Why the new ‘open gangway’ trains aren’t fully open

Plus: Double parking is illegal. Here's how some people 'politely' do it anyway. [On The Way - from WNYC and Gothamist] Gothamist relies on your support to make local news available to all. Not yet a member? [Consider donating and join today.]( Here's why the MTA's new 'open gangway' subway trains aren’t fully open By [Stephen Nessen]( and [Clayton Guse]( Eagle-eyed straphangers on the MTA’s new [open gangway subway train]( may notice it’s not completely “open.” And the reason why has to do with a policy that makes New York City’s subway system more expensive to run than other major cities across the world. The gleaming 10-car train — which started carrying riders on the C line last week — has a conductor cab at its center, preventing passengers from walking end to end. Riders can only stroll through the rear five or front five cars on the train. Per MTA policy, that conductor cab has to be there. The vast majority of the city’s subway trains are run by two people: An operator at the front who drives and a conductor in the middle who opens and closes the doors. The same goes for the cutting-edge open gangway trains where the conductor’s cab serves as a dividing line between two sections of the train. But the two-person approach increases the costs. A [2021 report](chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/ published by the MTA found the agency spends more on running its subways than all but four of its international peers. Several subway lines on the Paris Metro, for example, are run by just one person. And the French capital has for years had open gangway trains that, unlike New York’s, allow riders to walk the entire length. In many European and Asian cities, subway car doors aren’t opened by conductors, but rather by riders pushing a button. The MTA only has two open gangway trains in its fleet, and is testing them out before considering a larger order. The agency said it currently has no plans to remove the conductor cabs — and conductor jobs — from the subways. Officials from Transport Workers Union Local 100 have for years pushed back against the removal of conductor jobs, saying they’re essential for subway operations and help keep riders safe. MTA spokesperson Tim Minton said the conductor cab was not an “obstruction” on the new trains. He noted that the five-car segments are “the length of a football field,” and that riders can walk onto a platform to move around the conductor cab when they stop at a station. Riders have adored the new open gangway train, which is running exclusively on the local C line. MTA officials have restricted it from [running on the express A track due to logistical challenges presented by safety protocols]( according to two MTA memos. NYC Transit president Richard Davey has said his team made a deliberate choice to only run the trains on the local line, noting they “thought it was more prudent to have that car stopping at stations more frequently.” [Ad: click for 30% off tickets to dongpo at david h koch theater]( Sponsored Ad What New York is reading this week [a double-parked car blocking a bus]( James Ramsay/Gothamist [Is double parking legal in NYC? No, but here’s how drivers do it ‘politely.’]( - Double parking on a commercial avenue is especially dangerous (and annoying), but if you’re moving your car for alternate side parking, experienced double-parkers say it’s courteous to leave a note with your phone number in the windshield. [Read more](. - For $67 million a year, New York City could offer free transit fares to more than 760,000 low-income seniors and people with disabilities, according to the city’s Independent Budget Office. [Read more](. - An analysis by street safety advocates found that during the last five years of the city’s Vision Zero initiative, traffic fatalities decreased in majority white neighborhoods but increased in predominantly Latino and black neighborhoods. [Read more](. - The MTA brought in a Catholic priest to bless the construction of a new tunnel underneath Grand Central Terminal. [Read more](. - NJ Transit riders who recall the agency’s meltdown during the 2014 Super Bowl at MetLife Stadium are skeptical that transportation to and from the stadium for the 2026 World Cup final will go smoothly. [Read more](. - Mayor Eric Adams explained this week that he hasn’t kept pace with a 2019 law requiring him to install 150 miles of bus lanes over five years because he’s taking the "revolutionary" step of speaking with communities first. ([Hell Gate]( - Teenagers are talking to their therapists about subway-related fears. ([Curbed]( [Ad: click for 30% off tickets to dongpo at david h koch theater]( Ad Curious commuter “Why does the MTA call us "customers" in PA announcements? (E.g. "Please let the customers off the train first.") To me, it's a curious word choice, with "passengers" being a more appropriate descriptor.” - Meg from brooklyn What Stephen says: MTA officials said the use of the term dates back to the 1990s and Long Island Rail Road President Charles W. Hoppe. He served between 1990 to 1994 and was the first to use the term at the agency, according to the MTA and his [2016 obituary](. The obit notes he changed the terminology, “to emphasize the railroad’s responsibilities and duties to those it serves.” The MTA now has a Chief Customer Officer, Shanifah Rieara, who agreed the continued use of the term is appropriate. “I think it goes beyond the mandate of moving people from point A to point B. It's about the service and we are in the business of service,” Rieara said, noting several MTA customer service centers, as well as a large social media team that responds to comments and questions online. “Just like when you go to a restaurant or any service industry, it goes beyond the transactional,” she said. So does this mean the customer is always right? “I would say for the most part, the customers are always right,” Rieara said. Have a question? Follow [@Gothamist on Instagram]( for special opportunities and prompts to submit questions. If you're not on Instagram, email [cguse@wnyc.org](mailto:cguse@wnyc.org ?subject=Curious%20Commuter) or [snessen@wnyc.org](mailto:snessen@wnyc.org?subject=Curious%20Commuter) with the subject line "Curious Commuter question." You must provide your first name + borough (or city if outside of NYC) to have your question considered. Service Tips - This weekend, from Friday night through Monday morning: - In Manhattan, downtown 1 trains won’t stop at 86 St, 79 St, 66 St-Lincoln Center, 59 St-Columbus Circle and 50 St. - In the Bronx, Manhattan-bound 6 trains will skip Buhre Av, Middletown Rd, Westchester Sq-E Tremont Av, Zerega Av and Castle Hill Av., and in Manhattan, downtown 6 trains will skip 116 St, 110 St, 103 St, 96 St, 77 St, 68 St-Hunter College and 51 St. - In Brooklyn, southbound F trains will skip Bergen St, Carroll St, Smith-9 Sts, 4 Av-9 St, 15 St-Prospect Park and Fort Hamilton Pkwy, and G trains will not run between Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts and Church Av. - Through the first quarter of 2024 the M train will not travel above 57th street, and the F train will run on the E line between Rockefeller Center and Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Ave. These changes to the F line means there's no subway service at Roosevelt Island, but the MTA is providing shuttle buses instead. More details [here](. - Every borough currently has one free bus route. [Find yours](. This week in NYC transit history MTA pulls 110 subway cars for bad brakes Recurring problems with MTA subway cars is nothing new. Take Feb. 11, 1993, when the agency pulled 110 cars from the L, M, J and Z lines because their brakes were in terrible shape. A report from Newsday that month found the cars took as much as 396 feet to stop when traveling at 30 miles per hour — far more than the 250 feet of stopping distance required at that speed. Those cars, called R-42s, were built in 1969 and later returned to the tracks. They would continue to carry New Yorkers until 2020, when [they were finally retired](. [Ad: click for 30% off tickets to dongpo at david h koch theater]( Ad [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [YouTube]( [New York Public Radio] [WNYC]( | [WQXR]( | [NJPR]( | [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( | [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. 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