Now a Message From a Sponsor of the Subway? (NY Times)

[frank frankly]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/27/nyregion/27branding.html?hp=&pagewanted=print&position=

July 27, 2004
Now a Message From a Sponsor of the Subway?
By MICHAEL LUO

Facing what it says could be budget gaps of more than $1 billion in the coming years, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the keeper of the region's mass transit system, is exploring selling naming rights to its subway stations, bus lines, bridges and tunnels.

Transportation authority officials quietly issued a formal request for proposals this month from marketing firms that they would charge with landing sponsorship deals that could include anything from renaming historic stations to attaching corporate monikers to building projects like the long-awaited Second Avenue subway. Indeed, the authority's officials said they could easily imagine the Delta Times Square Shuttle or, say, I.B.M.'s adopting the Tarrytown station on Metro-North's Hudson rail line.

That said, some industry experts, noting that subway stations do not quite resonate in the public imagination the way baseball stadiums do, said the authority might have a hard sell on its hands.

<snip>

For the moment, the transportation authority is optimistic. And unashamed.

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Does anybody have directions to Citibank Bridge.? I think it connects Manhattan to Brooklyn, or something...

:puke:

[roguevalley]

1. God. Tampex Station.

[jeff30997]

2. Yep! Just before Trojan station and Viagra station.

[whistle]

3. Hehehe, between Viagra Station and Ceilas Station is...

...MicroSoft Station, a place of temporary rest!

[AndyTiedye]

4. Why Don't They Sell to the "Subway" Sub Shop Chain?

Then they don't have to change the name at all.

[louis-t]

19. Then it would be the Subway...

Subway!

[w4rma]

5. Giving away America's heritage to the big corps. (nt)

[sleipnir]

6. Not surprised if Bloomy is behind this.

You hire a business man to run a city and this is what you get. Shameful to say the least. I can't wait to board my train at Haliburton Station! Or better yet, why not open it up to political contenders. We can rename the 1/9 to "Bush/Cheney 2004"! I can't wait....

[TahitiNut]

7. We should rename the states, cities, parks, lakes, ....

:puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

[lostnfound]

10. LOL. Why stop there? How does "The Halliburton Nation" grab ya?

Or "The Walmart Nation"?

Then we could all be referred to as "Wal-martians".

[The_Casual_Observer]

8. Sell out to some cheapshit meaningless corporation

who won't be around next year. I for one don't want to see any of this.

[aquart]

9. Enron Stadium.

'Nuff said.

[skooooo]

11. Privitisation of every freakin thing under the sun..

...this is where we're headed. This is a travesty. It would change the whole face of NY.

[frank frankly]

12. This kick brought to you by The Caryle Group.

1 + 1 = 7

[frank frankly]

14. NYC: A Halliburton Company

oh NO!

[CaptainClark23]

13. Out will come the old spray cans.

Thought I had left my grafitti days behind back in '82. I will resume with a vengance and bomb (thats a graffitti term, Agent Mike, chill) every damn corp. sign I see in the MTA.

Who's trains?

Our trains.

[smirkymonkey]

18. I'm with you....

We won't stand for it! Bloomberg has to go before the "Big Apple" is renamed the "Big Bloomberg". Privatize New York and it will no longer be New York.

[tom_paine]

15. And the Decline of the Amerikan Empire, already under way, continues...

[bpilgrim]

16. we could lease the stars on our flag earn BIG BUCKS!

peace

[Hobarticus]

17. What do they do in Europe, for mass transit?

Isn't that state-funded?

Doesn't that take taxes?

Oh, never mind. Pretty much answered my own question.