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September 13, 2019

NYC’s subway is finally starting to improve, MTA says

After an abysmal couple of summers, New York City's subway system finally saw significant improvement in service this year, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced Thursday. According to data from the agency set to release in full next week, the on-time performance rate reached 84 percent on weekdays last month, up from just over 68 percent last August. That is the highest on-time performance, which measures the percentage of trains that reach their terminal location within five minutes of their planned arrival, recorded in roughly six years.
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MTA capital plan under scrutiny as Cuomo, transit watchdogs weigh in on top priorities

Image © 6sqft

September 10, 2019

MTA capital plan under scrutiny as Cuomo, transit watchdogs weigh in on top priorities

By Michelle Cohen

The MTA's five-year capital spending plan for major system-wide repairs from 2020 to 2024 has been under increasing scrutiny from public transportation watchdog groups, who have asked the MTA to provide more detailed priorities and policy goals for the project. The organizations–including the newly-formed Build Trust Campaign made up of TransitCenter, the Riders Alliance, the Tri-State Transportation Campaign and Reinvent Albany, released a report Monday asking that the MTA and Gov. Andrew Cuomo significantly improve transparency in planning the project and provide a fiscal roadmap to outline the plans for major repairs to the subway, Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North, and the bridges and tunnels that fall under MTA management, Curbed reports. Cuomo also issued a letter to the MTA board Monday outlining his own list of priorities for the Capital Plan.
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De Blasio considers helmet requirement for Citi Bike riders

Photo by Shinya Suzuki on Flickr

September 5, 2019

De Blasio considers helmet requirement for Citi Bike riders

By Devin Gannon

Twenty cyclists have been killed in New York City so far this year, double the number of deaths from 2018. In response, Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled in July a plan to spend roughly $58 million over the next five years to make streets safer for cyclists by adding protected bike lanes and redesigning intersections. This week the mayor said his office is looking into some new ideas: requiring Citi Bike riders to wear helmets and making bikers obtain licenses (h/t Gothamist).
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Expect more cuts to L train service this fall

Photo by Stephen Rees on Flickr

September 5, 2019

Expect more cuts to L train service this fall

By Devin Gannon

While the L train slowdown has gone largely unnoticed so far by commuters, the MTA is throwing an unexpected wrench in next weekend's travel plans. The L train will not run between Manhattan and Brooklyn from Friday, Sept. 13 to early Monday, Sept. 16 to make space for new accessibility projects, the agency announced on Wednesday. The shutdown allows the MTA to install an escalator at the Union Square station and make the L and F, M platform at 14th Street-6th Avenue more accessible.
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Penn Station’s popular Tracks bar has shuttered

Photo © 6sqft

September 4, 2019

Penn Station’s popular Tracks bar has shuttered

By Devin Gannon

Penn Station's longtime oyster bar has officially closed its doors. After nearly two decades, Tracks Raw Bar & Grill will relocate from its spot underneath the Midtown West transit hub to a new location nearby at 220 West 31st Street, as first reported by Untapped Cities. As 6sqft learned in June, the bar, along with nine other businesses, was forced to vacate to make way for a new Penn Station entrance, part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's $600 million overhaul of the station.
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The Brooklyn-bound span of the Kosciuszko Bridge is now open

Photo courtesy of Mike Groll/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Flickr

August 29, 2019

The Brooklyn-bound span of the Kosciuszko Bridge is now open

By Alexandra Alexa

Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday afternoon and a nighttime reception complete with a light show and Billy Joel tribute, the Brooklyn-bound span of the Kosciuszko Bridge is now open to commuters. As the first major bridge built in NYC since the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge opened in 1964, the $873 million project was completed on budget and ahead of schedule. Together with the first span over Newton Creek—which was opened to traffic in April 2017—the bridge is expected to significantly reduce congestion and ease travel between Brooklyn and Queens.
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Your guide to Labor Day weekend travel in and around NYC

