The “let’s hike the fares again” Metropolitan Transportation Authority is planning to install countdown clocks on the subway platforms of the Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 subway lines. These lines run from Brooklyn to the Bronx through Manhattan.
But these trains do not run in Queens.
State Assemblyman Mike Gianaris thinks Queens is getting a raw deal. We agree. At some point years from now, the No. 7 line may get the countdown clocks when it gets new trains, but the A and Q lines are not even being considered.
The clocks let riders waiting on platforms know when the next train is coming. If it is going to be a long wait, riders can take shelter from the cold. They can also know whether they are likely to get to work or a doctor’s appointment on time. In late-night hours, the clocks can increase rider safety.
Gianaris has sent a letter to MTA Chairman Jay Walder asking that Queens be included in this service. So far, Walder has yet to respond.
The clocks are a long-overdue idea. They may be expensive, but if the MTA can afford to put them in Manhattan, they can afford to put them here.
Should You Vote?
The election is less than a month away. In New York, voters will elect a new governor and state attorney general. Nationwide, voters will elect a new Congress with all seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and 36 seats in the U.S. Senate up for a vote.
So it is not surprising that pundits are telling people it is their civic duty to vote. Maybe, but if you do not know who is running or what their platform is, your civic duty may be to stay home.
There is a great deal at stake this coming Election Day. It is possible the Democrats will lose control of the House and even the Senate. This will make it difficult if not impossible for President Barack Obama to move forward with his agenda.
On the local level, there are races that will have an impact on your life. To help our readers become informed, TimesLedger Newspapers runs the Queens Campaigner, a website that collects political stories from TimesLedger’s various editions.
There is still time to become informed.
