While taking the train, it was rush hour and super packed therefore I got to stand at the end of a crowded cart, per usual. I was looking out the window at a partial skyline, and the thought of the MTA and it’s condition came up. Is it really possible to change our railway system? If so, how long would it take. Compared to other countries, our transit system is far behind, however, much older. While fare prices go up, the conditions of the transportation that we take are the same.
By changes, I mean creating more lines that can lead to further jobs and efficiency around the five boroughs. Other ideas could be to create sliding doors in front of the platform, so that the threat of people falling in and getting hit by trains is mitigated. Another could be to have all trains include an automated speaker to announce stops. I don’t know how many times I have seen tourists strain to hear over people singing in the train or having Showtime. We have a focus, of how much the MTA is part of New York City, but would it be possible to focus on making it better, or is that too much to ask?
I agree with your last point on adding an automated speaker on every train or at least an automated voice loud enough to make announcements. Even as a local New Yorker, sometimes I get frustrated when the train goes local or skips a certain stop and the conductor doesn’t know how to properly use the announcement system or their voice is too low.
Completely agree with you guys in regards to adding an automated speaker on every train. Some trains like the D, B, R, W, and even the 6, 4 trains can be very frustrating to take. Because there is no display inside these trains that informs us where we are and what the next stop is (the N and Q trains are better in that way) it’s easy to miss one’s stop. The voices of the monotonous tired lifeless speakers don’t help.
The prospect of making change in problems deeply rooted and complicated by time can always seem like a daunting task. Where to task? How big of a scope should we aspire to change? How much do we have to get rid of, how much do we have to bring in, it’s the easiest phase to become discouraged. The tracks of NYC is no exception to this as well. To a city that seems to be beaming with innovation and creativity, our infrastructure is held together by old and failing systems, hopelessly incapable of supporting an even further-growing population. But I believe the key is to begin. One train line at a time, one stop at a time, even one person at a time. It takes time and effort to make change, which is why I remain hopeful that we’re not too far (in terms of traffic congestion, but environmental issues as well) and can still make impactful changes.