Image via Flickr

August 29, 2019

Your guide to Labor Day weekend travel in and around NYC

By Alexandra Alexa

The unofficial end of summer is here and many New Yorkers will celebrate the long Labor Day weekend by getting out of town for a quick getaway. To make things a little easier, the MTA will provide extra service on the Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Railroad and to Staten Island on Friday, August 30 in addition to suspending all lane closures at its bridges and tunnels throughout the entire weekend. If you're planning an escape, note the following service changes before you go.
Everything you need to know

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Trump inexplicably offers help with Second Avenue Subway extension, with no plan in place

Photo via jseliger2 on Flickr

August 26, 2019

Trump inexplicably offers help with Second Avenue Subway extension, with no plan in place

By Devin Gannon

President Donald Trump offered to help complete the second phase of the Second Avenue Subway in a tweet on Saturday, surprising New York officials who said no agreement had been reached. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is still seeking federal funding for phase two, which extends the Q line from its terminus at 96th Street north to 125th Street in East Harlem and is estimated to cost $6 billion.
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Lyft will bring grocery access to Brownsville as part of program to supply ‘food deserts’ with healthy choices

Rockaway Avenue subway station in Brownsville. Image via Wikimedia cc.

August 20, 2019

Lyft will bring grocery access to Brownsville as part of program to supply ‘food deserts’ with healthy choices

By Michelle Cohen

Car hire company Lyft has announced that it will expand its Grocery Access Program to New York City. The program, first launched in Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, aims to provide access to healthy foods to residents who don't live near full-service grocery stores and farmers markets. Lyft, in partnership with GrowNYC and BMS Family Health and Wellness Centers, will launch the program in NYC by improving access to healthy food options for low-income residents in Brownsville, Brooklyn.
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NYCHA residents and SNAP recipients can get a free Citi Bike membership this month

Image via Flickr

August 19, 2019

NYCHA residents and SNAP recipients can get a free Citi Bike membership this month

By Alexandra Alexa

To celebrate the one-year anniversary of its Reduced Fare Bike Share program, Citi Bike is now offering a free month of membership to NYCHA residents and SNAP recipients, amNY reports. The reduced fare program aims to increase accessibility to the popular bike share—which received criticism for its initial rollout in more affluent NYC neighborhoods—by offering no-commitment $5 monthly memberships for any NYCHA residents and SNAP recipients. The program has 3,400 active riders, just a small fraction of Citi Bike’s 150,000 annual members.
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City releases plan to transform Brooklyn’s Broadway Junction into desirable transit hub

By Devin Gannon

The city released on Thursday its preliminary vision to revitalize Brooklyn's third busiest transit station. Council Member Rafael Espinal Jr. and Borough President Eric Adams, along with the city's Economic Development Corporation, laid out a plan to transform Broadway Junction, which connects six residential neighborhoods via five subway lines and six bus routes, into an accessible, attractive hub. The plan falls under the East New York Neighborhood Plan, a rezoning approved by the city in 2016.
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Large stretches of 1, 2, and 3 service will be suspended over the next two weekends

Image via Flickr

August 15, 2019

Large stretches of 1, 2, and 3 service will be suspended over the next two weekends

By Alexandra Alexa

Service changes will get a little more painful this weekend as the MTA continues to upgrade the 1, 2, and 3 track switches north of the 96 Street station. The ongoing work is entering its final phase this weekend and will bring serious service outages. All 1, 2, and 3 service between Harlem and downtown Brooklyn will be suspended this week and next, beginning late each Friday evening.
Everything you need to know

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Council member wants free subway and bus rides for New Yorkers on major holidays

Via Flickr

August 9, 2019

Council member wants free subway and bus rides for New Yorkers on major holidays

By Devin Gannon

A Brooklyn council member wants straphangers to ride the city's transit system for free on a handful of major holidays. Council Member Justin Brannan, who represents the 43rd District, will introduce next week a non-binding resolution that requests the Metropolitan Transportation Authority offer free subway and bus rides during six holidays, as the New York Post first reported.
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Everything you need to know about Sunday’s Dominican Day Parade

