Transit

Mayor de Blasio christens New York’s first Citywide Ferry with a ride into Brooklyn Bridge Park
April 17, 2017

Mayor de Blasio christens New York’s first Citywide Ferry with a ride into Brooklyn Bridge Park

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To celebrate the ahead-of-schedule launch of the Citywide Ferry service, Mayor de Blasio rode the first ferry (named "Lunchbox" by second graders from Bay Ridge) this morning into Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier 1 as part of an official dedication ceremony. Beginning May 1st, all New Yorkers can join in the revelry when the new Rockaway Route and the existing East River Route kick off. Service to South Brooklyn starts in June, and the Astoria route will be launched sometime in August. In all, there will be 21 stops added throughout the city as part of the expanded service. On top of today's festivities, the city also released the official new ferry schedules.
See the NYC Ferry routes
Emergency ferry route between N.J. and Midtown will become permanent this fall
April 13, 2017

Emergency ferry route between N.J. and Midtown will become permanent this fall

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Following the recent Penn Station train derailment and subsequent delays during the busy weekday commute, NY Waterway launched an extra ferry route running from Hoboken to Midtown Manhattan. Now, NJ.com reports, that ferry service will become permanent starting in September of this year. The new ferry will run between between West 39th Street and Hoboken terminal according to NY Waterway president and founder Arthur Imperatore Sr.
Find out more about the new commuting option
Optimism remains for Hudson River tunnel project despite threat of Trump cuts
April 12, 2017

Optimism remains for Hudson River tunnel project despite threat of Trump cuts

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As 6sqft reported recently, President Trump may include two major New York transportation projects in his proposed budget cuts, including the Gateway Program that would build a new train tunnel under the Hudson River and a program which extends the Second Avenue subway in Manhattan to East Harlem. The Gateway Program, which would add a much-needed second rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River and upgrade aging rail infrastructure in New York and New Jersey, has been relying on the federal government for half of its estimated $24 billion cost. WNYC reports that even if the funding is pulled, the agency may look to funding from a public-private partnership.
Find out what the options are
Contest winners suggest a car-free 14th Street with shuttles and bike lanes during L train shutdown
April 11, 2017

Contest winners suggest a car-free 14th Street with shuttles and bike lanes during L train shutdown

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Advocacy group Transportation Alternatives has been trying to stay focused on grounded solutions–literally, as opposed to the tunnel and skyway ideas that are also being discussed–to mitigate the anticipated possible chaos when the dreaded 15-month L train shutdown hits. The organization is aiming for the ear of the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the MTA which control street design and bus expansion, respectively. The group recently held an "L-ternative" contest seeking pedestrian-centered proposals for main transit corridors along the L line, such as 14th street, Gothamist reports. The winning proposal, called 14TH ST.OPS, imagines a (car) traffic-free 14th Street with a six-stop shuttle bus using dedicated lanes, plus protected bike lanes.
Check out the winning post-L-Train vision
A design proposal envisions a cantilevered transit hub on Roosevelt Island
April 11, 2017

A design proposal envisions a cantilevered transit hub on Roosevelt Island

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Roosevelt Island, the mile-long neighborhood that lies in the East River between Manhattan and Queens, will be a stop on the NYC Ferry route that connects Astoria to Wall Street beginning in August. While this will ease access to other parts of the city for residents of the island, French architect Victor Ostojic has another idea. As Curbed reported, Ostojic published a conceptual proposal of a cantilevered glass-covered ferry terminal on the western side of the island. Located parallel to Manhattan’s East 63rd Street, the terminal would include ground-floor retail, a food court, office space and a luxury hotel on top.
See renderings of the transit hub
Hyperloop One plan would take travelers from NYC to D.C. in 20 minutes
April 10, 2017

