MTA Releases Failing F Train Review Study, Confirms Overcrowding At Roosevelt Island Subway Station - Will Subway Pushers Soon Be Needed?

Image of Blurred, Moving F Train From Venus in Furs

Several readers forwarded this link to the October 9 NY Times City Room Blog post on the MTA's F train subway review study dated October 7, 2009. According to the NY Times, the review concluded:

... After a detailed review of the 27-mile line, examining everything from litter on the seats to how many stations are skipped each week, the transit agency came to the same conclusion as the train’s long-suffering commuters: The F is grade F....

In response to complaints made by Brooklyn politicians and residents, the report focused primarily on that borough's portion of the F Train Route but had this to say about Roosevelt Island F Train service:

...Overcrowding has been a consistent problem; more than a quarter of the trains that pass through Roosevelt Island toward Manhattan during the morning rush are packed above capacity....

Several Roosevelt Island residents commented on this article including fellow blogger Roosevelt Island 360:

As the story indicates by the time Southbound trains reach Roosevelt Island a number of the trains are already packed. This is especially so for trains arriving between 815am and 900 am. If the trains are running with any type of delays the situation only grows worse. Should be real fun next year when the Tram is temporarily out of service. We need more trains and a ferrry.

— Roosevelt Island 360 (Eric)

Another opined:

Roosevelt Island residents have requested that, during the morning rush hour, a single Manhattan-bound car (front or rear) be reserved on each train until Roosevelt Island to permit commuters to board.

The tram carries up to 125 passengers each ride, two trips every 15 minutes, eight trips every hour. If F trains are already at capacity, imagine the addition of 1,000 passengers per hour to the F train.

— Roosevelt Island resident

Other readers expressed surprise that Roosevelt Island residents are not complaining about the failure of the proposed and long awaited Second Avenue Subway to include a stop at 60th Street near the Tram as well as the disgusting pigeon poop droppings at the Roosevelt Island Subway Station detailed in earlier posts.

The MTA's F Train Study report briefly addressed the overcrowding at the Roosevelt Island F Train Subway station on Pages 12 -13.

...Although loading on the F line on average falls within guideline capacity, individual trains may exceed guideline capacity. For example, Table 6 shows that 26% of southbound trains at Roosevelt Island in the AM peak hour exceed guidelines with V/C’s greater than 1.0

In addition, certain cars may exceed guideline levels even on trains with V/C’s of less than 1.0. A car-by-car analysis of the F line at the peak load points showed that southbound trains at Roosevelt Island tend to be more heavily loaded at the south (front) end of the train – that is, the front 2 cars are twice as likely to exceed guideline loads compared with the rest of the train. Loading is relatively even on Queens-bound F trains at the peak load point during the evening peak period...

and indicated that an analysis of the 63rd Street Street Connector (which includes Roosevelt Island) is underway (Page 23):

... Schedule and Service Design – The complexity of the F line and the heavy loads it carries warrant reviewing the service design of the F to assess potential operational and service changes, including:

...An analysis of the 63 Street Connector service plan between Queens and Manhattan, which rerouted the F onto the 63rd Street Line from the 53rd Street Line. This effort is currently underway. ...

Is this what Roosevelt Island F Train riders have to look forward to when the Tram goes out of service next March for replacement? MTA Subway Pushers?

You Tube Video of Japanese Subway Pushers