Image via Flickr

August 9, 2019

Everything you need to know about Sunday’s Dominican Day Parade

By Alexandra Alexa

The 37th annual Dominican Day Parade is set to hit Midtown this Sunday, August 11. Described as a "joyful celebration of all things Dominican" on the event website, the tradition started in 1982 as a small event series in Washington Heights but has since become a full-fledged citywide affair, with turnout reaching as high as half of a million people. The event takes place on the second Sunday of August every year, to commemorate the start of the Dominican Restoration War, or La Guerra de la Restauración, which began in 1863 and ended in 1865 with their victory over Spain.
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NYC extends cap on Uber, Lyft for another year

Via Flickr

August 8, 2019

NYC extends cap on Uber, Lyft for another year

By Devin Gannon

The city's Taxi and Limousine Commission voted on Wednesday to extend the cap on for-hire vehicle licenses for one year and reduce the time drivers can travel without passengers, the Wall Street Journal reported. The cap on licenses, the first of its kind in the country, was first introduced last year as part of a pilot program aimed at regulating the growing for-hire vehicle industry as well as reducing traffic and pollution.
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14th Street busway pilot program will begin next week after judge gives project green light

Image via Flickr

August 7, 2019

14th Street busway pilot program will begin next week after judge gives project green light

By Alexandra Alexa

The city is set to begin a 14th Street busway pilot on August 12 after a judge lifted a temporary injunction on the project, Streetsblog reported. The busway had most recently been delayed after several block associations along the street filed a lawsuit against the project, claiming that the city failed to conduct an environmental review for the work. State Supreme Court Judge Eileen Rakower reviewed a traffic analysis submitted by Deputy Commissioner for Traffic Eric Beaton and found that the traffic, health, and safety impacts of the project fall within the city’s routine traffic management work, thereby allowing the project to move forward.
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New York’s first fleet of self-driving cars launches at the Brooklyn Navy Yard

Photo courtesy of Optimus Ride

August 6, 2019

New York’s first fleet of self-driving cars launches at the Brooklyn Navy Yard

By Devin Gannon

New York's first fleet of self-driving vehicles has officially landed in Brooklyn. Six autonomous vehicles will roll into the Brooklyn Navy Yard on Wednesday, shuttling passengers in a loop around the 300-acre industrial site for free. Optimus Ride, the Boston-based technology company behind the fleet, will run the autonomous shuttle between 7 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. on weekdays, between the NYC Ferry stop at Dock 72 and Cumberland Gate at Flushing Avenue.
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MTA plans major upgrades for 100-year-old 42nd Street Shuttle

Image via Flickr

August 5, 2019

MTA plans major upgrades for 100-year-old 42nd Street Shuttle

By Alexandra Alexa

The 42nd Street Shuttle is set to undergo a “historic transformation” as the MTA has announced plans to modernize the 100-year-old train that connects riders between Grand Central Terminal and Times Square, two of the busiest stations in the city. Work will include replacing the Times Square Shuttle terminal with a larger, fully accessible station, reconfiguring platforms at Grand Central, and modernizing the signaling system.
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MTA plans more elevators for 14th Street subway complex, making it fully accessible

Image via Flickr

August 1, 2019

MTA plans more elevators for 14th Street subway complex, making it fully accessible

By Alexandra Alexa

After committing to install four elevators at the 14th Street and Sixth Avenue F, M, and L stop as part of a lawsuit settlement, the MTA has now announced it will also be adding elevators to access the 1, 2, and 3 platforms at Seventh Avenue. As The City reported, the 14th Street subway complex between Sixth and Seventh Avenues is one of the busiest stops in the city, servicing more than 48,000 riders a day. The expanded project will make the entire complex fully accessible, though it won't happen overnight.
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MTA board members are wealthier and whiter than straphangers

Via Flickr

August 1, 2019

MTA board members are wealthier and whiter than straphangers

By Devin Gannon

The board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which has the power to increase fares and approve service changes, looks nothing like the straphangers who use the transit system it oversees. A report released this week by the government watchdog group Reinvent Albany found MTA board members are richer, whiter, and more likely to live outside of New York City than riders.
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After local condo board sues, judge rules that Central Park West bike lane can go forward

