"C" ya later train - "V" and "B" relief for now
Surprise! Surprise! Should I say it? Sure, why not?
I told you so! MTA chief Peter Kalikow acknowledged the possibility that the fire at Chambers St. was not started by a homeless person. Also, it will take up to 9 months to get the A and C lines "back to normal" instead of 3 to 5
years. In the meantime, passengers are getting a taste of what will be for at least the next 9 months. Overcrowded platforms and fully loaded trains are the norm now. A little relief comes from a few more B trains being added to ease the crowding.
Incredible as it may seem, we didn't know a good thing until we lost it! It is amazing how fragile our transportation system is. Who knew a fire at one particular location could cause such a headache system wide? Please remember how things are now, so when everything gets back to "normal" you'll know exactly how good we had it before this happened! For now, get up a little earlier because the key word for the next 9 months is
patience.
Got Pressure?
Looks like the MTA caved in from the pressure of the public but mostly from inquiring politicians. The initial 3-5 year estimate was shelved and now a 6-9 month timetable has been announced. Anyone starting to believe conspiracy theory #2 from the last post? It appears now that it will be a straight repair job and the upgrades for the CBTC for that area will have to wait. The MTA tried playing poker with the public but the public called the bluff! (Remember, this Blog may be fiction and should be treated as such but check back for more interesting possibilities.)
C train conspiracy theories anyone?
Conspiracy theory #1: Was there really a homeless person that started a fire? Did this person break into a locked tower and start a fire to keep warm? Sure, it's possible and totally believable. Let's suspend "reality" now and offer another "explanation." Maybe the snow on the street level was melting because of the salt from the salt spreaders. The salty water then continuously dripped down into the subway onto electrical wires and other electrical components. They then shorted out and caused a fire. Plenty of damage was caused but will it really take 3 to 5 years to repair? This brings us to conspiracy theory #2.
Conspiracy theory #2: The entire subway system will eventually be completely "overhauled." The definition of "overhauled" for this particular post is the system is being prepared for "computer based train control (CBTC)." CBTC is being implemented on the L line first. It's a few years overdue but will finally be operational within a year on the L line. The 7 and G lines and others will be next. Here is where things can get sticky. The damage done by the fire could be repaired but why
fix something that will need
replacing anyway within a few years? The area may quietly be upgraded to whatever is necessary for CBTC. With budgets already stretched thin, the federal government will most likely be called upon for extra money to repair the fire damage. Later, another request for money may be put in for money when the A and C lines are upgraded for CBTC. There is a chance here to "double dip" for money to fix the fire damage and then more money for CBTC upgrades when in fact the area will only be "fixed" once.
These are just a couple conspiracy theories thrown out there for fun! This is pure fiction and should be treated as such. Come on, have some fun with it! In the meantime, we can all have fun trying to figure out what train to take and where we may end up getting off. Remember what Smokey the Bear said, "
Only you can prevent forest fires." They should post that in the subway so the homeless can see it (with the word
subway substituted for
forest).
No C train service - Update
The C train will not be running for a while due to damage from a fire at Chambers street. I couldn't find anything on the
www.mta.info website about this, so keep checking local news stations for now for service changes.
For future reference, here is a link to the New York City Transit Subway Map on the MTA website:
http://www.mta.info/nyct/maps/submap.htm
"It's Too Cold!", said the C train
I guess the C train didn't want to get out of bed this morning because there was no C service! Come on! I was freezing but I got up for work! OK, OK enough joking around. I'm not sure what happened but apparently it was replaced by V train service. I don't know if this madness will continue today and/or tomorrow but you better get up a little earlier tomorrow just in case.
I had enough of this cold and snow here in NYC. I'm going to check Expedia.com and Orbitz.com for flights to anyplace warm! Aruba is looking good right now. Maybe a trip to Las Vegas for a poker tournament. Hmmm. . .
Got Snow?
We got socked with plenty of snow in NY today. Train service in the subway is not so bad but there are delays and the key word for the day is LOCAL! Ever wonder why there is no express service on bad snow days? This is because most trains are stored under ground to avoid weather damage and to keep storage yards as empty as possible to clear the snow from the tracks. There is a limited amount of space under ground so the trains are stored on express tracks. Trains that normally run express cannot because of the stored trains on those tracks.
Storage yards were completely blanketed with snow today and the work crews have there hands full trying to keep the yards as clear as possible. This is difficult given the fact that the snow is very "powdery" and gets blown around easily. A diesel train will "sweep" a track in a storage yard with a small plow on each end and then get "switched" over to another track to sweep the next one. By the time the second one is swept, the first one is already almost covered again due to the wind! It's a continuous battle and will not stop until the temperatures rise. Then everything gets iced over and a new set of problems appear.
There are crews with shovels and snow blowers trying to keep the walkways in the storage yards clear. They are fighting the same uphill battle as the diesel trains. Making matters worse for everyone working in the storage yards is the snow "hiding" the dangers of where to step while walking. There are live "third rails" that carry 600 volts of electricity at about 10,000 amps and at times difficult to see with snow. Stepping near or over them is a normal part of work but when covered by snow, they become a real danger. One slip in the snow and it may be a worker's last step.
For people that are outdoors today, keeping warm is essential. Layered clothing seems to work best and a nice hot cup of coffee or hot chocolate helps! My friend just showed up with some Dunkin' Donuts coffee and a dozen donuts. I'll have a coffee but I'm going to pass on the donuts since I just started a weight loss program. I'm going to shovel now. Back with an update and maybe some pictures tomorrow or Tuesday.
Greetings!
This is my first posting on this Blog. I hope to list some useful information about the subway system and some personal anecdotes from riding in it.
If you take the subway or you plan on taking the subway on your next trip to New York City, then don't forget to check
www.mta.info for any service changes! Most service changes happen late at night and on the weekends (mostly from midnight Friday until 5:00 AM Monday). This is when the majority of track work and construction takes place in the subway. This is necessary because New York City Transit is open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week!
