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from the they-don't-make-things-like-they-used-to dept.
James Somers wanted to find out why the New York subway's F train still doesn't have countdown clocks to tell you when the next train is arriving. He never expected it to be so complicated.
The New York subway signaling system was one of the earliest attempts to automate a large, complex and chaotic mechanism. It was designed to keep the trains running while making collisions impossible - and it did a pretty good job of that, considering the technology that was available at the time. When it was built in the early part of the 20th century, it was the state of the art - the problem is, much of that system hasn't been updated since then. In the case of the F train, there are no countdown clocks at the station because literally nobody has clear knowledge of the train's position besides the people on the train. (Many other lines do have the clocks.)
Somers' lengthy article examines the nuts and bolts of the signaling system, and also tries to figure out why it's taking so long to bring it up to date - a combination of politics, bureaucracy, and a need to support legacy technology while transporting 5 million people a day.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Phoenix666 on Saturday November 14 2015, @01:00PM
The F platform at my stop at 4th Ave/9th Street does have the clocks. It's a major stop with transfers to the N & R lines. Carroll Gardens is not a major stop, no matter how many whiny journalist wannabes use it. It's also the case on every other line that not every stop has a countdown clock. But of course in NYC *your* stop is *the most* important stop.
The hard truth of the MTA is that they're an incredibly corrupt and incompetent beast. The countdown clocks were only implemented at all because the previous head of the agency, Jay Walder, who had previously modernized the London Underground, drove hard to implement them. But even he didn't get them fully implemented and gave up in disgust and left a couple years ago.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 14 2015, @01:30PM
You spend how many millions on a subway, and try to save a few pennies on not having clocks at each station...
(Score: 5, Informative) by Phoenix666 on Saturday November 14 2015, @01:39PM
Nothing costs mere pennies with the MTA. If they can't spend an order of magnitude than it should cost, it's not worth doing for them because there won't be enough to grease all the palms that need to be greased.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 1) by anubi on Saturday November 14 2015, @11:57PM
My belief is that nearly any Arduino hobbyist should have the ability to build these....
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Saturday November 14 2015, @04:48PM
I'm waiting for those dummkopfs to dig some tunnels between the Brooklyn stations so I don't have to travel into Manhattan to go back into Brooklyn or take four trains. I take the A from Ozone Park and getting to my brothers place in Prospect Lefferts gardens or my friend in Sheepshead Bay. I have to get off the A at Nostrand, Take the C one stop to Franklyn Av, Get on the Shuttle and take it to the end for my brother or transfer to the Q for my friend. Or I can spend twice the fair and get off at Hoyt and Schermerhorn and walk to Dekalb. They have so many stations within a block or so of each other they can dig a friggen tunnel and connect them. Thank god my girlfriend lives off the G that I can transfer to from Hoyt.