Speeding up the Subway
When President Andy Byford came arrived in January 2018, he made the case for reliability and speeding up trains using what he referred to as evidence-based decision-making and understanding the root causes of delays. We congratulate President Byford on his one year anniversary, and for the improvements we have experienced to-date.
The Subway Dashboard shows that in 2018, the reliability of service delivered on major trunks lines- the 2/3 and the 4/5 – substantially improved. Before these efforts, service on the 2/3 lines was at 90.2% in January 2018, yet by Oct 2018, it was over 95% – a number not seen since April 2015.
Similarly, the 4/5 line hit a low of 85% in January 2018, but was consistently hitting over 90% by June, and frequently hitting near or over 92% by August.
These consistently improving service delivery percentages on the subway systems major trunk lines provide a glimpse into what Andy Byford and his staff can achieve with a fully-funded Fast Forward Program.
2018 also saw the basis for improved trip speeds, which we have not only read about, but have experienced.
Subway timers are a critical component to the speed of the system. When we met with President Byford in February 2018, he said he was keen to take a look at assessing the timers and safely increasing speeds where it was warranted.
Yesterday’s announcement confirmed the fruits of that labor. Speed limit increases have been approved at 68 locations, and the agency has implemented 24 of them. NYC Transit has also now identified approximately 320 inaccurate timer signals, and has recalibrated 59 of them.
This will improve the rider experience by reducing overcrowding through improved trip speeds, and by more quickly recovering from incidents.
We give President Andy Byford, and his full team at every level, a vote of evidence-based confidence in their ability to turn the system around and get the job done.
Download here: 012219 SAP Update