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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 23134 Location: NEW JOISEY
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2020 5:43 pm Post subject: |
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N4 Jamaica wrote: | With the Coronavirus maybe around us for years, will people be willing to sit in a crowded airplane, subway train or bus? This could cripple our mass transit systems and send us to tricycle and private car. |
Joe:
Hopefully, the virus will be on the wane in the not-too-distant future (I've heard some encouraging signs); but, in reality, long before the virus struck, I, myself, have often wondered about the future of mass transit in this country.
Shoddy service, service cuts, and rising crime have been driving commuters away from the trains and the buses for quite awhile now (and I certainly cannot blame them)
Also, the homeless issue has become quite acute on transit vehicles and also in transportation facilities, in recent years.
In my area, crowded, broken-down dollar vans far outnumber the NJT buses, as they do in Jersey City, once the busiest bus hub in the State, next to Newark.
In fact, after the late 1960's riots in Newark, a number of bus lines (PS and otherwise) were either pruned back or eliminated altogether.
Back in the day (pre-1967 riots) Newark boasted several large department stores, many offices, and a strong public transport backbone (PS, of course, dominated Newark since the streetcar era).
Through the 60's, both DE CAMP and SOMERSET had suburban routes that began/terminated at Newark; in the wake of the riots, with less people coming into Newark for shopping and entertainment, these schedules were scaled back to basically peak-hour only, before they too were totally eliminated.
Wide-body jet aircraft, once the undisputed workhouse of the airlines, have now largely been replaced with airliners (though still huge) that feature seating so cramped and closely spaced that you'd think you were on a city bus or a commuter train.
Recall, also, that at least some of the R-211 subway car order are supposed to be of the of the "open gangway" type; how such equipment will fare in "social distancing" issues will be quite interesting, I am sure.
Recall, also, the major hit the airlines took after the terror attacks of 9/11.
Even before the virus hit (may we all stay safe and well) I could see that many people (yes, Your's Truly included) that were basically saying "farewell" to mass transit.
I last rode an NJT bus over four years ago, and, again, nearly 10 years before that.
I have not been on any sort of rapid transit (or commuter) train since I retired in 2003.
Though, of course, I highly value all the many great memories I have of enjoying mass transit to the utmost, back in the old days, with nary a fear of crime, terrorism, or disease, I am certainly most grateful that I no longer have ANY sort of need (or desire) to use ANY sort of mass transit again..........
"NYO" |
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