Transit

November 30, 2018

Lyft will invest $100M to triple the size of Citi Bike to 40,000 bikes

Just in time for the L train shutdown, the city is getting more bike-friendly. Lyft, the car-sharing company that bought the Citi Bike's operator Motivate, will invest $100 million to dramatically expand the program, according to an announcement from Mayor Bill de Blasio. The fleet of Citi Bikes will triple from 12,000 now to 40,000 over the next five years and cover an area more than twice its current size. The investment will also add more electric bikes, which Citi Bike began to roll out in the summer, boost the $5 discount membership program for NYCHA residents and SNAP recipients, and help repair existing bikes and infrastructure.
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Transit

The L train is back! Don’t get used to it.

Photo courtesy of Todd Shaffer via Flickr

November 30, 2018

The L train is back! Don’t get used to it.

By Michelle Cohen

The L train will be back for weekend service from December until late in January, a relief from the weekend dress rehearsal it's been staging since this summer. The bad news is that the J and M trains won't be running between Manhattan and Brooklyn on weekends until late in January. Free shuttle buses, should you choose them, can get you from Hewes Street to Essex Street and between Essex and Metropolitan Avenue. Before you head out this weekend, check the rest of the planned service changes ahead.
It's still warm enough for the bike

Transit

LaGuardia Airport’s first new gates and concourse are open

Photo by Colin Dennison for LGA on Facebook

November 29, 2018

LaGuardia Airport’s first new gates and concourse are open

By Alexandra Alexa

The first new gates in LaGuardia Airport's Terminal B will open this Saturday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced earlier today. The opening will inaugurate the first of two concourses and 11 of the 35 total gates that will service Air Canada, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines. This is the first phase of Cuomo's larger $8 billion overhaul to create "a whole new LaGuardia." The new concourse will feature retail space, a "food hall," complete with local mini-chains like Shake Shack, Irving Farm coffee, and La Chula taqueria, as well as an indoor park (a design feature Cuomo is also implementing at JFK).
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Trump ‘receptive’ to Gateway project, but still no funding agreement reached

Via Gov. Cuomo’s office on Flickr

November 29, 2018

Trump ‘receptive’ to Gateway project, but still no funding agreement reached

By Devin Gannon

Gov. Andrew Cuomo called his meeting with President Donald Trump "productive," despite not reaching an agreement about the funding of a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River. The two Queens natives met for lunch at the White House on Wednesday to discuss the Gateway project, a plan to fix an existing train tunnel and build a new one, construct two new bridges, and expand Penn Station, estimated to cost $30 billion. "I think it's fair to say the president was receptive to what we were talking about," Cuomo said. But there is no timeline for the project, as the governor noted. "So we are nowhere right now," Cuomo told reporters. "There is no clock ticking because there is no clock."
More this way

Cuomo to meet with Trump over funding for Gateway Tunnel project

Cuomo touring the tunnel in October; photo via governor’s office on Flickr

November 28, 2018

Cuomo to meet with Trump over funding for Gateway Tunnel project

By Devin Gannon

Gov. Andrew Cuomo will meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday to discuss funding for the Gateway Tunnel Project, a plan which would fix an existing rail tunnel and build a new one under the Hudson River between New Jersey and New York City. In October, Cuomo sent the president a video of the severely damaged, century-old tunnel and called on the Trump administration to fund their share of the project, which is estimated to cost $30 billion. "The Federal Government poses many challenges for the State of New York but one of the top priorities is to replace the Gateway tunnels," Cuomo said in a statement. "These tunnels are Federally owned by the Amtrak Corporation and must be replaced."
More here

How to get around Midtown during tomorrow’s Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting

Via Flickr cc

November 27, 2018

How to get around Midtown during tomorrow’s Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting

By Devin Gannon

Driving in Midtown is never advised, but really must be avoided this Wednesday. The 86th annual lighting ceremony of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree kicks off tomorrow, bringing with it more than 100,000 spirited visitors and blocks of street closures. The city's Department of Transportation designated Wednesday a "Gridlock Alert Day" for the celebration, meaning drivers can expect travel throughout the area to take twice as long as usual.
Plan ahead

