No Midtown Direct during the Republican convention

Additional NEC and NC trains will stop at Secacus to make up for the loss of the Midtown service.

I wonder if all police dog walkthrus will take place at Secaucus? Or will some/all occur at Newark? That's part of the equation in diverting some and stopping others, I suspect.

Sirsonic wrote:There is no plan to divert any NC or NEC trains to Hoboken. This is due to qualification issues, and limited track space in Hoboken, espcially with Midtown trains running to Hoboken.

As someone who works in Weehawken (and has to take two trains from Hoboken to Jersey Ave), NEC trains from Hoboken would have been a dream come true.

NY--not shutting down Penn for the RNC.
Boston--shutting down North Station and 1-93 for the DNC.

IR, you are right. Bush is clearly hoping to get votes in Massachusetts, blaming the Dems with causing havoc with their commute!

That's completely incomparable. NYP handles something like 5-10 times the foot traffic North Station does, it's also a pass-through station for two subway lines. NYP could not be shut down, it's basically the only way NJT, LIRR and Amtrak could make it through the convention without a massive reduction of trips.

Perhaps the Conventions should be held at the same time on a date determined by the congress (thereby also eliminating the blatant and reprehenisble grab for 9/11 symbolism by the GOP) and we'll all get two or three days off at the beginning of August so all facilities adjacent to the Convention can be closed.

That's completely incomparable.

That's repetitively redundant.

BTW, I don't think it is so incomparable. Boston is a much smaller city, certainly has more parking problems than NYC and fewer commuting options. So proportionally, the impact may actually be worse.

Well, here's the big comparison. In Boston, estimates are that somewhere between 50% and 75% of downtown Boston/Cambridge workers are planning to take the week off. I don't think that NYC is expecting anywhere near that kind of disruption.

{Warning: Heavy Sarcasm}
The jokes here about just putting everyone in the city under house arrest for the week seem like they might be the easiest option.

Maybe they could move the convention to An Undisclosed Location

Fringe elements are hoping to spark major disruptions at the Republican National Convention with a series of sneaky tricks - including fooling bomb-sniffing dogs on trains bound for Penn Station, the Daily News has learned.

Internet-using anarchists are telling would-be troublemakers to decoy specially trained Labrador retrievers with gunpowder or ammonium nitrate-laced tablets in a bid to halt trains or even spur the evacuation of Madison Square Garden.

I am soooo looking forward to this.

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/ ... 2089c.html

"Anarchists?" What is this, 1906? The News must've dug pretty deep into its type-block bin to pull that one out.

Don't be too concerned about this one. Every major event sparks a flurry of foolishness on internet bulletin boards, propositions that never make the transition from virtual to actual. If internet postings were at all authoritave, we'd be riding trains to Scranton by now.

Besides, why bother with sodium nitrate? A good, meaty bone in a bag should be enough to rile any self-respecting Labrador Retriever.

Geez. These people are really a charming bunch. (Sarcastic) There really should be a fine or maybe termporary detainment or something for people who try to foible security.

There really will be a fine and detainment for anyone who tries to foible security.

But right now, it's just column fodder for the Daily News.

It's nice that they will disrupt the daily life of everyone that works or lives in that area...very thoughtful. I still shake my head when I hear about this because they obviously don't have any intentions to inconvenience themselves, rather they have no problem inconveniencing everyone around there. Maybe a less congested area would have been better??

JFB wrote:There really will be a fine and detainment for anyone who tries to foible security.

But right now, it's just column fodder for the Daily News.

Glad to hear it.

Why should there be a problem re-routing MidTown trains to Hoboken?

Were not MidTown Direct trains re-routed to Hoboken a few times during the past 7 or 8 years when there were track or power problems at Penn Station New York?

Trains that currently run Dover-Hoboken run smooth as butter through Kearny Junction. I'd rather have a Hoboken train than a NYP one, just from my POV.

Well, it just got worse:

NJ Transit rail riders to face detours, security during GOP convention


The Associated Press
7/15/2004, 11:24 a.m. ET


NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — NJ Transit's 53,000 daily rail riders are being advised to travel light during next month's Republican National Convention in New York.

All trash cans on New York-bound trains will be sealed and some restrooms will be closed. Commuters won't be allowed to use overhead luggage racks.

State troopers and NJ Transit police will inspect all New York-bound trains, the agency said.

Officials also announced Thursday that Midtown Direct trains will be diverted to Hoboken, where riders can transfer to PATH. Buses will cross-honor rail passes, and officials are trying to get ferry operators to do the same.

Passengers should expect delays through Sept. 2, and pedestrian access to New York's Penn Station will be limited. August monthly rail passes will be valid until Sept. 7, NJ Transit said.

http://www.nj.com/newsflash/jersey/inde ... ist=jersey


Now I am glad I will need to go to Hoboken. All trains inspected? That will result in major delays. Can not use luggage racks? How are they going to inforce that? I am sure the conductors will love having to constantly tell people to "take the briefcase down"

Also, what the heck good does it do me that my August monthly pass will be good until September 7. I still need to buy a September monthly at full cost. I guess they are saying that some people will not be able to get the pass on time but I think we should get some discount for the inconvenience (maybe Bush can give us the proceeds from one of his fundraisers).