https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/8x53xb/meet-the-spreadsheet-that-can-solve-nyc-transit-and-the-man-who-made-it
― π ππ’π¨ (caek), Saturday, 2 December 2017 03:39 (six years ago) link
god knows i support the congestion fee but if 15-17% of CBD vehicle trips suddenly stop happening, the subway will explode. it'll take the mta 20 years to add that much capacity, optimistically. be good for busses and bikes tho
― mookieproof, Saturday, 2 December 2017 18:54 (six years ago) link
the December weekend subway shit gets worse every year. I went to MoMA to see a rare Warhol film and it soooo wasn't worth it.
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Sunday, 3 December 2017 02:21 (six years ago) link
re: congestion: in theory, a coordinated master plan for fixing the system would use the regained surface capacity to make various routes bus-only and run continuous massive service enabling you to take more lines out of service for longer continuous stretches of repair, on the path back to regaining good service linewide. unfortunately every aspect of what i just described is either fiscally or politically unthinkable at present, good luck nyc
― 'cause there's always been an it i can't truss (Doctor Casino), Sunday, 3 December 2017 02:56 (six years ago) link
tbh i don't think the subway can be blamed for yr taste in film
― mookieproof, Sunday, 3 December 2017 03:46 (six years ago) link
I meant the tsuris of elbowing through the smelly tourist hordes and sitting on a nonmoving D, then standing all the way home on a Q (going over the R instead of the goddamn bridge) was not worth savoring the minor achievement of Loves of Ondine, dear mook.
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Sunday, 3 December 2017 06:02 (six years ago) link
i played it safe: one-seat J ride to essex and back for 'umbrellas of cherbourg.' in a bizarre inversion of the norm, this weekend jaunt went far, far more smoothly than any of my trips up to columbia this week which were just a cavalcade of stopping-in-tunnels, waiting-for-transfers, random stop skips, etc...
― 'cause there's always been an it i can't truss (Doctor Casino), Sunday, 3 December 2017 06:43 (six years ago) link
http://www.thecleverest.com/subway/I will report back on my score after I'm doneβ chinavision!, Friday, August 14, 2015 1:10 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalinkok it was 204β chinavision!, Friday, August 14, 2015 1:28 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink123 but yeah i'm sure i'm missing at least a handful. too much head-scratching of "now where would i have gotten off that one time..." etc. cute though!β Gorefest Frump (Doctor Casino), Friday, August 14, 2015 1:58 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I will report back on my score after I'm done
β chinavision!, Friday, August 14, 2015 1:10 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
ok it was 204
β chinavision!, Friday, August 14, 2015 1:28 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
123 but yeah i'm sure i'm missing at least a handful. too much head-scratching of "now where would i have gotten off that one time..." etc. cute though!
β Gorefest Frump (Doctor Casino), Friday, August 14, 2015 1:58 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
two years later and i'm up to 171, maybe with some fudging. my rank is "New York Lifer." god help me.
― 'cause there's always been an it i can't truss (Doctor Casino), Sunday, 3 December 2017 07:07 (six years ago) link
watch the closing cell door!
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Sunday, 3 December 2017 14:44 (six years ago) link
stand clear of it, you mean
― 'cause there's always been an it i can't truss (Doctor Casino), Sunday, 3 December 2017 14:45 (six years ago) link
This fact from @nicolegelinas' latest on MTA governance makes me think NYCers should be rioting over MTA spending priorities. https://t.co/fU12VFlEQ9 pic.twitter.com/o5YzIqpCtD— Second Ave. Sagas (@2AvSagas) December 4, 2017
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Monday, 4 December 2017 16:28 (six years ago) link
Riders Alliance program next Wednesday
http://salsa.ridersny.org/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=96466
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 7 December 2017 12:20 (six years ago) link
impressive that my commute took significantly longer today -- a day in which there is *not* a bomber -- than monday
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 13 December 2017 15:11 (six years ago) link
Took the train to work today for first time in 9-10 months. It was shockingly okay! Partly I think because like 7 local stops on my line are closed for construction so the N goes straight to my station. Which sucks for all those other ppl.
Thinking about going to that Riders Alliance funding education program. It's on my calendar.
― Conic section rebellion 44 (in orbit), Wednesday, 13 December 2017 15:47 (six years ago) link
why do i have a membership to a museum in Queens? NQRW all fucked me up tonight. Deflating...
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 16 December 2017 01:18 (six years ago) link
The eternal dilemma when headed back to Queens from downtown on the Eighth Avenue line: whether to switch to the 7 at 42nd Street and spend time walking the tunnel from Eighth to Seventh Avenue or to stay on the E and sit in the tunnel for a mini-eternity between Queens Plaza and Roosevelt.