New signals on the 7 line fail on first day system goes live

Photo via Tim Adams on Flickr

November 27, 2018

New signals on the 7 line fail on first day system goes live

By Devin Gannon

After seven years of installing modern signals on the 7 line, the system failed on the first day it went live. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Monday announced on Twitter that "modern signaling tech" went live on the entire line. Less than an hour later, the authority tweeted that 7 trains were delayed in both directions due to a "network communication problem." Upgrading the line with the new system, called communications-based train control, originally was scheduled to finish by late 2016.
7-train problems continue

Transit

Starting in January, it will cost $5.80 just to sit in a yellow cab in parts of Manhattan

Via Flickr cc

November 21, 2018

Starting in January, it will cost $5.80 just to sit in a yellow cab in parts of Manhattan

By Devin Gannon

Under the state's new congestion pricing measure, starting in January it will cost $5.80 to get into a yellow cab in the most congested sections of Manhattan. Approved by state lawmakers earlier this year, the surcharge on for-hire vehicles affects all rides between Lower Manhattan and 96th Street during the busiest times of the day. But drivers of yellow cabs worry the fee will affect them more than app-based ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft, which can mask the surcharge by tweaking trip costs (h/t WSJ).
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Everything you need to know about getting around NYC this Thanksgiving

Photo via Flickr cc

November 20, 2018

Everything you need to know about getting around NYC this Thanksgiving

By Michelle Cohen

Here's what you need to know to get where you're going by NYC public transit this Thanksgiving weekend. Special schedules apply for trains and buses from Wednesday, November 21, through Sunday, November 25 to get you over the river and through the woods to Grandma's house and back Thanksgiving weekend. The good news is that MTA is suspending bridge and tunnel maintenance for the holiday, the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North are providing extra service, off-peak fares apply, and there's a free bus to La Guardia. Look below for more information.
Vintage trains are back, too

With key environmental approval, Second Avenue Subway’s second phase inches forward

Via Flickr cc

November 20, 2018

With key environmental approval, Second Avenue Subway’s second phase inches forward

By Devin Gannon

The second phase of the Second Avenue Subway passed its environmental assessment, putting the Metropolitan Transportation Authority one step closer to bringing more subway service to East Harlem. The agency announced on Monday that with the Federal Transit Administration issuing the project a "Finding of No Significant Impact," the MTA can now secure federal funding for phase two. In this phase, the Q line will extend from its terminus at 96th Street north to 125th Street, moving west to Lexington and Park Avenues, where the line will connect with the 4, 5, 6, and Metro-North trains.
More here

Transit

Service cuts and fare hikes proposed as MTA faces major budget crisis

By Devin Gannon

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority in July said it would face a budget gap of $634 million in 2022. Turns out, it will actually be much worse than that. The transit authority on Thursday rolled out its proposed 2019 budget and four-year financial plan, which now projects the budget deficit to climb to a staggering $991 million in four years. With this major budget crisis brewing, the MTA announced two new options for fare and toll increases in 2019 and possible service cuts, all while service deteriorates and ridership drops (h/t WSJ).
More on the fare hike here

On the weekend before Thanksgiving, the L train is pretending it’s already April

Image: rhythmicdiaspora Via Flickr

November 16, 2018

On the weekend before Thanksgiving, the L train is pretending it’s already April

By Michelle Cohen

Get more practice for next year’s L train shutdown: There won’t be any L service between Broadway Junction and 8 Avenue again this weekend, but there will be M-14 and free shuttle buses–and the G can (mostly) pick up the Brooklyn slack. The 4 and Q trains are still on slight hiatus in places; A and C trains are also underachieving in both directions a bit this weekend, so check below for your stop before you go.
The G is keeping it simple this weekend, more this way

Transit

De Blasio announces new Delancey Street bike lanes ahead of L train shutdown

Delancey Street via Wiki Commons

November 15, 2018

De Blasio announces new Delancey Street bike lanes ahead of L train shutdown

By Dana Schulz

Mayor de Blasio has announced the opening of a new quarter-mile, two-way protected bike lane along Delancey Street on the Lower East Side. The stretch connects to the Williamsburg Bridge, the most traveled by cyclists of all the East River crossings, and is "expected to play a central role during the shutdown of L train service between Brooklyn and Manhattan" when it begins on April 27th. Currently, 7,300 cyclists cross the Bridge each day, and the Mayor expects the new bike lanes to double or even triple that number.
READ MORE

