May 25, 2005
The Number 9 Train's Final Days
As it was suggested last year, the 9 train is leaving the NYC subway system. There's a NY Times story about how signs will be taken down as the 9 train will go to subway heaven on May 31. For instance, the "9" will be taken down from the flashy Times Square subway entrance, and the 9 information are probably black-decaled over on the platforms. The 9 train had served as a way to help get people living uptown to their destinations faster by offering skip-stop service (the 1 would go local). But now that there are more trains overall, and more people living uptown, the 9 is an old-fashioned throwback. Lawrence Reuter, President of NYC Transit, told the Times:
"Skip-stop service on the 1 line is an idea which today doesn't make sense for our operations or our customers. By eliminating skip-stop service, the majority of riders along the 1 line will benefit from shorter travel times and will no longer have to stand on platforms as trains pass them by during rush hour."Still, the 1 and 9 remain inseparable in our minds. There's good subway ephemera in the article, like how the 8 train was an elevated train along Third Avenue and that skip-stop service is still on the J and Z lines.
More about the subways on NYC Subway. And Gothamist on how the 1/9 trains have been dirtiest and the death of the Q Diamond.
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as of last weekend, it looked like all the "9" signs between Times Square and the UWS had already been removed or decaled over. Which was weird, since the train was still running this week...
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Skip stop has always been useless. This quote from the Times shows exactly why:
With the No. 9 being eliminated and the No. 1 making all local stops, riders at two stations in the Bronx, 242nd Street-Van Cortlandt Park and 231st Street, will have their commuting lengthened by 2.5 to 3 minutes. But overall, 12,000 riders will see their frequency of train service double.
Based on patterns of use, the transit agency estimated that most riders would have no more than one extra stop added to their commuting. The Nos. 1 and 9 lines have a combined weekday ridership of 500,000.
I won't miss the 9 train.
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I HATE the 9 train and will be dancing on its grave.
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i've been so used to saying "the 1/9" that i dunno what i'll do when the 9 is out.
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Sorry to hear it's gone. I took the 9 recently to South Ferry (weekend, almost waited 20 min for it, but it worked), going to SI on the ferry. Guess I'll have to make do with the 1. (Coming in from Jersey, I start from 34 St./Penn) I like the NYC subway system, there's a certain amount of redundancy built into it - like getting up to the Bronx Zoo, you can take the 5, or the 4 and the 2. Now it looks like I don't have that backup *grr*.
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Sorry to post again so soon, but your clock needs work; it's showing about 20 minutes slow.
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Its been 3 years since they took away the 9. I don't know who the people are on this page, but when you live in harlem or the heights the 1 train sucks! It's always packed, it's hot, and dirty. and it seems like that is the only train that tourist know. People who live on express stops need the 9 train back. you should check out where you live to live near the express stops. Thank god I live on an express stop so i can take the d,a,c trains.