Transit

MTA’s five-year spending plan could double to $60B

Via Roman Kruglov Flickr

October 26, 2018

MTA’s five-year spending plan could double to $60B

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Fixing the Metro Area's mass transit system may cost $60 billion in a five-year spending plan, Politico New York reported this week. The capital spending plan includes system-wide repairs for the subway, Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North, and the bridges and tunnels overseen by the authority. This updated price tag is nearly double the MTA's existing five-year plan of roughly $33 billion.
More here
MTA will add 1,000 new roundtrips each week during the L train shutdown

Via Dan Phiffer Flickr

October 22, 2018

MTA will add 1,000 new roundtrips each week during the L train shutdown

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During the L train shutdown, 1,000 new alternate roundtrips will be added every week, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Starting in April, extra service will be added to the A, E, F, J, Z, M, and G lines, NBC reported. The L train will not run between 8th Avenue and Bedford Avenue for 15 months while the Carnarsie Tunnel, heavily damaged by Hurricane Sandy, is repaired. About 275,000 of the L train's 400,000 daily riders are expected to be affected by the temporary shut down.
More this way
L train shutdown haunted house and nightclub brings transit terror to Bushwick
October 19, 2018

L train shutdown haunted house and nightclub brings transit terror to Bushwick

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The impending 15-month L train hiatus has lots of people wanting to stand on a chair and go "eek!" to begin with, but some clever hosts have found a way to turn transit terror into a Halloween happening. The L Train Shutdown & Club Transit haunted house and nightclub, which opened yesterday and will run through November 3rd, serves up a chilling six-months post-shutdown Brooklyn where "things did not go as planned" in a 40,000-square-foot Bushwick warehouse.
The full horror, this way
Cuomo tours Hudson River tunnel to expose severe damage and calls on Trump for funding

Photo courtesy of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office on Flickr

October 18, 2018

Cuomo tours Hudson River tunnel to expose severe damage and calls on Trump for funding

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo plans on sending video footage of the damaged tunnel under the Hudson River to Washington to show why federal funds are necessary for the repair project. On late Wednesday night, Cuomo toured the century-old tunnel that was severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy and called on President Donald Trump to fund the Gateway Tunnel Project, which includes fixing the existing tunnel and constructing a new tunnel under the river. While President Barack Obama had pledged to split the cost of the $30 billion project, the Trump administration has said it won't contribute federal funds.
See the damage
Ride-share service Via tackles weekend L-train shutdowns with special discount pass

Via Roshan Vyas on Flickr

October 16, 2018

Ride-share service Via tackles weekend L-train shutdowns with special discount pass

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The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced this summer that the L-train will not run between Brooklyn and Manhattan for 15 weekends, including every Saturday and Sunday in October. To ease the impact of the L-train's mini shutdown before the 15-month shutdown scheduled for April, ride-share service Via is offering riders this month an affordable option to travel to and from Williamsburg, Bushwick, and Lower Manhattan. According to the company, the L-Train ViaPass costs $19 per week and provides riders with four shared rides per day on weekends in October, between Friday night and Saturday morning.
More here
New coalition forms to push for LaGuardia AirTrain
October 11, 2018

New coalition forms to push for LaGuardia AirTrain

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More than a dozen organizations have joined together to form A Better Way to LGA in support of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposed AirTrain to LaGuardia Airport (AirTrain LGA). Comprised of community members, economic development groups, transportation advocates, unionized labor, civic stakeholders, and local business leader, the coalition beleives that it is essential to create a viable transit alternative for LaGuardia Airport travelers and workers. The coalition is co-chaired by the Queens Chamber of Commerce, the Association for a Better New York, and the New York Building Congress. The group emphasized in a press release announcing their launch that LaGuardia is the only major East Coast airport without a direct rail connection, despite the fact that LaGuardia Airport is currently undergoing an $8 billion complete renovation.
Why ride the train?
MTA launches ‘transit tech lab,’ seeking solutions for NYC’s subway and bus crisis

Via rhythmicdiaspora on Flickr

October 10, 2018

MTA launches ‘transit tech lab,’ seeking solutions for NYC’s subway and bus crisis

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To find innovative solutions for New York City's crumbling subway and bus system, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is turning to tech companies. The MTA launched on Wednesday the nation's first "transit tech lab," an accelerator designed to find and test new transit technology, as first reported by the Verge. The agency is seeking answers to two major challenges: How can we better predict subway incident impacts and how can we make buses run faster and more efficient?
More here
Ferry system costs NYC roughly $6.60 per passenger

Image © 6sqft

October 8, 2018

Ferry system costs NYC roughly $6.60 per passenger

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New York City's ferry service has been so popular among both New Yorkers and tourists alike that Mayor Bill de Blasio announced in May he would invest $300 million for three new 350-passenger boats and new docks. According to the city, ridership is 34 percent higher than expected, with a projected 9 million passengers served annually by 2023. But, as new routes launch and more boats are added, the operating costs have increased, jumping by 50 percent last fiscal year, Crain's reported on Friday.
Find out more
$80M in additional repairs planned for 109-year-old Manhattan Bridge

