1miqj wrote
There’s like 4 people actually working with the rest standing there watching
Griever114 t1_jb1mv4j wrote
The ones in a row are NYCT inspectors/agents watching the work probably.
yutfree t1_jb1s9ad wrote
Also keep Ohio in mind and be happy if track repair saves you from derailments.
Spongebob79Los t1_jb1uohq wrote
Agree but the 7 train that I use to live on takes 30yrs to fix that’s why I don’t live there now. Those signal problem days were hours walking home. Fuck you 7 train but love you Flushing — the real K-town
iv2892 t1_jb1vf6h wrote
Wait? Which lines you have to wait 20 minutes during rush hour ? Even on Saturday afternoons and evenings (not weekday rush hour) usually the most I have to wait is 10 min. And the few times I’ve used them during weekdays is 3-4 minutes. Granted, before the pandemic rush hour was probably every 2 minutes .
The lines I usually tend to take when I’m in nyc are 1,2,3 and A,C. And occasionally the E.
stoopidjonny t1_jb1x5ci wrote
Not saying that nothing good came of it. It takes a long time and many weekends of no service. By the time they fix the tracks, they will probably need to replace the signals. Then they will need to replace the tracks. ad infinitum.
cleverpunnyname t1_jb1x9hm wrote
The issue would be the ties. Continuous rail is all over the world in all sorts of climates undergoing freeze thaw cycles without issue. But on the NE corridor Amtrak lines for example they had to relayre-lay rail bed and replace ties with concrete to install it. Idk if that was just overlapping upgrades or if one required the other
Comprehensive_Heat25 t1_jb1zpt8 wrote
Yah. All the I’m sure they have a specific task quotes still doesn’t help convey the image of “hard work” when they can’t do anything on time or on budget. How does it go… If you want it cheap and fast it won’t be good. If you want it cheap and good it won’t be fast. If you want it fast and good it wont be cheap.
Comprehensive_Heat25 t1_jb1zzu9 wrote
If you can’t tell that that large line of workers is just standing there…
I’ve got this ice cube that lasts forever. Wanna buy it?
ChunkofWhat t1_jb215iy wrote
Perhaps the tracks were more reliable in ye olden days because they were not so old back then. The NYC subway system still runs largely on technology from the 1930s. Much of the switch infrastructure still runs on vacuum tubes. Maintenance was heavily neglected in the late 20th century, ridership is way up, and repairs are challenging to schedule on one of the world's only 24 hour subway systems. Maybe if NYC of your time hadn't coasted on the investments of the early 20th century, your train wouldn't be so late.
tommy_garry t1_jb2210k wrote
we need cars
ChunkofWhat t1_jb2232m wrote
I have read that the use of contractors is also a huge driver of cost. In the early and mid 20th century, NYC had a small army of public planners, engineers, draftspersons, and architects on the payroll for public works. As dedicated staff, they were familiar with their specialized area of work and were well integrated into the bureaucracy. After decades of budget slashing, most of those public servants are gone, and now the city must hire contractors who are not well integrated into the city planning system, who must do research and extra planning for jobs they are less familiar with, and who command a far higher hourly rate.
Elizasol t1_jb22xli wrote
You couldn't find an image of them working and not idle for this post?
kraftpunkk t1_jb26wq7 wrote
Yeah, I have a freezer.
Plays_On_TrainTracks t1_jb2aj5r wrote
I'm not sure what you think this job is, but you'll need a bunch of people to remove the old panel, then install the new panel. They pick the ties up disconnect the rail joints and it's a big job.
Then they have to wait while the new one is put in the install and connect it.
Even the yellow hats in the corner are there doing the signal side of this with all the work related to signal equipment.
Power department too connecting the third rail
Notice power in grey hats and signal in yellow don't have a ton of guys because the work is less labor intensive.
Would you rather in this example shown above, have the people all leave and go do something else in the time being while the crane does they're thing?
You picked a weird picture to bitch and moan about people not working as hard as you want them to.
woodcider t1_jb2cta9 wrote
Because of all that work the 7 train was a beast of efficiency the last time I took it to my graduation.
namenumberdate t1_jb2dllo wrote
I just came back from Japan and their rail system. That’s hard work and dedication, our rail system is absolute garbage with a corrupt union that eats our money.
[deleted] t1_jb2f3dk wrote
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poppenweiler t1_jb2g8q8 wrote
Seems like you don't venture very far.
F1yMo1o t1_jb2i5ey wrote
All systems follow the same path - boomers use great investments made by their forebears, don’t pay it forward, pull the carpet up and complain about the younger generation. The field doesn’t matter, it’s true everywhere. Subway infrastructure is not immune.
datatadata t1_jb2j5ss wrote
I would not put “MTA” and “hard working” in a same sentence lol
[deleted] t1_jb2kqas wrote
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NoodleShak t1_jb2myd6 wrote
Former bay area resident, it does not run 24/7 and they have 50 stations to maintain whil we have over 400 I believe.
