[lbo-talk] discreet charms of transportation apartheid

[Tim Francis-Wright]

Jordan Hayes write:
> Again from that paper I referenced before, there's a large number of 
> people who live in Manhattan who drive to work; can you guess who they 
> are?  That's right: people who work in the suburbs!  They are driving 
> _out_ of Manhattan, because all the transit is timed for coming _in_ ...

Really?  I picked Scarsdale as a possible suburban destination.  Yes,
there are 15 daily trains during the "AM Peak" period into Grand 
Central.
But there are 8 daily trains going out.
(http://mta.info/mnr/html/planning/schedules/pdf/harMF_408.pdf)

 From Yonkers, 15 trains come in, and 10 trains go out each weekday
morning.  (http://mta.info/mnr/html/planning/schedules/pdf/hudMF_408.pdf)

There are generally half to two-thirds of the number of trains available
for reverse commuting on the New Haven line as well as the NJ Transit
and LIRR trains.  (Surely one reason for the return trips is to get
trains back to their starting points later in the rush hour, but there
is demand for these services or these trips would all be expresses
otherwise.)

While NYC commuter rail is certainly timed to serve the bulk of those
who need it, it hardly ignores those who are deciding to drive anyway.

--tim francis-wright