Dissatisfied with declining service, riders last Wednesday welcomed leaflets from transit advocates encouraging riders to call MTA Chair Virgil Conway and Gov. Pataki to ask for their "$1.50 worth." Forty-five volunteers from the Straphangers Campaign and Transit Workers Union Local 100 distributed 20,000 leaflets at major subway stations in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Suggesting the Transit Authority adopt as its new logo "Pay More, Get Less," the fliers called attention to the erosion of service since November's 25¢ fare hike. Most riders, however, seemed to need no reminder of deteriorating service.

Over the past year, the Transit Authority has eliminated 463 station and subway car cleaner positions, cut rush hour trains on 11 subway lines and 56 bus routes and dropped 125 token clerks, causing longer waits at some of the busiest stations. NYC Transit also intends to close entrances at nine stations, and the latest service-cutting scheme announced this week would remove conductors from five short train lines as of September.

One needn't go underground to witness rider upset. In a recent Daily News survey, 25% of riders polled said trains had more garbage, and many said stations were dirtier. Transit's own surveys show the 15% reduction in cleaner crews has resulted in dirtier trains, more litter and more station fires. During ceremonies last month at a subway station construction site, U.S. Transportation Secretary Federico Pena called increasing graffiti and other problems a warning sign of a "spiraling downward cycle" for the subway.

News this week that the TA will soon use one-person crews to operate shuttle trains left workers, straphangers and transit advocates concerned about service and rider safety. With a two-person crew now, a conductor monitors the station and opens and closes the doors while a motorman operates the train. Backed by a recent labor arbitration ruling, NYC Transit will experiment on its shuttles with only a motorman aided by mirrors and closed-circuit TV. Motormen said the change would further slow the trains. A Daily News editorial said "Undoubtedly, the experiment will be a success. Then, watch out." Transit officials are reportedly eager to extend one-person operation throughout the subway system.