Really what I want to know is why the PATH system sucks, its like 10 stations? How do they have such shitty service times and delays.
NoodleShak t1_jb2p4a5 wrote
As a project manager in a completely unrelated field Ive thought about this a lot, I can have 1000000 people to do Y tasks, but if only 10 people can do X task and that has to happen before that other team can start it doesnt matter. Having 300 people at a job site doesnt speed anything up if only a hand full can do part 1.
If anything I wish we could think outside the box about maximizing repair times, shutting down entire lines and having the NYPD to extremely strictly enforce bus lanes, more bus service etc etc. But im a realist enough to know thats a pipe dream. So this is what we get.
Also I dont think people realize how much (in my humble opinion) it sucks to work on these rails, sure they make money but theyre in the tunnels that are wet, damp, humid, rat filled with a fucking 300 ton train that goes by them as they are working or above ground unprotected to the elements in the heat or the cold. Man pay those guys, complain about the higher ups.
These guys and gals are literally keeping the life blood of NYC going.
TeamMisha t1_jb2powk wrote
> Our station remains inaccessible
Every station in Astoria on the N was renovated over the past few years and just one out of six got an elevator added. Add onto this that of thirteen stations on the local M/R in Queens, just three are accessible. There's so much more work to do, especially in the outerboros. At least Queensboro is finally getting one soon.
TeamMisha t1_jb2qbls wrote
My original post was referring to the N/W which does not have CBTC upgrades yet AFAIK. I know the Queens Blvd line is in the process but I believe it is heavily delayed.
TeamMisha t1_jb2qhet wrote
> Also harder to complain when dead.
That reminds me how work on elevateds suddenly accelerated when falling wooden beams kept smashing through parked car windows underneath them lol
Makeyoownmoney t1_jb2uvg7 wrote
Sunnyside Yard looks like another place now. Like 10 guys digging under the live tracks all day every other day to lay pipes, and another 10 on a weekend to pull a fat cable through the pipe. Must be a day or two to hook up the wires. Not sure how many times this was done - maybe 100?
Makeyoownmoney t1_jb2v6b6 wrote
I only know San Diego, the Coaster and the Blue and Orange lines. Plus the 235 bus. They were all great. Like 6.50 for a day pass - was $5. Vagrants like to hang out and pee off the bus station benches in the daylight.
ihateusedusernames t1_jb2yqne wrote
I'm on the N :P
spoil_of_the_cities t1_jb306km wrote
Literally waiting for the crane to finish moving that piece so they can work
justpissingthrough t1_jb32t36 wrote
The difference between you and me: my job doesn't define who I am, and I am confident of my place in the world. Good luck to you..
Comprehensive_Heat25 t1_jb36kh8 wrote
I’m not sure you understand what the word ‘optics’ means.
caffeine314 t1_jb391ad wrote
B and Q line. I'd say once or twice a week there are delays during the evening rush hour. Signal problems, track fires, police activity. About once every few months I need to take a cab home. When that happens, it's a signal problem on multiple lines and I guess the whole system is gummed up for a few hours.
caffeine314 t1_jb398w0 wrote
Granted, this was the 90s. I'd take MUNI from SFSU to my house in Sunset. Usually clean, pretty reliable. Pretty far from the San Francisco nonsense of downtown.
caffeine314 t1_jb3a6bh wrote
Don't know what to tell you. Your mom and I are probably similar age. I graduated Edward R Murrow in 1987. Used to go to the village a lot. 8th street playhouse once a week for midnight showing of Rock Horror - that would be the 1 train to Christopher Street. I'd hang out at CBGBs a lot. That was the 6 to Bleecker. Home was 2/3 to Eastern Parkway. And then Murrow was D,M, and Qb.
I was always on the trains, but these were pretty much my go-to places. There were always shitty nights, of course, but by and large, the trains were a WHOLE lot more reliable back then.
gl4ssm1nd t1_jb3b81d wrote
Solid commentary from someone with an actual job. Thankyou. People tend to forget this.
nokinok t1_jb3ck1x wrote
Maybe they're getting paid, but they're not working. Union rules dictate what certain people can and can't touch. For example, carpenters work with wood. If there's metal attached to the wood, they won't touch the metal because that's another union's job.
Everyone waiting around is waiting for their work to start. It's incredibly inefficient and VERY expensive.
donttouchthirdrail t1_jb3cvf6 wrote
Wow exactly the same age lol. Most of the stuff my mom would mention was doors opening in transit, lights going out, random stop and holds between stations and stuff like that. She said it was a hell of a lot less reliable.
