'09 Subway Ridership Down at RI Subway Station

The NYC Transit Authority has released their annual ridership results for 2009, and according to a graphic above, accompanying today's NYT article,, the ridership at the Roosevelt Island subway station decreased from 2008 by 2.8 percent with average daily riders at 5,138. This statistic alone seems low based on the number of residents that work off island. The station was ranked 235 out of 422 stations based on ridership. The full station by station data is available on the NYCTA website linked HERE.

Do you agree that this stat is low? Or does it seem right based on your experiences this past year?

Local Subway Stop Renamed to Honor This Blog?

Before anyone goes issuing official cease and desist orders again for my illegal use of MTA logos, fonts, etc the above image was created on a retail site officially licensed by the MTA to produce personal use signage matching the signs in the NYCTA subway system.

Pretty cool site named Undergroud Signs. Worth checking out. Prices are a bit high to become a craze among purchasers but plenty of folks I am sure will consider it.

F Train Delays Force Morning Tram Shuffle

Due to either a sick passenger or signal problems, the announcements were inaudible, riders waited for more than 25 minutes, between 7:40 and 8:10am (that we spoke to), on the platform at Roosevelt Island before the mass exodus began out of the station. My family included.

Riders quickly walked to a growing Tram line which stretched back to the kiosk by approximately 8:15 am. It is unknown what the true problem was and when and if it has cleared up. No service advisory was received via email from the MTA at this time.

Thankfully the Tram is not scheduled to go off line for about 6 weeks.

Long Holiday Weekend: Only Queensbound Subway Stopping at Roosevelt Island

Only the Queensbound F Train will be making stops this weekend through Tuesday, 5/26, at 5:00am on Roosevelt Island so if you are coming over for the below listed events and need to return to any borough plan on taking the Tram to get off the island if you did not arrive by car.

Affected events:
(1) Saturday 5/23, 4:00 pm Improv Everywhere MP3 Six
(2) Sunday 5/31 Adorama Tweetup / Shootout
(3) Sunday 5/31 Queensboro Bridge Centennial Events at the Visitors Kiosk and RIVAA
(4) Sunday 5/31, 9:00 pm Centennial Fireworks

You would have thought for a holiday weekend the MTA could have delayed this stoppage as it must be affecting events and festivities up and own the F Train line.

Bike Rack Enforcement Delayed One Week

Apparently the bike rack enforcement has been delayed a week. Perhaps we will get better signage.

------Original Message------

From: Steve Shane
To: Roosevelt Island 360
Cc: Fernando Martinez
Cc: Keith Guerra
Sent: May 19, 2009 10:37 AM
Subject: Re: Bike Racks

We decided to put warning tags on this week. ......enforcement next week.

I'll forward your suggestion on signage.

Steve


----Original Message----

From: Roosevelt Island 360
To: Steve Shane
Sent: May 19, 2009 10:00 AM
Subject: Re: Bike Racks

Dear Steve -

I expected to see virtually empty bike racks this morning but I believe many of the bikes were there the night before. Am I incorrect or was the enforcement delayed and if so why?

I also wanted to ask if the policy notices posted could be posted more prominently. The two notices I found on the rack adjacent to the subway were not very visible as they were almost blending in with the bikes as the notice is clipped to the rack. Could the notice be posted on the wall behind the rack above the handlebar level? I think that would be better received than the current notice locations.

Thank you,

Eric

No F Train to Queens This Weekend from RI

Sorry folks but I missed the announcement on the MTA website that

NO QUEENS BOUND subway service this weekend through the 63rd Street Tunnel affecting the following stations: Lex/63rd, Roosevelt Island, and 21st/ Queensbridge.

Starting tonight, May 16th at 12:01 am through May 18th, Monday morning at 5:00 am.

I had been relying on prior emails I had received from the MTA which did not include this disruption. Hopefully your plans were not disrupted and hopefully the Tram will pick up the slack as it usually does.

To go to Queens you will need to take the F into Manhattan to the 47-50th and transfer back to a Queens bound F which will run on the E Line through the 53rd Street Tunnel until Roosevelt Avenue.

