Newsday

Straphangers: Subway Announcements Garbled

By Joshua Robin
September 18, 2003, 4:23 PM EDT

Mmmwwa mmmsubmmway mannouncemmments mmare mmggetting mmwworse.

A study by the Straphangers Campaign has found that subway conductors are making fewer announcements as trains arrive at stations, and more of then not, are garbling reports of delays.

" In the age of terrorism, blackouts and massive subway reconstruction, announcements should be getting better, not worse," said Gene Russianoff, staff attorney for the transit watchdog group, which conducted the survey by monitoring 6,600 announcements on 22 of the city's 27 subway lines this summer.

NYC Transit rules require conductors at every stop to announce that station, the lines to which they can transfer, the next stop, and the line. But 37 volunteers found that complete and clear announcements were made just 67 percent of the time, down from 73 percent last year.

Conductors are also supposed to inform riders of any delays, with detailed explanations. But the survey found that such reports weren't made 9 percent of the time, and were determined to be muffled or inaudible 24 percent of the time.

The worst train line was the Bronx-to-Midtown B line, where straphangers heard perfectly clear announcements just 42 percent of the time.

The best line was the 6, the Bronx-to-East Side local, with 99 percent compliance. Announcements on that train are automated.

NYC Transit disputed the Straphanger's analysis, saying their own data suggest conductors across the city announce routine station stops an average 90 percent of the time.

Officials also disputed the transit group's contention that conductors skip or garble announcements of delays.

In a statement, the transit authority said: "Our Market Research has found that four out of five customers surveyed believe themselves to be either 'somewhat' or 'very well' informed when they are delayed on a train."

"Overall," the statement added, "NYC Transit believes it has made substantial progress in our effort to inform our customers through routine announcements made by subway conductors and, when there is a problem, through delay announcements."

<< Back

_____________________________________________________________
www.straphangers.org | www.nypirg.org