Transit

NYC yellow taxis launch a permanent 50% discount during rush hours

Photo via Flickr cc

November 15, 2018

NYC yellow taxis launch a permanent 50% discount during rush hours

By Alexandra Alexa

Good news for outer borough commuters: Starting today, yellow taxi ride fares into Manhattan during the morning and evening rush hours will be 50 percent off for those using Waave. The permanent discount is available from 6am to 10am and from 5pm to 8pm daily. As 6sqft previously reported, Waave -- an app approved by the Taxi & Limousine Commission -- launched citywide in September with the aim of providing New Yorkers the convenient features of popular ride-hail apps, including an upfront fare, surge-free pricing and an estimated time of arrival.
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Transit

MTA approves discounted MetroCards for 7- and 30-day passes only

Via Ged Carroll on Flickr

November 14, 2018

MTA approves discounted MetroCards for 7- and 30-day passes only

By Devin Gannon

Reduced MetroCards are coming to New York City in January, but the discounts only apply to weekly and monthly passes. New details about the Fair Fares program, which was officially included in the city budget in June, were released on Tuesday during an MTA board meeting. According to meeting minutes, the MTA will not be providing single trip discounts when the program kicks off next year. Instead, low-income New Yorkers who are living at or below the federal poverty level, or a household income of $25,000 for a family of four, can buy half-off 7-day or 30-day passes.
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Via Wikimedia

November 14, 2018

MTA to buy Grand Central Terminal for $35M

By Devin Gannon

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is set to purchase Grand Central Terminal for $35 million, a deal which will give the agency more control over development projects happening at the space. Expected to be approved by the MTA's full board Thursday, the sale ends the 280-year lease that began in 1994 and gave the agency a one-time window to buy the station. Along with the famed terminal, the sale also includes miles of track on Metro-North's Harlem and Hudson lines.
Get the details

Transit

Are NYC women paying a ‘pink tax’ to avoid sexual harassment on public transit?

Photo: Jeffrey Zeldman via Flickr.

November 13, 2018

Are NYC women paying a ‘pink tax’ to avoid sexual harassment on public transit?

By Michelle Cohen

According to a new report, New York City women are spending an extra $26 to $50 a month on transportation because of safety concerns. An online survey conducted by the Rudin Center for Transportation at NYU asked New Yorkers about harassment on public transportation, if safety concerns impact their transit choices and about their travel habits in general (h/t AMNY). According to the results, 75 percent of females who responded had experienced harassment or theft while using public transportation compared to 47 percent of male respondents; over half of female respondents were concerned about being harassed on public transit; 29 percent of the women (versus 8 percent of men) said they don’t take public transportation late at night because of “a perceived safety threat.”
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4 and Q trains are taking this weekend off

Photo via MTA on Flickr

November 9, 2018

4 and Q trains are taking this weekend off

By Devin Gannon

Two of the city's busiest subway lines apparently need some time off this weekend. The 4 train is not running at all in Brooklyn and does not stop at 11 more stops Uptown and in the Bronx. Although the local 6 typically comes to our rescue, it won't happen this weekend. The 6 is skipping 28, 51, 68, 77, 96, 103, 110, and 116th Streets. Plus, the Q is not running between Prospect Park and 96th Street. But thankfully, the M is running special weekend service along the Q. Before you head out this weekend, check the rest of the planned service changes ahead.
Know before you go

Transit

November 8, 2018

Will a Democratic House help green-light the $30B Gateway tunnel project?

By Michelle Cohen

As Politico reports, supporters of what many consider the region's most crucial infrastructure project are cautiously optimistic for the project’s future for the first time since President Trump nixed federal funding. The massive project involves fixing the existing tunnel and constructing a new tunnel under the Hudson River.
Are changes afoot?

