The MTA is doing a "rider survey" along the #7 line. The survey is, of course, garbage, but as long as it comes in a "Business Reply Mail" fold-over card, they're going to get my opinion, whether they really want it or not.

I enclosed the following letter. Feel free to write your own when you get your "survey."

Mr. Lawrence G. Reuter
President
MTA New York City Transit
370 Jay Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201-5190

Dear Mr. Reuter:

Whenever anyone asks for my opinion, but doesn’t appear to want my real opinion, they do a “survey.” Invariably and inevitably, the survey doesn’t ask the questions that need to be answered; it’s a function of the necessity of compiling the results into a manageable database. This letter certainly won’t go into a database, but I hope it will give you a better idea of the real problems along the #7 subway line.

First of all, not everyone rides the subway during rush hours. The survey should be just as easily available to those of us who avoid the rush hour like the plague.

Next, your survey asks one of the stupidest questions possible: “What three improvements in your ride to you most want?” This is followed not by an opportunity for riders to name their top three complaints, but only by boxes forcing riders to list the 22 specific areas listed above.

The major problem along the #7 line not truly addressed in the survey is the incessant track work. The fact is, many jobs are redundant and, had they been done correctly the first time, would not need redoing. For example, this weekend Flushing-bound trains are running express from Woodside to Junction Blvd. According to your website, this is because you “are performing track replacement.” Those tracks were replaced in the early 90s. If you need to replace all the tracks every 15 years, you’re not doing it right.

Just to remind you, once the tracks along the entire line were replaced, a process that took four years, another $90 million was spent tearing up those tracks along a nearly one-mile stretch to repair the viaduct crumbling underneath. The viaduct was crumbling before the initial track replacement, but some idiot decided not to bother fixing it. The result was not only a waste of $90 million, but also three more years of insipid delays.

For more on this issue, see the attached column, “Make An End, Already.” This column, along with many others, is available on my website.

The second problem not addressed in the survey is the overuse of express trains. During the morning rush, the express trains are generally quite roomy, while those of us who catch the local train after the Woodside stop must usually wait while one or two (or more) trains come and go because they are too crowded. This is why I avoid traveling during rush hours whenever possible. In addition, running express trains in the early afternoon and until just after 10:00 p.m. requires those of us taking local trains to wait up to 12 minutes; this is unacceptable.

Addressing a system-wide problem, announcements made during delays are too few and too much in MTA code to be truly informative. For example, does the MTA still use the phrase “brakes in emergency?” Try saying “emergency brakes activated;” it’s much clearer.

Finally, if your senior management rode the subway to get around on a daily basis there would be no need for a survey to find out what the problems are from the riders’ point of view. Taking them out of cars and putting them on mass transit would not only highlight problems in a way that would bring real solutions, but also reduce the traffic, congestion, and pollution caused by all the cars on our city’s streets.

I hope this helps, and I look forward to seeing some real improvements quickly.

Sincerely,
Dan Jacoby

encl.

Anyone want to lay odds this letter goes into the recycle bin?