I sometimes daydream of running for Mayor of New York on a single-issue platform: rebuilding the subway platforms at Penn Station so that express and local trains stop on the same platform, like every other express train stop. However many billions it may cost, it's gotta be worth it.
I think they wanted people to transfer at 14 and 42 because they only have adequate platform width for the people going to and from Penn.
It is a weird quirk built into the system but not too many situations where it slows anyone down since 42 is the next / previous station and you will almost always end up connecting to the same train you would have at Penn?
I guess there could be some situation where uptown local and express pull in to Penn at same time and you would be able to make a connection but then one is held and they don't connect at 42. But unusual and they run pretty frequently on 1-2-3?
with proper train clocks it shouldn't matter, if you're getting on at Penn, look at the clock and pick your platform. if you're switching downtown you could have switched at Times Square.
that being said ... not long ago I was waiting pretty late, like midnight, express train stopped on local platform with no indication or announcement whatsoever and I ran and missed it , had to wait 10 minutes for next train. that was some BS.
and there is the possibility if you're switching, that they hold one train a bit longer and don't ensure you get same connection at 42. but pretty rare, they are decent at holding for connection except in rush when trains come super frequently.
it's a bit of a quirk and not seeing why it gets people super riled (other than my late night CF)
> Those stops were built that way intentionally. [...] the designers wanted to coax passengers to switch between local and express trains at the Times Square — 42nd Street — Port Authority Bus Terminal complex, one stop to the north.
The worst is when you're waiting for the express and for some reason it shows up on the local track.
I still don't know -- was it intentionally designed to be idiotic? Or was it meant to operate some other way and they had to shoehorn local/express in?
