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Stop-skipping mulled by MTA to speed up service

By Marlene Naanes | mnaanes@am-ny.com

July 22, 2008

Overcrowded subway trains would skip certain stations during rush hour under a plan New York City Transit is considering to speed up lagging service.

One of the slowest trains, the No. 4, had an on-time record of only 70 percent in May, according to the latest statistics, underscoring the need to find solutions quickly, agency officials said.

But transit advocates immediately expressed skepticism, especially since transit officials stopped skip-stop service on the former No. 9 line in 2005.

"If you were along the part of the line that was skipped, you hated it," said Gene Russianoff, a staff attorney for the Straphangers Campaign, an advocacy group. Skip-stop train service also can confuse riders, advocates said.

"People run down the stairs and jump on and realize it's not the train they want and have to get off and change," said Bill Henderson, head of the Permanent Citizen's Advisory Committee to the MTA.

No. 4 train riders were mixed on the idea.

"It's a great idea as long as it doesn't skip me," said Katy Burke, 23, of Throgs Neck.

Some riders weren't opposed to the plan, so long as it was clear which stations would be skipped.

"Anything that helps, anything that makes it faster is a good idea," said Donna McCabe, 34, of Bay Ridge.

Advocates noted that the service has worked for several years on the J and Z lines, which run through Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. Transit spokesman Paul Fleuranges said the service is merely being considered right now.

"The fact of the matter is it may not be practical in Manhattan," he said. "That is to be determined."

For at least one MTA board member, anything idea that speeds up trains is welcome. On-time trains have decreased by 5 percent between 2003 and 2007, according to transit stats.

"Just do it because this decline is astonishingly bad," said board member Mark Lebow. "So I encourage you, think up something and do it."

Simone Herbin contributed to this story.