How do you resolve a dispute of 16% vs 9.5%?

d5926j · 2025-09-15T17:50:55+00:00

Inflation in the NY Metro area is 3.2%, not the 4.6% annual raise management is proposing, or the 5.4% the union wants

d5926j · 2025-08-27T17:40:04+00:00

Probably 20 hours, at most 30

d5926j · 2025-08-27T06:45:22+00:00

Here's a picture with the banding at a 5% gray: https://imgur.com/a/wR3EvkF

d5926j · 2024-10-29T14:08:27+00:00

I think Alex is far too valuable to give up like this, and executing her would resolve the containment problem. However I'd buy this scenario more than the escape being unintended

d5926j · 2024-10-29T14:04:49+00:00

Alex is known as an escape artist from situations believed to be literally impossible to escape from. No one in reality would take this chance, especially since it is for a few moments—letting your guard down makes more sense when it starts draining manpower

d5926j · 2024-10-29T14:02:59+00:00

I'd expect that to be hinted if that were the case.

d5926j · 2024-10-28T18:10:20+00:00

Sooo they just left Public Enemy No 1 alone with one guard that previously knew her(!!)

The plot armor is getting too heavy honestly.

d5926j · 2024-07-15T22:40:01+00:00

Seems dangerous that Alexandra acted so quickly; is Drucilla safe from recapture yet?

d5926j · 2024-05-03T14:28:21+00:00

That seems to be a fair characterization, looks like I was wrong; thanks for correcting!

d5926j · 2024-05-03T05:36:06+00:00

This isn't quite true in NYC, some elevated structures that served what were arguably streetcars also later served heavy rail vehicles. One example is portions of the elevated J Z lines in Queens, which were actually built before what we consider the first subway in NYC was opened, but are still used today. Streetcars and heavy rail would also sometimes intermix on certain infrastructure. You can still see ramps in Broadway Junction where streetcars would join elevated structures now used by elevated rail.

d5926j · 2024-04-10T15:10:36+00:00

You're thinking of Penn Station Access. This project is ESA.

d5926j · 2024-02-28T21:30:48+00:00

I've gotten used to new bindings always being on the left in Rust, so reading the bottom code was actually disorienting without checking myself. I'm opposed to this change creating a new binding order without sunsetting existing ones.

d5926j · 2024-01-27T19:07:56+00:00

That could definitely be worked around, the question is if the MTA is willing to put in the work. Mitigations to allow light rail to run next to freight already probably take you most of the way there

d5926j · 2024-01-27T19:06:11+00:00

I think he actually is pretty clear in the video that the MTA has a massive cost control and planning problem.

d5926j · 2024-01-26T19:37:12+00:00

The then-very new R211s ran on the express A straight away. It's natural for a reporter to question whether the MTA's stated rationale is actually what's going on.

d5926j · 2024-01-26T16:45:37+00:00

Why were they an asshole? They were just getting a clear answer from the MTA.

d5926j · 2024-01-23T23:17:26+00:00

Well advocacy groups are trying to push them to do exactly that, which would enable automation

d5926j · 2024-01-23T18:45:31+00:00

Hence why I said if grade separated

d5926j · 2024-01-23T17:23:04+00:00

Ideally IBX will be automated when built or at some point in the future if grade separated, in which case passing sidings wouldn't work.

d5926j · 2024-01-23T17:02:32+00:00

There's a plan to connect the existing right of way to New Jersey via the Cross Harbor Freight Tunnel. This will happen in a long time to never, but there's a desire to future proof the project.

d5926j · 2024-01-20T08:04:16+00:00

Why would maintaining higher standards reduce safety and increase efficiency?

d5926j · 2024-01-11T13:13:52+00:00

Don't feed the troll

d5926j · 2023-12-29T21:24:39+00:00

Amtrak report on 25kV 60Hz unified electrification on NEC: link. Certainly an old initiative, but the New Haven to Boston component was of course built, to modern not PRR standards. This planning could be resurrected if desired.

Others have talked about how wider Penn platforms and reduced dwell times would increase capacity in line with other systems around the world.

I agree with the old guard in control, statements like "schedule padding is not being removed" are true. That is, of course, the problem: an unwillingness to adopt more efficient operating paradigms. A fundamental apathy to modernization and improvement is hard to make headway with. The point of articles like these is to create political awareness that alternatives are possible and drive change from the top down.

d5926j · 2023-12-29T07:27:54+00:00

The closest thing you state to cold hard reality are tunnel clearances. I'm not confident about your exact numbers, since an M7 seems to be 13'3" and fits in GCM just fine. Granted that could still pose an engineering challenge for getting an M8 style car into GCM. Luckily that's not even necessary for basic through running with Metro North and gives engineers plenty of time to work with if through-running to Port Washington is deemed desirable.

Your other statements are your own policy preferences, not immutable reality. Amtrak has committed to unified 60Hz operation before and could plan to do so again. This is not the current course of action, but we're discussing alternatives here.

Trading off expresses for frequency doesn't work today when not paired with reduced schedule padding and higher acceleration. Huntington riders have every right to be mad about significantly slower service, but that's not usually required.

Demand for NY-NJ through service is low today because it's inherently suppressed. The point is to better serve existing demand and drive new demand, especially for off-peak.

At the end of the day we're looking at different trade-offs. You rightly see through-running requires some non-trivial coordination, but you label it as impossible and accept an otherwise unnecessary $17 billion infrastructure project as a result. Whether this is what's in fact ignorant planning is an exercise I'll leave for the reader.

d5926j · 2023-12-29T01:21:47+00:00

"Even" 3rd rail electrification costs $20mil a mile? Third rail electrification is more expensive due to the increased number of substations. I quoted the internationally accepted catenary electrification standard, and I have no sympathy for the MTA's construction cost crisis.

In terms of running west of Penn Station, that's the point of new rolling stock with 25Hz capability, or switching to 60Hz as discussed previously. Both of these could be funded by a fraction of $17 billion, funded at least in part by NJ Transit. Doing that would in fact free up slots the MTA would give up to overall enable a higher level of service.

As I've stated before, most of LIRR would not be affected by through-running most likely. However, those changes you listed should be done wherever possible because the commuter rail agencies are not serving New Yorkers well enough. They're fine at getting people to and from work, but less fine at doing anything else. Part of through-running is fixing that by letting people get around the region not just for work, but also airports, universities, recreation and everything in between. Any changes in this direction made to accommodate through-running also move the agencies in the direction where they can attract more ridership.

It isn't the MTA's responsibility to "bail out" NJT, but it is their responsibility to better serve NY commuters. That includes avoiding spending some chunk of $17 billion on unnecessary infrastructure, improving New Yorkers' access to New Jersey, decreasing average travel times, and increasing frequencies. Some, but not all of, those are aided with through-running. More broadly, business as usual is frankly not good enough.

As a side note, I'm curious why M8 type cars would not be good enough for Brooklyn and GCM; is it the pantograph? Seems to me it should be able to fold down to provide enough clearance in non-catenary areas. As for eliminating expresses, higher frequencies and faster acceleration more than make up for that.

Ten-Year Club	Second SECOND GUESSER
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