Bike Rack Update - Only Tram & Subway Racks Affected

Updated 5:50pm

Stephen Shane, President of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, according to a report on the Roosevelt Islander, has stated that the enforcement of the overnight bike parking ban will ONLY apply to the racks outside the subway and tram.

It appears based on the below response that the Southtown bike rack facing Queens on New Main Street will also be included in the overnight ban as RIOC believes it close enough to the subway to qualify. In subsequent e-mails, Mr. Shane indicated his belief that because the two sets of Riverwalk racks are so close that residents who are just clogging the racks would just do so as well at the rack near the Japanese restaurant.

Apparently this all began based in part on the requests of the Riverwalk developers to RIOC. It has been pointed out to me that perhaps some of the bikes parked outside are outside as opposed to their being parked inside interior Riverwalk bike rooms that are available to residents only for a fee.

Conclusion: No Southtown - Riverwalk Commons bike racks are safe to park at overnight.

------Original Message------
From: Steve Shane
To: Roosevelt Island 360
Cc: Keith Guerra
Sent: May 15, 2009 4:51 PM
Subject: Re: Bike rack by Japanese Restaurant ?

Safe? I would not recommend leaving a bicycle overnight. Isn't the rack by the Japanese restaurant close enough to the subway and visible enough so that the same reasons apply? Your fellow residents are the originators of this initiative. "Eyesore", "hogging available space to discourage others who would use their bikes", propagates chaining to street signs and other inappropriate places. The Southtown commons is not supposed to be a storage area.

------Original Message------
From: Roosevelt Island 360
To: Steve Shane
Sent: May 15, 2009 4:33 PM
Subject: Re: Bike rack by Japanese Restaurant ?

Steve, I read your response to Rick that only the subway and tram racks will be enforcing the overnight ban. I presume the Southtown rack by the Japanese Restaurant is safe for overnight parking? At least for now?

Thank you,

Eric

Clarification Post Regarding Columbia Studio Subway Analysis

In my prior post referring to the Columbia studio regarding Roosevelt Island transportation issues I stated that for the study to be relevant regarding crowding on the platforms and cars that more than one day was needed to test conditions. I had incorrectly stated that the students only tested for one day but also stated my recollection could be wrong.

Well I admit I was wrong and the below emails and photos prove out that the students did indeed witness three morning rush hours which they documented. The photo montages also, as discussed below, indicate times when riders were indeed left behind on the Manhattan bound platform. I can't argue with the images portrayed on these images unless I can prove nobody went to the work on those days.

I still believe overall that during the 815am to 845am period, that the trains and platform are overcrowded. I have no solution to this problem other than encouraging residents to arrive on the platform earlier as I TRY to do as I have encountered little issue at any time before 8:10am.

Again I thank the students for their work although I disagree with their conclusions in this segment of their studio. By next Friday, the students will be putting up a website with a link to their final report in full detail and recommendations. You can be sure it will be linked to from here.

From: David Krulewitch
Date: Fri, 1 May 2009 12:46:58 -0400
To: Roosevelt Island360; Dr. Floyd Lapp

Eric

Here are the photomontages of the 3 surveys we did on Roosevelt Island in the am peak. If you look closely, the times with an asterisk are the times not all people could get on the train. I hope that clarifies some things. Also, we attempted to get the data from the MTA regarding how many times these trains do not run on time, but they did not have that data (shocking!). Feel free to post these photomontages.

David


From: David Krulewitch
Date: Fri, 1 May 2009 12:46:58 -0400
To: Roosevelt Island 360;; Dr. Floyd Lapp

Hi Eric,

I actually was the point person on the subway, we will be submitting a final report to RIOC next week which will flesh out the subway data in more detail. Just to make clear what my conclusions were: If the subway runs on schedule there is little to no overcrowding at the Roosevelt Island Subway stop. The train is scheduled to run 15 times an hour (every 4 minutes). There are only serious problems if trains get backed up in queens. We did three surveys and two of the surveys there were no delays because 15 trains ran in an hour, and on the 3rd survey only 9 trains ran in an hour and there were significant delays. I will have more analysis for you soon, but the report is still in a draft stage, and we have to get a bunch of stuff done by next Thursday.