― Burru Men Meet Burryman ina Wicker Man (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 16 December 2017 02:52 (six years ago) link
The mayor of New York City everyone! pic.twitter.com/zCkXg0MgVR— Second Ave. Sagas (@2AvSagas) December 19, 2017
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 19 December 2017 19:24 (six years ago) link
so dumb. he's against congestion pricing cuz cuomo's for it.
― chinavision!, Wednesday, 20 December 2017 01:13 (six years ago) link
also for banning e-bikes - why did i vote for this guy
― ιΎ, Wednesday, 20 December 2017 03:18 (six years ago) link
speaking of Prince Andy
https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/albany/story/2017/12/19/cuomo-now-pins-subway-problems-on-the-state-legislature-154223
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 20 December 2017 14:09 (six years ago) link
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/28/nyregion/new-york-subway-construction-costs.html
― the word dog doesn't bark (anagram), Sunday, 31 December 2017 07:46 (six years ago) link
3-6x the cost of projects in rational metropolises, in a nutshell
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Sunday, 31 December 2017 12:48 (six years ago) link
i used to think, oh subways in asia are great because human labor is so cheap, worker exploitation etc. but the paris example really stands out.
― ιΎ, Tuesday, 2 January 2018 20:18 (six years ago) link
so, this is getting bumped and commented mainly around the theme of union featherbedding etc. etc. the numbers in the article are eyebrow-raising for sure but then there is this passage, which doesn't really get the same kind of detailed followup in terms of counting up the dollars:
In other parts of the world, companies bidding on transit projects typically add 10 percent to their estimated costs to account for profit, overhead and change orders, contractors in five continents said. Final profit is usually less than 5 percent of the total project cost, which is sufficient given the size of the projects, the contractors said.Things are much different in New York. In a series of interviews, dozens of M.T.A. contractors described how vendors routinely increase their estimated costs when bidding for work.First, the contractors said, the vendors add between 15 and 25 percent as an βM.T.A. Factorβ because of how hard it can be to work within the bureaucracy of the transit authority. Then they add 10 percent as a contingency for possible changes. And then they add another 10-12 percent on top of all that for profit and overhead.
Things are much different in New York. In a series of interviews, dozens of M.T.A. contractors described how vendors routinely increase their estimated costs when bidding for work.
First, the contractors said, the vendors add between 15 and 25 percent as an βM.T.A. Factorβ because of how hard it can be to work within the bureaucracy of the transit authority. Then they add 10 percent as a contingency for possible changes. And then they add another 10-12 percent on top of all that for profit and overhead.
like... holy shit! so added up that's... 35-47 percent?! versus 5? can that be right??! it'd be nice if the authors did the math for us, but it seems like that kind of creative estimate-padding would equal hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars (or bond dollars whose interest and principal will be paid by taxpayers down the line)... in pure gravy! for the shareholders of the vendor corporations! that seems like the biggest hugest scandal ever. but it doesn't really get followed up; we kind of rest with this lame statement from an industry person, claiming they barely make a profit. which isn't fact-checked like some other statements in the article (helpfully) are:
Denise Richardson, the executive director of the General Contractors Association, which represents construction companies on M.T.A. projects, said the surcharges are needed because the vendors assume huge risks on transit projects and often are forced to pay for mistakes made by the authority. At the end of the day, she said, the companies make a relatively small profit.βIt is profit, not covering costs, that allows a firm to hire more people, expand their administrative space and buy new equipment,β Ms. Richardson said. βFirms that only cover their costs do not stay in business.β
βIt is profit, not covering costs, that allows a firm to hire more people, expand their administrative space and buy new equipment,β Ms. Richardson said. βFirms that only cover their costs do not stay in business.β
imo if there is going to be political movement here that breaks the impasse, it isn't going to just be from outrage over 'those greedy union workers,' nor should it be. something is deeply rotten in the entire system and it sounds like it starts with the bosses, not the workers, even if it would also be sensible policy and politics to look into putting pressure on some of those contract provisions. but if the bosses are ripping us off for a hundred and the workers are ripping us off for five, i know where i'd start in trying to get costs under control.
― Newb Sybok (Doctor Casino), Tuesday, 2 January 2018 20:38 (six years ago) link
also holy cow at all that white-collar goldbricking and budget inflation. full time salaried teams finessing station openings, ten years before they're opening.
― Newb Sybok (Doctor Casino), Tuesday, 2 January 2018 20:42 (six years ago) link
I'm sure the MTA, like any bureaucratic behemoth, is riddled with corruption and inefficiencies, but I was just talking to my dad over the holiday about working with large companies during his 30 years as an energy systems engineer, and he said for customers with difficult policies or personalities it's customary to add 20% for your trouble. Especially if they make you eat costs that arise during the project and they're so powerful that you can't push it back on them. I imagine the MTA is very much like that.