Photo via Flickr cc

October 5, 2018

$80M in additional repairs planned for 109-year-old Manhattan Bridge

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The Manhattan Bridge is set to undergo another rehabilitation, Skanska announced. The city's Department of Transportation awarded the construction company a $75.9 million contract to perform structural and component rehabilitation on the bridge. Since 1982, the 109-year-old bridge, which crosses the East River connecting Lower Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn, has been repaired 14 times, making this latest announcement the 15th construction contract.
Get the details
7 train service suspension planned on Comic-Con weekend and other subway woes

Photo via Flickr cc

October 5, 2018

7 train service suspension planned on Comic-Con weekend and other subway woes

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Among other bad news – including the fact that the L train will hardly be running on weekends for the rest of October – the fact that the 7 train service will be suspended between Queensboro Plaza and Hudson Yards, making Comic-Con much more difficult to access than it would usually be, stands out as beyond poor planning. But the MTA on Friday did map out multiple transit alternatives to make your 7-less trip not so bad, including overnight shuttle service at 42nd Street, shuttle buses running every five minutes, and special (and discounted) Long Island Rail Road service that will get customers between Manhattan and Citi Field. Here's the lot of it...
Expect 12-minute minimum delays across the 2 line
72nd Street B, C station outside the Dakota reopens with mosaics by Yoko Ono
October 5, 2018

72nd Street B, C station outside the Dakota reopens with mosaics by Yoko Ono

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The MTA has reopened the 72nd Street B, C station on the Upper West Side after five months of extensive upgrades. In addition to the new digital signs and energy-efficient lighting, the station now features a ceramic mosaic designed by Yoko Ono. Titled "SKY," the design includes six separate mosaics on platforms and mezzanines that show a blue sky with clouds, with hidden messages of hope written throughout. Yoko has lived in the Dakota, the famed co-op building above the subway station, since 1973. Strawberry Fields, the memorial dedicated to her late husband John Lennon in 1985, is located across the street.
See the mosaics
INTERVIEW: Take a ride with Concetta Anne Bencivenga, director of the New York Transit Museum

Photo by Marc Hermann, courtesy of the New York Transit Museum

October 5, 2018

INTERVIEW: Take a ride with Concetta Anne Bencivenga, director of the New York Transit Museum

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Concetta Anne Bencivenga wants you to visit the New York Transit Museum. After coming on as the museum's director early last year -- following Gabrielle Shubert's impressive 24-year run -- she's become "cheerleader in chief," in her own words, excited to promote the museum's exhibits and programming to a wide range of New Yorkers. With 6sqft she discusses how her diverse background brought her to the Transit Museum and what the past of New York's public transportation can teach us about moving forward. She also talks about the revamp of an existing exhibit, the introduction of new ones, and her goals moving forward as director. Do you know why the MTA subway system is featured so prominently in early comic books? Keep reading, as Concetta shares the reasons why public transit is so crucial to New Yorkers lives -- in both the obvious and more surprising ways.
Meet Concetta
REVEALED: Cuomo’s $13B JFK Airport overhaul to feature an indoor ‘park’ and food hall
October 4, 2018

REVEALED: Cuomo’s $13B JFK Airport overhaul to feature an indoor ‘park’ and food hall

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo revealed new details Thursday of his $13 billion plan to overhaul John F. Kennedy Airport and transform it into a 21st-century transit hub. In addition to two much-needed new international terminals, the overhaul will bring NYC's biggest tourist attractions into its passenger waiting areas and a central hub. There will be interior green space called "Central Park at JFK," a food hall modeled after Chelsea Market, an elevated walkway called "The High Line," and artwork and exhibits honoring iconic landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty's torch.
See the new renderings
MTA will run a temporary ferry service during L train shutdown

NY Waterway, via Wiki Commons

October 4, 2018

MTA will run a temporary ferry service during L train shutdown

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Express buses, shuttle service, electric scooters, Citi Bike--now New Yorkers can add the ferry to their list of alternate transportation modes during the impending L train shutdown. The MTA announced that when the 15-month hiatus hits in April, they'll launch a temporary ferry service that will run express from Williamsburg to Stuyvesant Cove near the East Village. According to the agency, "In response to feedback from customers and elected officials, the temporary service will now include 240-passenger vessels that will provide up to 61% more capacity than originally planned."
All the details
No subway, no worries: Developers offer incentives to lure tenants off train lines

Williamsburg, where the L train shutdown will soon take effect, via Wiki Commons

October 3, 2018

No subway, no worries: Developers offer incentives to lure tenants off train lines