Hyperloop One plan would take travelers from NYC to D.C. in 20 minutes

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Future New Yorkers may travel between cities faster than ever before. Hyperloop One--the California-based tech company whose transportation concept was first proposed by Elon Musk-- revealed its plan for a high-speed tube that could take passengers from NYC to D.C. in just 20 minutes, reports NBC New York (by comparison, Amtrak’s Acela Express currently takes a little more than three hours). Travelers would board magnetically levitating pods that move by electric propulsion and travel at more than 700 miles per hour. This would connect 80 percent of the country, making a cross-country trip just about five hours long. According to the company, nearly 83 million people would benefit from this hyperloop between our nation’s capital and the Big Apple.
Find out more
The Urban Lens: Sid Kaplan shares historic photos of the Third Avenue El coming down
April 7, 2017

The Urban Lens: Sid Kaplan shares historic photos of the Third Avenue El coming down

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6sqft’s ongoing series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. This week’s installment comes courtesy of a new exhibit at the Transit Museum, "Deconstruction of the Third Avenue El: Photographs by Sid Kaplan." Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at tips@6sqft.com. After the city consolidated its underground subway lines in 1942 (they were previously owned by private companies), fewer New Yorkers were riding the elevated lines. This decreased ridership, along with the fact that the Els ate up valuable street-level real estate and created dangerous dark spaces, led to the city taking down the Second Avenue Elevated line in 1942. In 1955, the Third Avenue Elevated came down as well, catching the eye of a then 17-year-old Sid Kaplan, whose photos of the dismantling are currently on display at the Transit Museum’s Grand Central Gallery Annex. The museum tells us, "From his perch on the roof of an apartment building, or leaning out the window of an office, his images capture a unique perspective of the removal of a hulking steel structure, the hard-working people who dismantled it, and the ever-changing landscape of New York City."
More on the El history, Sid's work, and all the amazing photos
Rockaway Ferry to take off in May, one month ahead of schedule
April 6, 2017

Rockaway Ferry to take off in May, one month ahead of schedule

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Mayor de Blasio announced today that the Citywide Ferry Service, now officially named “NYC Ferry,” will be launching two routes on the first day of May: the new Rockaway Route and the existing East River Route. As DNA Info learned, the Rockaway route takes passengers from the new dock on Beach 108th Street to the Brooklyn Terminal, and then Wall Street’s Pier 11. Expect service on the South Brooklyn Route with stops in Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, Red Hook and Brooklyn Bridge Park to begin on June 1. The Astoria Route will be launched sometime in August and the Lower East Side and Soundview Routes have a launch date set in 2018.
Find out more here
Fate of Gateway Project and Second Avenue Subway unknown under Trump’s infrastructure plan
April 6, 2017

Fate of Gateway Project and Second Avenue Subway unknown under Trump’s infrastructure plan

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Earlier this year, President Trump, a lifelong New Yorker, hired two NY-based developers to head an infrastructure commission, which oversees spending on his proposed $1 trillion plan to improve the country’s bridges and roads. Despite this clear connection to the Big Apple, the president refuses to say whether he will include two major transportation projects for the city, both of which his proposed budget defunds, as the New York Times reported. As of now, Trump has proposed eliminating a program that would build a new train tunnel under the Hudson River and a program which extends the Second Avenue subway in Manhattan to East Harlem.
Find out more
City Council proposes half-priced MetroCards for low-income New Yorkers
April 5, 2017

City Council proposes half-priced MetroCards for low-income New Yorkers

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Although the recent subway and bus fare hike affects all New Yorkers, low-income residents are being especially hard hit by the jump in cost. As a way to ease this financial burden, the City Council has proposed a $50 million pilot program as part of the “Fair Fares” initiative which will provide half-fare MetroCards to New Yorkers living at or below the federal poverty line. As the Daily News learned, transit advocates say nearly 800,000 residents would be eligible for the discount under the full plan.
Find out more here
Laguardia Airport expansion could replace jail at Rikers Island, report suggests
April 5, 2017

