MTA Planned Subway Station Booth Closings

From: New York City Transit October 6, 2004
To: Community Board 9 Manhattan
Re: MTA Planned Subway Station Booth Closings

As you are no doubt aware, the Metropolitan Transporation Authority is faced with a deficit in its 2005 operating budget. To meet this challenge and to balance its budget as required by state law, savings in perating costs will be achieved through cost-reduction programs undertaken by all MTA agencies. Additionally, changes in the fare pricing structure and increase in tools are being considered as a method of generating additional new revenuws. To ensure the public's participation in this process, public hearings on these proposals ad the steps proposed to balance the 2005 budget (including those described below) are anticipated to be scheduled this fall in various locales within the MTA service region. Notices of the time and locations for these hearings will be sent to you shortly under separate cover.

As part of the MTA's cost-savings effort, New York City Transit is planning to eliminate all 115 part-time subway station booths as well as 49 full-time booths with relatively low entry and exit volumes. We can permanently close these 164 booths without significant inconvenience to our customers. Indeed, at a number of the part-time locations, we will actually be increasing hours of access since many entrances that are currently only open part-time will be open around the clock, with customers able to enter the system through MetroCard-activated High Entry/Exit Turnstiles. Witht he esception of six locations that wxit into privately owned buildings and are closed at certain hours and at one at which there is no wekend subways ervice, all the proposed sites will provide access at all times. At all entraces where the 164 booths proposed for permanent closing are located, we will take steps to ensure appropriate means of ingress and egress for all customers, including the disabled, consistent with applicable provisions of federal and state law and regulations. In additon, at every station in which the 164 booths scheduled to be permanently closed are located, there will continue to a fulltime booth, operating 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.

With the advent of automated fare collection and the subsequent widespread use of the MetroCard and MetroCard Vending machines, other convenient, cheaper and more efficient alternatives to service booths as a means of selling fare media is available. The plan to eliminate these 115 part-time and 49 full-time booths reflects the success of fare-collection technology and will directly contribute to NYC Transit efforts to achieve cost reductions. It will also allow us to re-assign Station Agents ouside the booths,where they will be able to provide a greater range of services and assistance to our customers.

Pursuant to Public Authorities law ss1205, we are soliciting your commnets in connection with any part-time and full-time booths within your community board that are scheduled for permanent closing. For your additional information, the attached list inclueds not only any such booth within your community board, but also all of the 164 proposed locations throughout the City. The list indicates the station, subway line, control area (booth) number, current hours,current access hours, and new access hours.

Should you require more information on this or any other transit matter, do not hesitate to contact me or Director of Government and Coomunity Relations Lois H. Tendler. Ms. Tendler can be reached at (646) 252-2660.

Sincerely,

(signature)
Lawrence G. Reuter
President

Will list only Cb9M or affecting CB9M Stations:
# Station Line Booth#
40. 135 Street A N023
41. 125 Street A N025
42. 116 Street C N029

121. 110 Street 1 R171
122. 137 Street 1 R175
123. 145 Street 1 R177
124. 157 Street 1 R179