No one is talking. You're schistophrenic.

So...that's the excuse you're going with for Second Ave phase 2 not being built?

Between this and pretending that there's no existing ENY tunnel for IBX, I'm starting to think there's people on the committee intentionally trying to sabotage these projects.

This is almost true. It was a political thing, but mayors didn't run on it. Rather, the 5 cent fare was a stipulation in the dual contracts the city had with the IRT and BMT to build and operate the subway. These companies couldn't legally raise their fares.

Well, the first part of the graph from 1904 to 1954 is a historical accident. Basically the subway was built by contracting it out to private companies, namely the BMT and IRT. But the city couldn't afford the full price up front, so part of the payment was that these companies got to also run the service and collect fares. Part of the contracts made certain stipulations to prevent these companies from screwing the public, among them being fares were capped at 5 cents. Flash forward 50 years, inflation happens but fares are still capped. Populist view both companies as "greedy corporations" and have been trying to murder them since the 20s, and so they finally get their wish. Neither company could stay solvent at that price cap, and no elected official wanted to amend the contract and let them raise it. The city buys up the bankrupt private operators which is how we get to where we are today. Then for the first time fares get to rise to match (and apparently surpass) inflation.

I'm impressed ngl. Its so fucking ballsy you just have to respect it.

Oh sure they could hire him, but he keeps doing it for free.

yea

Did the New Amsterdam Post at least publish a terrible headline pun about the war ships?

I don't remember that. I do remember the guy with this lifetime obsession / mental disorder that impersonated MTA officials like a dozen times before working up the courage to finally hijack a train straight out the yard. He then drove it like he stole it. By which I mean calmly and normally so as not to attract police attention. He operated it perfectly safely making all stops as normal. He had studied the shit out of everything. His one true crime was operating an MTA vehicle on schedule.

To this day, no one really knows why this grown man didn't just apply for a job at the MTA.

tossing you keys
come^back^in^an^hour

Its only autism when you fail at life. When you're successful its neurodiversity. You know the difference between Mark Zuckerberg and an aspergers diagnosis? A billion dollars.

Hmm lets see. Obsessed with trains, deeply into routines and organization, speak bluntly because unconcerned with social graces, hyper focused on details nobody else gives a shit about, often found in very technical fields like data science... Fuck yeah I want a neurodiverse mayor. In fact, I want the whole civic service to be neurodiverse as fuck. I can't think of a single government function which wouldn't benefit from having them run it. From now on, no more hiring normies at city hall.

When the neurodiverse come to power, second ave subway will finally get done. So will every other transit project. They won't get fatigued by arguments with karens and nimbys, their capacity to not back down no matter who it upsets is unparalleled. Corruption will end because it would be too upsetting to them to break the rules. All the named streets will become numbered. Queens will finally have a real grid system, by way of bulldozer if need be. It will be a utopia. Frankly, we should have made these people into the political class ages ago.

Before everything got up tight over 9/11, pilots were happy to entertain kids curious about the cockpit. Most people were in fact totally cool with it for "just a few seconds" or "eh, its just for fun".

Malbone Street was not an instance of letting someone unqualified-but-supervised touch the controls for a bit. Malbone street happened because the BRT hired some union scabs and then tossed them the keys with basically no training. There was nobody over Luciano's shoulder telling him to slow down when he took that 6 mph turn at over 30 mph. It was not a one off ride with him either, he had been operating the train unqualified and unsupervised for about a week. Don't bait and switch me, I know my history too.

I'm modestly tempted to figure out how to do this with back lights under paper or cellophane in a physical format.

I wasn't qualified as a kid either but they still let me push the lever for a few min.

Come on, we're not talking about throwing them the keys and shouting "comebackinanhour". I'm sure its perfectly safe with an engineer over their shoulder backseat driving for the duration of a photo op.

This is all nearly perfect but its not the track gauge that is different its the tunnel width and turning radius.

40 years is a reasonable service lifespan to sxpect. New cars are being rolled out, literally that's what this article is. They are being replaced exactly on time for when they are due for replacement. You wouldn't want an Apple style consumerist bullshit purchasing cycle on transit infrastructure. It would be prohibitively costly with no real benefit. Lasting from the late 80s up to now is a feature not a flaw.

You'll have to beat me first.

When the IRT opened, the Mayor was given the honor of operating the first train. The engineer and the IRT president were in the cabin, trying to find the right words to inform the mayor his speed was unsafe without pissing off this politically important figure. Supposedly he was like a child with a new toy, and refused for a short while to yield control. What were they going to do, kick him out?

I'd like to see Adams or Hochul operate the inaugural trains. Not cause I like them, but because I'd like to see it established as a historical tradition. A nice perk of the office. "Actually get something upgraded, and we'll let you play with the trains for an hour."

Tilt shift it so that it looks like a toy train please.

The G, J, and technically the M. Though there is a noticeable transit desert which can and should be bridged. The tracks are there ffs.

since there is no swipe direction, maybe change the bottom text to "Andrew Cuomo (Governor)". Give it that real vintage laughably out of date appeal.

most diverse words living together in same sentence.

I have a similar system for remembering exactly where all the streets are.

Mario Cuomo