things slowed down in 40 years?

Train service to Shea Stadium is available on eastbound Port Washington Branch trains from Penn Station and westbound trains from Great Neck and Port Washington. The train ride is just 16 minutes from Penn Station to Shea Stadium. For those traveling on the LIRR from Long Island, the Stadium is just six minutes from Woodside, 15 minutes from Great Neck and 25 minutes from Port Washington

-MTA website

What ever happened to "10 cents 10 mins"

well I know that the price is more then 10 cents today but the time?

why 40 years ago the trip was 5 mins faster then it is today.
is this acceptable?
maby sombody is doing somthing wrong....

Isn't ten cents any more nor is it ten minutes.

Replacement of the signal system in the East River Tunnels has slowed the ride by two minutes.

Time was also added to the schedules to permit making up time on the Port Washington Branch between Flushing and Wood.

Is it right? Ask Amtrak about the signals and, well, there are less late trains on the branch.

Clem

Clem: Would you know what changes Amtrak made to the signal system that slowed things down ? And when this was done ?

Some intresting points there Clem.

The signals were changed with the Harold Project c. 1990, if I remember correctly, but it may have been later than that? Anyone help?

Clem

Rapid has been taken out of transit a long time ago. just look how long it takes to commute these days. The Greenport SCoot makes 10 less stops and actually goes slower than it did 70 years ago. Makes the postboy look like a streamliner. The IRT used to promise 2 boroughs in 15 minutes and that was for a nickel. Ahh the good old days. I guess we're safer now?

well, i'll give my insight into this. First, the population of NYC and the region around has mushroomed during the past 50 years and even if the number of people that are leaving the NYC area might be increasing, there is still a large population that is much larger than it was say 20, 30 and even 50 years back that add to congestion on our rails. Lets not forget that people hold doors open, slow to move in and out, and very undecisive, which brings me to #2: people are more stupid, more ignorant, more self centered, and much more arrogant than how people use to be. On a daily basis, I count how many times our train is actually delayed to equipment problems, and how many are due to passengers, and over 50% of the times, it's because of a passenger holding up doors, standing by the vestibule not making his or her mind as to if they want get off or on, or my favorite, a huge pack of people all lining up to enter through ONE DOOR while the rest of the doors on the entire consist are all empty! These things all factor in into on-time performance, and is why train rides seem to be longer on average than what they use to be.

i agree with some of Mark's points, but it doesn't let'em off the hook. transit has gotten slower, mainly due to safety "enhancements" or plain old reactionary regulation such as those rules prescribed by the free ride administration (FRA) eg, MU's being treated as individual units(?), weight, weight again, track damage due to too much weight, faster trains means more trains needed for service - simply cheaper to offer slow less frequent service.

de402 wrote:faster trains means more trains needed for service - simply cheaper to offer slow less frequent service.

Actually that's not true. For a given frequency of service you need fewer trainsets if each trainset can make the round trip faster.

mark777 wrote:...which brings me to #2: people are more stupid, more ignorant, more self centered, and much more arrogant than how people use to be.

Very true. I especially notice this in people's driving habits. All this asinine jockeying for position just to be ahead one car length at the next red light causes more delays, more accidents. and more frustration than if everyone would just follow the rules and wait their turn. I'll also add that some behavoirs, such as rubbernecking, are completely brain-dead. Why must traffic in the opposing direction be delayed because every idiot has to slow down and gawk at an accident? Given this, do you really expect people to behave any different when on foot?

Im going to mention it then get on track,

Please dont get me fired up about the nonsence of out road system, to many loose nuts behind the wheel, and rules that are out dates in some instances. other instances rules need to be made to speed up traffic.
and above all, its a dam lottery system everytime you put you car on the road, 20 cars a parkway doing a given 70 safely, (safely- means not weaving in and out of traffic and bing a "loose nut behind the wheel")

out of thoes 20 cars one will get pulled over n given a sumons, that is totally insain, as why can you and every one do 70 today then get a summons the next day? if you can get one then maby every one should get one? its a very clear lottery system, i think that there is alot of things in rugurds to speed limits, signage, and left turns on 2 land main roads during rush hour when ther is no "Arrow" all minor things that can be looked at.

Well lets get the forum back to the trains. and if any of you want if the moderators are kool with it want to reply about "road transportation" then we can start a thread about it, and keep it limited to our bord, but that is up to you guys and the mods, PM me any time.