By Philip Newman
E line patrons accorded their lowest grade of D to the category “Adequate room on board at rush hour,” “Station announcements that are easy to hear,” and “Station announcements that are informative.” E train riders gave their highest grade of B minus for “Availability of MetroCard Vending Machine.” Riders of the G line gave their lowest grade of D minus for “Reasonable wait times for trains.” They gave their highest grade of C plus for “Comfortable temperatures in subway cars,” “Ease of use of subway turnstiles” and “Availability of MetroCard vending machines.” The top three priorities for riders of the E line were “Adequate room on board at rush hour,” “Minimal delays during trips” and “Reasonable wait times for trains.” Customers on the G line ranked “Minimal delays during trips,” “Reasonable wait times for trains and “Adequate room on board at rush hours” as their top areas for improvement. The E train begins in Jamaica, Queens and runs along Queens Boulevard to the west side of Manhattan. It operates along the Eighth Avenue corridor then heads south through lower Manhattan where it terminates at the World Trade Center station. During the morning rush hour and at midday, the G line begins in Long Island City, Queens. It heads south into Brooklyn through the Greenpoint, Bedford-Stuyvesant and Carroll Gardens communities terminating at the Smith Avenue and Ninth Street station. During evenings, weekends and late nights, the G begins at Forest Hills, Queens and runs along Queens Boulevard. E-train riders returned 6,301 ballots, 4,088 by mail and 2,213 by the Internet. G line riders submitted 3,903 ballots, 2,378 by mail and 1,525 by the Internet. The New York City Transit Authority says the Rider Report Card survey helps the agency in determining what needs to be done to improve the subway system. On the basis of reports from patrons of the No. 7 and L lines, Transit Authority President Howard Roberts recently appointed individual managers for both lines in an effort to improve efficiency.Reach contributing writer Phil Newman by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 136
