In case the MTA hasn't been pulling enough crap to make your commute hellish lately, don't you worry—their latest stunt is sure to make your blood boil, no matter where you live. The agency has taken it upon itself to declare a series of "minor holidays," like the weekdays after Christmas and the Friday after Thanksgiving, during which they'll run fewer trains during the morning and evening rushes. Oh, Happy Festivus?
The cuts, which will take place nine or 10 times a year on undetermined "holidays," are "part of an experiment by the authority that seeks to address the problem of offering 'more service than is required' on a group of weekdays with traditionally low peak-hour ridership." And, obviously, it saves them money. We've never once heard of the subway offering "more service than required," but hey, unicorns are out there, maybe? Anyhow, the MTA will only run about 75 percent of the normal-peak hour service on days like Columbus Day and Good Friday, which is slightly more than the holiday schedule used on actual holidays.
“So far, we’re not aware of any negative feedback,” said Deirdre K. Parker, a spokeswoman for New York City Transit, who has clearly never spent ten minutes waiting for a 6 train on Black Friday. “I don’t see Transit offering to add service at those times when it is really busy and you might need extra trains,” said Andrew Albert, the chairman of the New York City Transit Riders Council. “I just notice a penchant for taking it away.”
