Transit riders get an earful from conductors

Most riders can hear the MTA loud and clear, according to a report from the Straphangers Campaign.

The transit riders group said 86% of information announcements and 52% of service delays and disruptions were "clear and accurate."

"We hope transit officials continue this positive trend, giving riders the information they need when regular service is affected," said Jason Chin-Fatt, a field organizer for the Straphangers Campaign.

The survey noted that this was the third year in a row where at least 85% of announcements surveyed were intelligible.

For the 48% of delays and disruptions surveyed, 13% lacked announcements, 9% were inaudible or garbled and more than a fourth were incorrect-that is, they were "meaningless" or "lacking key information"-according to the survey.

The L and Q trains, with automated announcements, got perfect marks this year, while the No. 1, G, C and R trains were at the bottom of the pack with less than 70% of clear announcements.

Adam Lisberg, an MTA spokesman, lauded the agency for making announcements more accurate and frequent.

The survey was conducted between Jan. 5 and May 16. Strahangers Campaign volunteers rated 98 announcements.