Daniel L. Squadron's posts related to Mta (Metropolitan Transportation Authority)

By Ed Litvak

State Senator Daniel Squadron is calling on the MTA to study passenger needs on the F and L trains, with an eye towards improving weekend service. As the New York Times noted in a story published yesterday, some nightlife-centric neighborhoods have seen a huge increase in weekend ridership, but schedules have not kept pace.

In a letter dated July 1 to MTA President Thomas Prendergast, Squadron asked for a review of both the F on the Lower East Side and the L in Williamsburg. The letter reads, in part:

By Jennifer Fermino

The subway map just doesn't cut it anymore.

Navigating the Big Apple is getting the high-tech treatment, with the MTA calling on geeks to make sense of the city's subways and buses.

Agency officials yesterday -- admitting they're not too tech-savvy -- said they want an untapped corps of armchair techies to create new smartphone apps for their often-confused 8.5 million daily riders.

To get their keyboards fired up, the MTA released a trove of data to help entrants come up with new ideas -- and will offer $15,000 in prizes to creators of the most useful programs.

That info includes previously unreleased diagrams of stations -- so it will be easier to find station agent booths at deserted G-train stops.

Following the release of the Times report, State Sen. Daniel Squadron called for a review of weekend service on the F and L lines.

“Today’s report underscores the fact that weekend subway service is simply not keeping up with New York,” said Squadron.

In a letter to New York City Transit President John Prendergast, Squadron requested a full review of the L line’s performance. Squadron wrote a similar letter in 2009 which prompted the MTA to review weekday service on the F train.

Squadron told 1010 WINS, ridership along the L line has increased drastically because of new development projects in Williamsburg and Greenpoint that have brought residents and travelers.

“These neighborhoods are only getting more popular, more people moving in, more reasons to visit them,” Squadron said. “The MTA should be ahead of the curve on addressing this change in ridership instead of falling further behind.”