2008 Woodie Awards
Fire Leaves Subway with Subpar Service
Ira Ginsberg
Issue date: 2/15/05 Section: Features
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In addition to the many people looking for alternative ways to get to their respective jobs, the fire presented a significant problem for Yeshiva students in particular. Outside of the inter-campus shuttle system that takes students to and from the Wilf and Beren campuses, the A train presents the easiest way for students to get around Manhattan. In the mornings, the subway is the only option for traveling students as the inter-campus shuttle service does not begin until the late afternoon.
While the cause of the fire is still unknown, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) officials have produced several theories. Some suspect that members of the city's homeless population began the blaze while trying to stay warm through one of the coldest stretches of the winter.
Initially, transportation officials told the public that the C train would be out of commission for three to five years and that the A train run only a third of the trains it used previously during that same period. This shortage would have increased the average wait for the A train from roughly five minutes to around fifteen. Only a few days later, officials modified their estimates stating that the A train would run at sixty percent of its normal speed and that the C train would make its return to use within the next six to nine months. After an apologetic response by New York City Transit president Lawrence G. Reuter, this assessment again proved to be incorrect as of Wednesday, February 2. At five o'clock that morning, both the A and C trains were running at seventy percent of their original capacities.
According to Reuter, original assessments were far off the mark because workers had difficulty getting through to the site of the fire. After halting the C train for several days, however, it became apparent that the problem was not as severe as previously believed.
"The fact that we were able to shut service down entirely and gain access to the area meant that we were able to get in, make an accurate assessment and begin work," Reuter said.