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Williamsburg, where the L train shutdown will soon take effect, via Wiki Commons In a city with fewer car owners than nearly any other location in North America, it should come as no surprise that subway access is a key factor for most New Yorkers when they go on the housing market. In fact, many New Yorkers won’t even consider renting or buying if the address is more than a 10-minute walk from the nearest subway. This explains why some neighborhoods, including Greenpoint, which has a subway but not one that leads to Manhattan, and Alphabet City, which doesn’t have a subway at all, have long reported lower real estate values and rental prices that their nearest neighbors. However, there are growing signs that subway access may no longer matter as much as it once did. While subway access remains important, it is increasingly no longer a deal breaker for developers or prospective tenants. In today’s real estate market, a growing number of developers are pouring money into developments located off the subway line, and many tenants don’t seem to mind. This may also explain why not all developers with projects located along the L line are worried about the pending shutdown, which is now slated to begin in April 2019.
READ MORE
Port Authority approves $355M project to rehab JFK runway and add a ‘high-speed taxiway’

Photo via Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office

September 28, 2018

Port Authority approves $355M project to rehab JFK runway and add a ‘high-speed taxiway’

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The Port Authority's Board of Commissioners approved on Friday a $355 million plan to rehabilitate a key runway at John F. Kennedy Airport and add a new high-speed taxiway. The 10,000-foot-long runway, or 13L-31R, that will get the revamp handles nearly half of all planes arriving at JFK. This runway, one of four at the airport, will close between April and the end of 2019.
Get the details
163rd Street C station reopens, no 5 train service, and more weekend subway service updates

Photo via Wiki Commons

September 28, 2018

163rd Street C station reopens, no 5 train service, and more weekend subway service updates

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Yesterday, the 163rd Street-Amsterdam Avenue C station reopened for service in both directions after being closed since March for extensive renovations. In addition to structural improvements, cosmetic additions were added in the form of four new glass mosaic murals by area artists. That's the good news – the bad news is there's no 5 train service this weekend and the D and F trains are once again masquerading as one another for a large number of stops.
Here are all the planned service changes for this weekend
Electric scooters and more 6 and 7 trains could lessen blow of L train shutdown

Via Wikimedia

September 25, 2018

Electric scooters and more 6 and 7 trains could lessen blow of L train shutdown

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Electric scooters are currently illegal in New York City. But with the L train shutdown quickly approaching, Brooklyn officials are pushing to legalize them as a transit alternative to the subway. Council Members Antonio Reynoso and Ydanis Rodriguez announced on Monday plans to introduce legislation that would make e-scooters legal, amNY reported. "The L train shutdown is real. It is going to happen. It is going to be disruptive," Reynoso said. "When that shuts down, they’re all going to need alternate transportation."
More here
Despite growing demand, the $10B overhaul of JFK Airport does not include a new runway

Rendering via Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office

September 24, 2018

Despite growing demand, the $10B overhaul of JFK Airport does not include a new runway

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced last year plans to overhaul John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) with state-of-the-art modern terminals, world-class amenities, and centralized expanded parking lots. But the $10 billion plan, with more details coming from Cuomo in the next few weeks, does not include building a new runway, despite the airport serving a record number of visitors last year, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday. In 2017, the airport served 59 million passengers compared to 48 million passengers in 2008, a 23 percent increase, according to Port Authority data.
Find out more
Brooklyn Heights Promenade could close for six years during BQE repairs

Brooklyn Heights Promenade via Wikimedia

September 21, 2018

Brooklyn Heights Promenade could close for six years during BQE repairs

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The Brooklyn Heights Promenade could close for six years while the city rehabilitates a 1.5 mile stretch of the crumbling Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE), transportation officials announced Thursday. According to Politico, the city's transportation department unveiled two plans for revamping the Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO section of the BQE, which supports the promenade. The options include a quicker, six-year plan to divert cars to an elevated highway next to the Promenade or replace the BQE lane by lane, which could take up to eight years.
Get the details
Entire 2 and M train lines to run with 12- and 20-minute planned delays

M train via Robert Marrero/Photo Bucket

September 21, 2018

Entire 2 and M train lines to run with 12- and 20-minute planned delays

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Straphangers can expect planned delays on the entire 2 and M lines this weekend, which will respectively be running with 12-minute and 20-minute delays (incredibly exact estimates for an agency rarely known for predictable service). Otherwise, this weekend has a relatively non-crippling array of planned service changes.
Here's the full line-up
NJ Transit offers discounted fares as it cancels some service to and from Penn Station

Via Wikimedia

September 20, 2018

NJ Transit offers discounted fares as it cancels some service to and from Penn Station

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New Jersey Transit announced Thursday it will offer discount fares for three months as it reduces train service to and from New York Penn Station. In addition to its already diminished service, the agency plans to cancel 18 daily trains on five lines and suspend all train service on a short rail segment in Princeton. There will also be no weekend service on the Gladstone Branch of the Morris & Essex line. All fares will be cut by 10 percent from November through January, Bloomberg reported.
Get the details
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