[NYC4Life]

Updated 10:30 AM
MTA Outlines More Service Changes
By: NY1 News

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority outlined even more cuts to subway and bus service today, as a new report finds the subways still running are getting dirtier.

Transit officials describe the planned changes as routine adjustments based on ridership.

The agency is planning reductions on 28 bus routes in all five boroughs starting in September. However, 10 routes would actually see increases or modifications intended to improve reliability.

Then, in December, four early-morning Number 7 express trains would be cut, when the start of express service gets pushed back from 5:30 to 6:20 a.m. A local train would be added during that time, and two additional local trains would run between 9 and 10 a.m.

The changes would save the agency an estimated $3.7 million.

All adjustments still need approval from the MTA board.

"We had hoped that they would use some federal stimulus money this last go-round to keep service up," said Gene Russianoff of the Straphangers Campaign. "But they decided they would use it on capital projects, so we didn't succeed, but we're going to monitor them very closely."

Word of these changes comes as major service cuts are set to take effect Sunday, including the elimination of dozens of bus routes along with the W and V lines.

Meanwhile, the M train, which is set to replace the V in Manhattan and Queens, has been deemed the system’s dirtiest in the annual Subway Shmutz Survey.

The Straphangers Campaign examined 2,200 subway cars, and determined half were unclean, with issues like heavy dirt or sticky floors.

"We rated grime. You know, if you walk in New York City, you're going to bring grime into the subways. You're going to need a mop and water to clean it up. That's not litter," said Russianoff. "Yes, riders should do more, but our results don't turn on litter, they turn on plain old grime."

Overall, half of the city subway lines were found to be dirtier in 2009 than the previous year.

The M, V and D trains ranked at the bottom. The 6, C and 7 trains were the cleanest.

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