I've heard too many times that in the old days, the expresses were actually expresses and there was "rapid" in "rapid transit." I don't get the push for people to get out of the comfort and sense of self-control of their own set of wheels when it seems like even the subways are slowing down. Whenever I rode the 
, I always felt like the train was going slower than it should have been on the express stretches.
I'm not insulting the 
or any of its personnel, it's just a thought.