David

Subway Platform & Train Snapshots - Differences of Opinion?

The above and below pictures are snapshots of the Roosevelt Island subway platform (Manhattan and Brooklyn bound) as we got off the steps this morning at 8:07 am. Like most of my experiences at this time the platform has not been overly crowded and the same has gone for the trains.

There is currently a vast difference of opinion between residents and the students from Columbia who are now concluding a study of transportation issues affecting Roosevelt Island. The students spent time on the Manhattan platform and documented their findings via photo snapshots and data collected through at least one sample morning before, during, and following that day's heaviest rush hour period. [Update: If the data was collected from multiple dates I missed that in their verbal and slide show presentation].

The Columbia findings, to my understanding, concluded pretty much that there is excess capacity and that the trains coming in from Queens can handle the number of residents without issue. They also examined alternative train routes and configurations and determined that a greater number of Queens residents would be displaced with the goal of helping a few Roosevelt Island residents and concluded that changing the train routes would be not accepted by the MTA.

The residents who attended the public presentation two weeks ago strongly disagreed. My own experience is that the problems occur during the 815am to 900am period as the trains are either full coming into Roosevelt Island or riders don't move from the doors making it difficult to enter trains.

Frank Farance, President of RIRA, continues to argue that the study had flaws to which the Columbia students reply look at our proof look at our photos. I can"t argue with the photos in question but I must conclude that the day in question must have been an anomaly as my experience, mirrors my neighbors, that during the peak times there is problem. And during the period just prior to the peak, as I have photographed, the situation is closer to what the Columbia students claim.

The key is I believe that any study may need an increased number of test mornings and also must take into account the residents own experience by perhaps selecting 200 residents who will record their experiences over say a one month period. The record should include the time they enter the station each morning with additional notes regarding wait time, platform positioning etc.

I will not attempt to review the full Columbia study here as I am focusing on the morning subway rush but I do feel that once the students saw their own test results they perhaps did not test on multiple dates ( I may be wring on this one) nor did they get a broad swath of the community involved who live this issue every day.

I do want to thank each of the students for their time and effort as the overall presentation did show that a lot of work went into their studio for each of the segments of our transportatioin issues they adressed.

Trip / Distance Websites Don't Always Apply Here

Update: After playing a bit with the site described below it is not so far off to be unreasonable but still generally these things don't work from Roosevelt Island.

<><><><><><>

It's unfair to be from Roosevelt Island and to hope that new transportation calculation websites like "TripTrop NYC" will actually apply and work for us. Unfair to us and to the web site being reviewed.

According to the site's creator (via Gothamist) "you put in an address in New York and it overlays a map of how long it takes to get anywhere else in the city via subway and walking,"

If only it was true with regards to our little island. The time zones shown for Zip Code 10044 seem wonderful but in reality it just can't be. I seem to recall the same issues when reviewing a walking distance website some time back.

Less Rush Hour F Trains? Here's Why....

Updated at 10:30 am for paragraphs 3,4, and 5:

If any residents of Roosevelt Island have noticed less frequent F Trains during the morning rush hours, resulting in more crowded trains as they do arrive, you are not imagining things. The MTA has announced just that "less frequent trains during....rush hours".

For a stations like Roosevelt Island that is the last stop before entering Manhattan proper that is like a kiss of death or at least a guarantee of greater heartache and delays. And did I mention this is to run through DECEMBER 31, 2009.

According to a story posted yesterday by amNew York:

The MTA is replacing an 800-feet stretch of track between Queens’ Roosevelt Avenue and Forest Hills-71st Avenue stations as part of ongoing subway maintenance, said NYC Transit spokeswoman Deirdre Parker.

The work is being done on the weekends, but trains must constantly travel at slower speeds because they are running over temporary track, she explained.

Ben Kabak over at Second Avenue Sagas further explained in his post yesterday that because the trains are running over the temporary track they still must, during rush hours, run at slower speeds.

