Joshua Malbin

In an article about the widespread subway service outages this weekend, we find this little nugget from the MTA’s spokesman:

Mr. Seaton said that customers concerned about future disruptions can sign up on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Web site, mta.info, for e-mail and text alerts about service issues.

If only that were true. I’ve been signed up for their alerts for several years now. It used to be they’d send you emails on Friday explaining what service changes there would be over the weekend. Now all I get is junk like this all day every day:

MANH, A, C, & D trains, Smoke Condition

Both directions, A, C, and D trains, running with delays. Due to smoke condition at 135th St. Visit www.mta.info for details.

Inevitably this email arrives at the same time as another:

UPDATED: MANH, A, C, & D trains, Smoke Condition

A, C and D train service has resumed with residual delays.

It sure would be nice if their email alert system actually did what their spokesman claims it does.

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Every municipal workers’ union in New York is watching very closely. The MTA agreed to binding arbitration, and when it didn’t get what it liked, went to court to avoid having to honor the result. What’s “binding” about it if you’re not going to be bound? What’s to stop the city from pulling the same stunt if the MTA wins in court?

Here’s more from Workers Independent News (.mp3).

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