F train meeting next week

By Gary Buis

Feature article in Courier Life

The F train will rumble onto center stage next week, when the often frustrating subway line will be the focus of a public meeting.

State Senator Daniel Squadron and Community Boards 2 and 6 will host the event, planned for Thursday, Dec. 10 at 6:30 p.m. inside Public School 58, 330 Smith Street.

In October, New York City Transit released the findings of a full line review it conducted at Squadron’s request.

The agency said it plans to initiate a host of improvements to better the line, which is often characterized by overcrowded cars and spotty service. The agency, overseen by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, plans to reorganize line management, which is expected to provide greater accountability, and create a task force of senior managers to review the line’s operations and develop strategies for improvements.

Also planned is a review and potential revision to the train’s timetable, in an effort to better serve the train’s ridership, which has skyrocketed 15 percent since 2004. Commuters can also expect a spiffier ride, as new cars are being phased into the line in the next year.

The agency said it will attempt to ease crowded conditions, and modify “delay management strategies,” to help reduce the reliance on skipping stations to make up for lost time.

Squadron said the rationale for the meeting is to make the report, which can be found at www.squadron.nysenate.gov, more accessible to the public.