We can certainly appreciate the need for track improvements. We have had less weekend service disruptions this year and while we have been promised that during the Tram outage the MTA would be considerate of our unique transportation needs this is still going to hurt a lot.

For the record this service change is NOT listed anywhere on the MTA webpage that lists such service changes for today's date.

<><><><><>

Note, the above photo is my own and I have not altered the MTA's poster in any way. I believe my posting this image is not violating any rule or copyright as it is being posted here to expand the rider base that is aware of these service changes.

7:54am F Train from Roosevelt Island (Mon Apr 6)

Perhaps this is a bad week for a test of how crowded the subway arriving from Queens into Roosevelt Island is but for the next few days I will try to get to the platform before 8am and take a picture once we enter the Manhattan bound train.

While I do believe the transportation infrastructure needs to be strengthened and increased, I am also of the belief that as long as island residents leave at a reasonable time they do not have to encounter the packed trains from Queens that arrive starting at and after 815am and continue through 845am.

Again this week may not be a good test, it is a holy week for many and schools are off starting Thursday. So be it. Again the above picture shows one family's experience at 7:54am after getting onto a Manhattan / Brooklyn bound F Train from Roosevelt Island.

Subway Update re 3/26-4/10 Weeknight Disruptions

Update per MTA website: The service changes to the F Line described below, between 3/26 and 4/10, are only in effect on Tuesdays through Fridays Midnight through 5:am.

179 St-bound "F Trains" trains run on the "V Line" from 47-50 Sts to Queens Plaza Late night.

For service from Manhattan to Roosevelt Island and 21 St-Queensbridge, take the "F Train" to Roosevelt Av and transfer to a Coney Island-bound "F Train" .

-----Original Message-----
From: Parker, Deirdre, MTA Spokesperson.
Date: Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:27:41
To: <rooseveltisland360@Gmail.Com>
Subject: RE: FW: Roosevelt Islands

Please be advised that due to emergency work, there will be no northbound F service at Roosevelt Island on weeknights from 12:01 AM - 5AM, March 26th to April 10th. We apologize for any inconvenience thismay cause.

Raised Subway Platforms for Wheelchairs

The Roosevelt Islander in a post this afternoon answered a question I raised to a spokesperson from the MTA but from whom I had not received an answer: "What was the purpose of the continuing platform construction at the Roosevelt Island subway station on both the Queens Bound and Manhattan Bound Platforms?"

According to Steve Shane via the Roosevelt Islander:

"The MTA is working on the platforms to eliminate the "gap" for the handicapped. The raised platform area is in the middle of each platform so that the handicapped may be observed by the conductor who controls the doors. The project is not yet finished, but is ongoing to get tile, etc. suitable for the job, plus signage and public notice. "

While I think the goal is a great one and obviously needed the location is at the thinnest point of the entire platform. So either a wheelchair waits in the waiting area in the foreground of the above picture and zips to this new boarding area or the individual waits in this boarding area potentially adding to the narrowness of this segment of the platform.

It's no ones fault that the center of the train just happens to line up here but it has the potential to be annoying for all parties. But at least the issue of the gap between the platforms and the train doors is being addressed allowing individuals to actually board the subway where before for a number of individuals they woudl need assistance to simply roll into a subway car.

Weekend Subway Service Update thru June 1st

[Image Created by RI360]

Yesterday evening I received the following e-mail from Deidre Parker, the MTA NYC Transit Spokeperson, regarding F Train weekend subway service affecting Roosevelt Island and the two other stations that are served by the 63rd Street Tunnel. In short we can expect three weekends of service disruptions between now and June 1st:

"From Deidre Parker
To: Roosevelt Island 360
Date: Mon, Mar 2, 2009 at 6:22 PM
Subject:: F Train Weekend Service
Changes Affecting 63rd St Tunnel ???

Eric,

There is no northbound F service on the weekend of April 4-6. There is no southbound F service on May 23-26 and May 30-June 1 weekends. Transit is trying to avoid work that affects 63rd Street during the time of the tram outage and will only do a reroute if there is an emergency.