She lived off the 123/BCK with my grandma and the DMQ with my grandad.
They did slow down the trains in the 90s after the union square crash in 91, and a lot of TOs go under the speed limit because a bunch of the two shot grade timers aren't calibrated well, but that was before I was born so I can't really comment on that.
degen-69 t1_jb3j49h wrote
😂 same. I can’t tell. 90% standing around. 10% work.
thebestguac t1_jb3jdgm wrote
It’s a bandaid for a much larger issue. Our trains and tracks should have started a massive and complete overhaul updating the entire system 15 years ago. We won’t see a modern and safe train system in NYC in our generation. Most major cities have much more robust safety measures engineered into the design of the station while we are stuck, sweating our balls off on a dead train, late for work because of a signal failure from a system designed 120 years ago.
smcivor1982 t1_jb3jzh6 wrote
If there’s no elevator, it may not have been feasible. I used to work there in the design office. Believe me, they have studied accessibility compliance for every single station.
swandito t1_jb3pqhq wrote
OP works for MTA.
swandito t1_jb3pun3 wrote
You sounded like a spokeperson for MTA
ihateusedusernames t1_jb5a61p wrote
A friend of ours was involved in an adjacent agency and had seen some of the issues that proved insurmountable. So I know that they looked at it, but it is still frustrating that there wasn't a solution. My guess is it involved acquiring property on the street for the additional infrastructure required, but I don't know.
smcivor1982 t1_jb5eujf wrote
Some of the stations have no space. Smith/9th St is positioned over the road with a concrete plant behind it. Every station is different and most of them can be updated with the elevators or ramps, but some are just super difficult because of their design or how they are positioned in relation with the street above or below. It’s also incredibly expensive and takes forever to coordinate with adjacent owners and related agencies, especially when excavation is needed.
notqualitystreet t1_jb5exxa wrote
Is that something they should do on just the elevated lines or the underground ones as well
cleverpunnyname t1_jb5fc5e wrote
Everywhere. It’d be smoother, quieter, and less maintenance on the cars themselves, not that they do that work. But for sure elevated/open trench lines should be first as it would be the biggest quality of life impact there.
D_Ashido t1_jb5nbx9 wrote
Imagine how much harder it was in 1920.
[deleted] t1_jb664dp wrote
[deleted]
ClamatoDiver t1_jb6ryv5 wrote
Or just someone with common sense.
ihateusedusernames t1_jb6yyae wrote
>...positioned over the road ... positioned in relation with the street above or below.
This is the part that I find most frustrating because it implies that surface street vehicles should take priority over accessible public transit. That's a view I reject as being against the public interest, but I recognize that I'm in the minority.
Meanwhile every parent with a stroller, every person with mobility issues, every person who's just plain dead tired after a day of work, every person who got a crap night's sleep because they are working 2 jobs, is forced to use the stairs so that cars drivers of vehicles aren't inconvenienced.
/rant
Plays_On_TrainTracks t1_jb72de8 wrote
Go ahead and explain what you mean by optics
Comprehensive_Heat25 t1_jb73b7h wrote
Oh, sure. It’s where perception matters more than the reality of whatever a business or government publishes. So, this image and the discussion that has followed is a prime example. The perception from those not “in the know” makes it look like they are just standing around, even though the reality, as you’ve pointed out is completely opposite. Unfortunately despite you being 100% correct, it truly doesn’t matter. You see this in politics all the time as well.
Plays_On_TrainTracks t1_jb78mzl wrote
So you want people to look busy for 30 minutes because your feelings? Kinda stupid.
Comprehensive_Heat25 t1_jb797pu wrote
LOL. If you still don’t get I’m not going to continue wasting my time, but here’s one last shot.
Not saying that the people don’t ever do work. Not saying they need to look busy 24/7. The point is, if you want to try and paint a picture of “hard work” showing a picture of a bunch of people standing around aint the way. The OP coulda selected a better image for that. Imma just sit over here with my feelings while you play on your train tracks.
TeamMisha t1_jb7fpyr wrote
> NW is trash now
Yep I mean they don't call the N the 'never' for nothing! Even during RUSH hours, I'm consistently hitting gaps where I'm waiting 7, 8, even 10 minutes for a train. Why are we still constantly getting cancelled trains? Insult to injury they cut R service too, so even if you're lucky enough to live in the parts of Astoria where you're equidistant to both lines, the R is no saving grace. Plus no M service on weekends by us, so you are STILL waiting minimum of 12-15 minutes on the weekends whether you go to something on the N or say Steinway St.
0hnem4rke t1_jb8czyt wrote
How do we pay for that? Eat the Rich.
NYY657545 t1_jaziguu wrote
It looks like the same guy was copy pasted 13x to stand around.