Via Public Domain

August 1, 2019

After local condo board sues, judge rules that Central Park West bike lane can go forward

By Alexandra Alexa

Earlier this week, a group of Upper West Side residents from the Century Condominium filed a suit against the city for its plans to install a protected bike lane on Central Park West, attempting to cease its construction immediately. As 6sqft previously reported, the bike lane plan consists of installing a northbound protected lane from 59th Street to 110th Street–eliminating 400 parking spots in the process (another point of contention for the plaintiffs). But yesterday, Supreme Court Justice Lynn Kotler ruled against their request for a “temporary restraining order” and expressed skepticism over their claims that the bike lane would bring “immediate and irreparable harm to the neighborhood,” as Streetsblog reported. Work crews will continue putting in the bike lane—which doesn’t actually involve any construction, just painting street markings—until city lawyers and plaintiffs reconvene in court on August 20.
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Ranking the city’s most dangerous intersections for NYC cyclists

Image via Flickr

July 29, 2019

Ranking the city’s most dangerous intersections for NYC cyclists

By Alexandra Alexa

Just days after Mayor de Blasio unveiled a new plan to make the city’s streets safer for cyclists, another fatal accident occurred when a 30-year-old cyclist was struck near the intersection of Third Avenue and 36th Street in Sunset Park around 9 a.m. this morning. As Streetsblog reported, the incident brings the year’s death toll up to 18—nearly double what it was all of last year. Redesigning intersections is a component of De Blasio’s new $58 million initiative, which says it will ramp up NYPD enforcement at the 100 most crash-prone intersections and renovate 50 intersections. While the Department of Transportation hasn’t yet disclosed what those intersections will be, home-search platform Localize.city has created a list of the top ten most dangerous intersections for cyclists.
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De Blasio to announce $58.4M bike safety plan after uptick in cyclist deaths

Via Wikimedia

July 25, 2019

De Blasio to announce $58.4M bike safety plan after uptick in cyclist deaths

By Devin Gannon

Update 7/25/19: De Blasio unveiled on Thursday his "Green Wave" plan, which includes spending $58.4 million over the next five years on making city streets safer for bikers. In addition to adding more protected bike lanes and redesigning intersections, the plan calls for a media campaign on cyclist safety, as well as community engagement programs. Following a recent spike in cyclist deaths, Mayor Bill de Blasio will unveil on Thursday a $58.4 million plan to make streets safer. As first reported by the New York Times, the plan includes constructing more protected bike lanes, redesigning intersections, and hiring 80 new transportation workers over the next five years. The proposal comes after 17 cyclists were killed in New York City so far this year, seven more fatalities than all of 2018.
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MTA board approves first transit reorganization plan in 50+ years

Image via Flickr cc

July 25, 2019

MTA board approves first transit reorganization plan in 50+ years

By Michelle Cohen

On Wednesday the 17-member MTA board approved a transformational reorganization plan–the agency's first in its 51 years in existence–that follows a report by Alix Partners, a consulting firm hired to financially streamline and outline what MTA chairman Pat Foye called "likely to be the biggest capital plan in MTA history.” The report recommends means and methods for improving service, ending cost overruns and project delays and reducing waste and duplication, building on the Subway Action Plan, which, according to the MTA, has been successful so far.
What's in the plan, this way

MTA moves to create homelessness task force as outreach efforts come under scrutiny

Image via Flickr

July 24, 2019

MTA moves to create homelessness task force as outreach efforts come under scrutiny

By Alexandra Alexa

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority will launch a task force focused on addressing the New York City subway system's rising homeless population, which has risen by 23 percent so far this year. The task force is expected to assemble soon and will have 30 days to design a plan that will “measurably reduce homelessness and panhandlers on the subway” by the end of the year. The announcement comes on the heels of a newly published audit by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli which found that a contractor hired by the MTA to handle homeless outreach was inflating its work and actually turning away the needy, as AM New York reported.
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