Deirdre Parker"

Escalator Update: Construction Pushes Thru 9/19 Morning Rush

Perhaps by the commute home they will have Roosevelt Island escalators ES 413/416 back on line but from this picture it sure was not the case for the morning rush hour despite MTA expectations that this escalator set would be back in service by today.

Correction:

In my last post I indicated that a 9/19 return of ES 413/416 would be 6 days earlier than originally planned by the MTA. I was incorrect the posters all along indicated 9/19 was the expected return to service date. The ES 413/416 went off line again on 8/25 to be joined up with ES 412/415 and the "25th" just got stuck in my memory when I wrote that post.

F Train Transit Advisories : Aug 23-25

F

Manhattan-bound F trains run on the V from Roosevelt Avto 47-50 Sts
Aug 23 – 25, 12:01 AM Sat to 5 AM Mon

Jamaica-bound F trains run local from 21 St-Queensbridgeto Roosevelt Av
Aug 24, 12:30 AM to 5 AM

Sunday Manhattan-bound F trains run local from Roosevelt Avto 21 St-Queensbridge
Aug 23, 12:01 AM to 5 AM Saturday

For more detailed information about these scheduled service changes, click

http://www.mta.info/nyct/service/subsrvnweekend.htm

From There to Here: East 33rd Street / Lex to Roosevelt Island

On a sunny day getting from East 33rd Street and Lex to Roosevelt Island one would expect that commuters would travel either via (1) the Northbound 6 train to 59th Street/Lex and then walk to the Tram or (2) take the uptown M101/102/103 bus via Third Avenue to East 60th Street and walk over to the Tram.

But if it is (a) raining and you want to avoid being above ground altogether or (b) if the Tram is temporarily shut down due to lightning or (c) next year shut down for reconstruction how would you accomplish your goal?

Simple: The Downtown 6 Train connection to the F Train at Broadway - Lafayette.

Now granted this adds a little bit of time and has you going South away from Roosevelt Island on its first leg but it is quite possible. This obviously also works from any downtown 6 line station. It is does not work from the Uptown Number 6.

[Administrative legal housekeeping: The subway map segment shown is copyrighted by the MTA / NYCTA and has only been modified to add pop up instructions and terminus points. The full subway map can be found HERE.]

MTA to Test Variable Speed Escalators at Roosevelt Island

According to a NY Times City Room blog post this evening starting this Monday the MTA will be switching four (4) of the new escalators at the Roosevelt Island station onto a variable speed system. When each of the escalators has no riders on it the system will switch to an energy efficient 15 feet per second as opposed to the standard 100 feet per second. Conversely after a previously empty escalator has a new rider the system will speed up gradually over 10 seconds from 15 feet per second to 100 feet per second.

My initial reaction is one of concern. The energy efficiency goal is a great one but I am concerned if there ever could be a point where the system may not wait for the full 10 seconds and may lurch from 15 fps to the 100 fps speed without warning shaking unaware transit riders into possibly falling.

Already Roosevelt Island residents have been notified that as of August 25th we are to lose another pair of escalators (ES 413 and 416) to construction for a month to hook up with the current escalators off line (ES 412 and 415). To now turn the remaining escalators ES 411 and 414 into a test situation when they are the only working pair from the lower mezzanine to the street is scary. I am hoping maintenance is on call.

"No Seats" on the F Train Commuting with Children ?

Reading the blogs and news articles today I saw the posts about the MTA's planned pilot program to put into service subway cars with folding seats but to lock those seats in the up position during rush hours to create more space for additional riders.

My very first thoughts were for the safety of my children, ages 4 and 6, as they commute to public school in Manhattan from Roosevelt Island. If it was not for the generousity of strangers giving my 4 year old a seat I swear she may have been crushed in some of the subway cars we have had to enter so she would not be late to school. It this pilot program is put into actual practice we will be leaving even earlier and /or letting more trains go by as it would not be worth subjecting a child to such craziness day after day.

Generally even if she stands the passengers are cognizant of a child's presence and give them space but sometimes this is not the case.

I can understand what the MTA is trying to determine by such a program but for the sake of small children, pregnant women, the elderly and the infirmed this is simply not a good idea.