Laguardia Airport expansion could replace jail at Rikers Island, report suggests

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On Friday 6sqft reported Mayor Bill De Blasio's announcement that the Rikers Island jail complex will be closed, following a report by the Independent Commission on New York City Criminal Justice and Incarceration Reform. “New York City has always been better than Rikers Island,” said the mayor when he announced the decision. The report also included ideas for the future of a post-jail Rikers. One such idea suggests that the island be used for the expansion of nearby LaGuardia Airport, raising the possibility of a new runway and additional terminal space, according to USA Today. “The Island is uniquely positioned to accommodate an expanded LaGuardia Airport that would reduce delays and could serve as many as 12 million more passengers annually,” the report states.
Find out more
This graphic color codes major transit lines in North America
April 4, 2017

This graphic color codes major transit lines in North America

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Like New York, Boston's subway system is organized with a different color for each route. Unlike NYC, however, there's no corresponding numbers, so the lines along the T are actually referred to by their respective hues. Which is why Boston resident Ari Ofsevit, a transportation engineering and urban planning graduate student at MIT, found it odd that the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority didn't use the same colors on their Twitter alerts as were found on their maps and signs. As Next City reported, this inspired him to create a graphic comparing the various colors of 13 major transit lines across the U.S. and Canada.
Find out more
April 4, 2017

MTA Board officially approves 15-month shutdown of L train

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It’s official. The Metropolitan Transit Authority board voted to approve a 15-month shutdown of the L train on Monday, instead of the originally proposed 18 months. The Board also awarded a $477 million contract to Judlau Contracting and TC Electric, who will responsible for repairing the train’s Canarsie Tunnel, which suffered severe flooding damage after Hurricane Sandy (h/t WSJ). The planned shutdown is set to begin in April 2019 and cuts all L train service between Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg and Eighth Avenue in Manhattan.
Find out more
East River bridges to get $392 million from city to fund repairs
March 30, 2017

East River bridges to get $392 million from city to fund repairs

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In what will be the largest capital investment in the East River bridges since 2010, Mayor Bill de Blasio's 2017 Capital Commitment Plan has allocated $392 million for the project, reports DNAInfo. The Queensboro Bridge–the busiest of the East River crossings–will get $110 million, the biggest chunk of the project's funding according to a report from the city's Independent Budget Office (IBO). The bridge received only a "fair" grade in a recent DOT rating system (the Brooklyn Bridge got the lowest rating). The repairs will happen over the next three years.
Find out more
Starting Monday, three Brooklyn R train stations will shut down for six months
March 23, 2017

Starting Monday, three Brooklyn R train stations will shut down for six months

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Last January, Governor Cuomo announced a massive undertaking to "modernize and fundamentally transform" the MTA and the subway by adding more countdown clocks, contactless payment by next year, Wi-Fi at all stations (mission accomplished, here), and other high-tech features. It also included news that 30 stations would be revamped, requiring them to shut down entirely for six to 12 months, instead of just on nights and weekends. As of Monday, as amNY tells us, the first three on this list-- the R train stations at 53rd Street in Sunset Park, Bay Ridge Avenue, and Prospect Avenue--will close for half a year for a combined $72 million renovation.
Get the full scoop
The least affordable U.S. city for public transit isn’t NYC (and more fun facts about the cost of commuting)
March 23, 2017

The least affordable U.S. city for public transit isn’t NYC (and more fun facts about the cost of commuting)

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In light of NYC's recent subway fare hike that bumped the price of a monthly pass to $121, the data jocks at ValuePenguin took a look at public transportation systems throughout the U.S. and ranked them according to affordability, based on the cost of a pass as a percentage of income and the median income of the city's commuters. Among the findings: New York City's transit system isn't the most unaffordable; that honor goes to Los Angeles. Washington D.C. topped the most affordable list among large cities, followed by San Francisco and Boston.
Read on for more insight on the cost of a commute
Is it illegal to swipe someone through with your MetroCard?
March 21, 2017

Is it illegal to swipe someone through with your MetroCard?