Citi Bike, Uber, Lyft offering New Yorkers free and discounted rides to vote

Photo via Citi Bike

November 5, 2018

Citi Bike, Uber, Lyft offering New Yorkers free and discounted rides to vote

By Dana Schulz

Just over 61 percent of Americans voted in the 2016 presidential election, and according to a Harvard poll, 14 percent of those who didn't turn out cited a lack of transportation as the reason. In response, public transportation agencies, car services, and bike/scooter shares in cities throughout the nation will offer free and discounted rides tomorrow for the midtern elections to those traveling to vote. Here in NYC, Citi Bike is offering free rides (as well as in Jersey City), Uber is giving $10 off in addition to adding a poll locater button in its app, and Lyft is giving half off rides, as well as code for free rides to underserved communities.
Get all the details

You can buy the earliest ‘portable’ NYC subway map for $12,000

The 1904 map via Martayan Lan Gallery

November 2, 2018

You can buy the earliest ‘portable’ NYC subway map for $12,000

By Devin Gannon

New Yorkers have used maps to navigate the city's subway system since the first year the system opened 114 years ago. And one of only two known examples of the Interborough Rapid Transit's first guide is for sale for $12,000, the New York Times reported. That 1904 transit guide, along with many more historic maps of New York, can be found at the Martayan Lan Gallery, which is kicking of its "New Amsterdam to Metropolis: Historic Maps of New York City 1548-1964" exhibit on Nov. 9.
More this way

November 2, 2018

New Yorkers will be running this weekend. Will the subway?

By Devin Gannon

One of the best New York City events takes place this weekend: the NYC Marathon. With an expected 50,000 runners participating in the race on Sunday, and thousands more cheering on the sidelines, you can definitely expect some transit and traffic disruptions. The marathon kicks of 8:30 a.m. in Staten Island and ends in Central Park. In addition to typical subway delays and reroutes (or just a total lack of service), the MTA is also closing the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge on Nov. 4 between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. If you need help getting to the event on Sunday, check out the Marathon Subway Map from the MTA. And ahead, find the rest of the subway service changes planned for this weekend.
Here's the subway situation

Transit

Stopped in its tracks: The fight against the subway through Central Park

Photo by Phil Roeder / Flickr

November 1, 2018

Stopped in its tracks: The fight against the subway through Central Park

By Lucie Levine

In 2018, Mayor Bill de Blasio closed all of Central Park’s scenic drives to cars, finishing a process he began in 2015 when he banned vehicles north of 72nd Street. But not all mayors have been so keen on keeping Central Park transit free. In fact, in 1920, Mayor John Hylan had plans to run a subway through Central Park. Hylan, the 96th Mayor of New York City, in office from 1918 to 1925, had a one-track mind, and that track was for trains. He had spent his life in locomotives, first laying rails for the Brooklyn Union Elevated Railroad (later the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company, or BRT), then rising through the ranks to become a conductor. In that capacity, he was involved in a near-accident that almost flattened his supervisor, whereupon he was fired from the BRT. Nevertheless, Hylan made transit his political mission, implementing the city's first Independent subway line and proposing that it run from 59th Street up through Central Park to 110th Street.
So, what happened?

April 27, 2019: MTA announces start date for L train shutdown

Photo via Flickr cc

October 30, 2018

April 27, 2019: MTA announces start date for L train shutdown

By Dana Schulz

L train riders, be warned. You have exactly six months until all hell breaks loose. The MTA announced that the line will officially cease running between 8th Avenue and Bedford Avenue for 15 months on April 27, 2019 (a Monday, in case you were wondering) so that the Canarsie Tunnel can be repaired from damaged sustained during Hurricane Sandy. For many, however, the L-pocalypse has already begun; the line was not running between Manhattan and Brooklyn for most October weekends, weeknight service has been suspended through November, and more weekend suspensions are to come in February, March, and April.
All the info

Transit

Reopened 86th Street B,C station boasts new murals inspired by Central Park and Beaux-Arts architecture

Photo © 6sqft

October 30, 2018

Reopened 86th Street B,C station boasts new murals inspired by Central Park and Beaux-Arts architecture

By Devin Gannon

The 86th Street B, C station reopened last week after five months of renovations and upgrades. The improved Central Park West station now features six colorful mosaic and ceramic murals translated from artist Joyce Kozloff's "Parkside Portals" artwork, which depicts different perspectives of the neighborhood. The art shifts from aerial views of Central Park to close-ups of Beaux-Arts and Art Deco elements found on the iconic facades of surrounding buildings.
See the murals

Transit

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