― Conic section rebellion 44 (in orbit), Tuesday, 2 January 2018 20:57 (six years ago) link
federalism, ain't it great!
― ιΎ, Tuesday, 2 January 2018 20:58 (six years ago) link
"do you want to live in a world without pyramids?"
― Chocolate-covered gummy bears? Not ruling those lil' guys out. (ulysses), Tuesday, 2 January 2018 23:53 (six years ago) link
re https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/28/nyregion/subway-station-booth-agents.html
Ok this obviously bothers me a lot. Let's talk a little about the American Cult of Innovation. pic.twitter.com/5AWybawRAI— Michael T Sweeney (@mtsw) December 28, 2017
― π ππ’π¨ (caek), Wednesday, 3 January 2018 03:14 (six years ago) link
aka 'not invented here' aka the reason why we haven't replaced metrocards yet
― chinavision!, Wednesday, 3 January 2018 14:32 (six years ago) link
we couldn't just... copy a system from elsewhere
we're moving to contactless! https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/23/nyregion/metrocard-subway-new-york.html
― ιΎ, Wednesday, 3 January 2018 14:56 (six years ago) link
one of my local station's turnstile swipe units goes out about once every few weeks for a good day and there's generally a pile up until someone props the emergency gate open
― Chocolate-covered gummy bears? Not ruling those lil' guys out. (ulysses), Wednesday, 3 January 2018 15:16 (six years ago) link
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/03/magazine/subway-new-york-city-public-transportation-wealth-inequality.html
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 3 January 2018 15:31 (six years ago) link
xxpost ... in 2023. for fun, read all entries marked 'metrocard' on second avenue sagas and see how long its replacement has been discussed and in so many forms.
http://secondavenuesagas.com/2008/01/31/the-end-of-the-metrocard-is-somewhat-near/
or in 2007, when it was lamented as a 13-year-old "nearly obsolete" technology!
― chinavision!, Wednesday, 3 January 2018 15:52 (six years ago) link
i like obsolete technology, mostly
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 3 January 2018 15:59 (six years ago) link
First great commute of the year this evening
― The Harmony Illustrated Encyclopedia of Blecch (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 4 January 2018 00:16 (six years ago) link
that nyt link mookie posted is pretty good
― Chocolate-covered gummy bears? Not ruling those lil' guys out. (ulysses), Thursday, 4 January 2018 02:20 (six years ago) link
Have you seen the 3 little arrows now appearing on the floor just in front of the doors of some cars, presumably meant to get the immobile dunces to move in? Isn't that DARLING?
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 4 January 2018 02:52 (six years ago) link
so what the fuck happened today?
― YouTube_-_funy_cats.flv (Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved), Tuesday, 9 January 2018 15:36 (six years ago) link
broken rail on the Manhattan Bridge
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 9 January 2018 15:45 (six years ago) link
outstanding
― YouTube_-_funy_cats.flv (Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved), Tuesday, 9 January 2018 15:45 (six years ago) link
Idk because luckily I was done w my commute by 8am thanks to a painfully early schedule this week. Was it gruesome?
xp oh jesus help us
― Conic section rebellion 44 (in orbit), Tuesday, 9 January 2018 15:58 (six years ago) link
my gf got caught in it and had to keep checking stations to figure out what was/wasn't moving. i deleted twitter and i suspect not having a real-time MTA feed will be the only great loss
― YouTube_-_funy_cats.flv (Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved), Tuesday, 9 January 2018 16:09 (six years ago) link
officially a "rail CONDITION"
https://www.amny.com/transit/mta-subway-delays-1.16028518
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 9 January 2018 16:15 (six years ago) link
I skipped 3 Q trains at Atlantic because they were crammed, the 4th was still super full, must have been hellish for people who need to get to work on time
― badg, Tuesday, 9 January 2018 17:17 (six years ago) link
i was wedged into a Q
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 9 January 2018 17:39 (six years ago) link
my commute only took 1.5 hours extra this morning
― chinavision!, Wednesday, 10 January 2018 15:33 (six years ago) link
today the conductor apologized for the 3 train being crowded, which was nice, but on the other hand when the fuck isn't the 3 crowded during rush hour
― algorithm is a dancer (katherine), Wednesday, 10 January 2018 15:48 (six years ago) link
our conductor walked the cars during one of our 20-minute periods that we spent between each station to apologize and check if everyone was feeling ok, and whenever we were in a station he made an announcement that amounted to 'get off this thing now while you've got the chance'
― chinavision!, Wednesday, 10 January 2018 15:58 (six years ago) link