MTA On-Time Performance: It’s A Scam!

Based on “arrivals with 5 minutes, 59 seconds of schedule”, the MTA boasts quarterly of the on-time record for train arrivals. Isn’t 5 minutes, 59 seconds really just six minutes? Of course it is. And, of course this is MTA doublespeak as they try to mask their poor performance. I take the Harlem line into NYC from the White Plains station. I typically take the 8:01AM and arrive at Grand Central Station at about 8:45AM. It should be changed to the 8-ish train. On a good day, the train is on time. On a normal day, whether on time or not, there’s no seats available and most people boarding the train will stand for their ride into NYC. A bad day can be when the train is running fifteen minutes late (or more) or worse, the train is cancelled. No train? No late charge. 


This latest iteration of the On-Time Performance chart, buried in the Holiday release of things to do in NYC via MetroNorth, indicated that on-time performance of the Harlem and New Haven lines was down, with the New Haven line edging slightly beyond the Harlem line with the worst on-time performance. Does it matter that hundreds of people are late for work? Does it matter that there are never any seats available for all? Does it matter that many must stand on the wind-swept platform in inclement weather because there isn’t enough room inside the station? Does it matter that once one train is late, many behind it  are subsequently late? Does it matter that the MTA slapped a tax on small businesses and individuals to pay for their bloated budget? Does it matter that the MTA routinely raises it’s monthly ticket prices regardless of these issues. Resoundingly, NO, only to those affected riders! 


Each year I attend the MTA Board meetings and discuss the above mentioned issues I have with the running of the trains. The meetings had been run by the now-former CEO of the MTA, Jay H. Walder, who has departed his post as of this past October. No great loss to commuters. At these meetings, I usually touch on the fact that I subsidize their poorly run entity as I only take the train three days a week but purchase a monthly ticket. They get to use my money for 7 days, even though I’m not using the train anywhere near that amount. In effect, I’m giving them 4 days of subsidy money with no return of service. And since it’s not enough, they decided to tax us through a payroll tax! I also touch on how we all got indoctrinated into hearing how their delays were due to equipment problems during the colder seasons. Then they started using the same excuse for the warmer seasons. So apparently the trains and related equipment can only run in perfect weather. Yes, of course I’m being sarcastic. The problem is a common one: failed management and a failing infrastructure. Fix the equipment!


 Now we are waiting to see who Governor Cuomo will appoint to the CEO position. Do you think accountability should be a mainstay of keeping this position? I do. I also think “tricked-out” numbers to make the story smell better is disingenuous and should be stopped. I also think they should be giving out credits for every late train or cancelled train to those waiting at the station. I realize most of their expenses may be personnel, their pensions and all the other things we all hear about on the news. How about fixing the infrastructure? How about getting everything working well before trying to add trains to the Tappan Zee Bridge and I-287 fiasco? There's much more to do, but everyone seems content to just wave a magic wand and hope for the best. We can do better.