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Swiping a fellow New Yorker through the subway turnstile with your MetroCard is practically a New York pastime. But is it actually legal? As DNAinfo reports, the NYPD and MTA say it's completely lawful to help another rider gain access to the subway, as long as you’re not charging them for the swipe. And for those looking for a free ride? Last year, the city changed their policy on “fare-begging,” which lowered the consequence for riders asking for a swipe from an arrest to a ticket or summons.
Find out more here
L train shutdown will be 15 months instead of 18 months
March 20, 2017

L train shutdown will be 15 months instead of 18 months

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Finally, there’s some good news for the nearly 225,000 daily L train riders commuting to Manhattan. This weekend the Metropolitan Transit Authority announced that the Canarsie tube, which carries the L train between Manhattan and Brooklyn, will be closed for 15 months instead of 18, three months ahead of schedule. As reported by the Daily News, the MTA plans to begin rehabilitating the tunnel in April of 2019.
Find out more here
Yellow is the best color to paint a taxi if you want to reduce accidents
March 15, 2017

Yellow is the best color to paint a taxi if you want to reduce accidents

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It’s difficult to imagine the hustle and bustle of New York City without its culturally-iconic yellow taxicabs. And while it’s obvious companies chose the color yellow to be more visible to ride-hailers, a study conducted in Singapore found that not only are yellow cars harder to miss, they get in fewer accidents (h/t Mental Floss).
What are the origins of the famous yellow cab
Mayor de Blasio says Citywide Ferry will add 200+ jobs
March 9, 2017

Mayor de Blasio says Citywide Ferry will add 200+ jobs

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For the first time in 100 years, ferry service will be available to all five boroughs as part of a two-year $325 million initiative by Mayor de Blasio.  As the Wall Street Journal reported, the plan will add at least 200 jobs to the city’s economy. Half of these available jobs will pay at least $50,000 per year or more, according to the mayor. The plan for the citywide ferry service, launching this summer, will be managed by the Economic Development Corporation and Hornblower Cruises, who will hire deckhands, captains and other crew members.
Find out more here
How Citi Bike stacks up against other U.S. bike shares
March 3, 2017

How Citi Bike stacks up against other U.S. bike shares

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After initial skepticism and half-hearted arguments from bike-haters and snide remarks from bike snob cities like Seattle and San Francisco, New York City’s first official bike sharing system has turned out to be a success–that much we know. The numbers compiled by Priceonomics Data Studio for their client Spin reveal some surprising numbers when it comes to how we're using those bikes. D.C., for example, beat the other cities handily on most metrics, with San Francisco and Seattle consistently at the bottom of the list. Ok, so the research was done for a bike sharing startup hoping to expand its station-less system (more on that, too), but it’s interesting to compare statistics of share programs in the nation's biggest adopters of this new public transportation option–and get a chance to see how Citi Bike fares.
Find out more fascinating bike share facts
February 21, 2017

Supreme branded Metrocards bring mayhem to NYC subway stations

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A post shared by Chenglong Sun @N¥€ @NYU (@zoomscl35) on Feb 18, 2017 at 9:00am PST There's even more to love about the NYC subway this week, as Hypebeast and The Cut report on the branded collaboration between cult skatewear brand Supreme and the MTA. The limited-edition Supreme-branded Metrocards arrived at stores and select stations on Monday and limited outbreaks of mayhem have ensued as fans scrambled to buy the custom cards from Metrocard machines. The cards cost $5.50, though according to the MTA they're sold out, and it's reported that they're selling for $1,000 $38.88 on eBay.
Ruckus locations, this way
Port Authority may add $4 curbside taxi fee at airports

Image by Grant Wickens via flick CC

February 21, 2017

Port Authority may add $4 curbside taxi fee at airports

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Image by Grant Wickens via flick CC As far back as 2015, 6sqft reported that the Port Authority was considering fees for vehicles pulling up curbside to drop off or pick up passengers at New York City's airports as a way to reduce the congestion that has worsened since services like Uber and Lyft have arrived. The city's airports are among the only ones in the U.S. that don't charge curbside access fees. Now the Daily News has obtained a Port Authority draft proposal outlining the proposed fees. Taxi and hired car passengers could be hit with a $4 charge for each trip in and out of Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark airports as early as next year. The fee would be charged to the car operators and would presumably be passed to passengers
The idea is not getting a warm reception
The MTA is auctioning off 13,435 pounds of foreign coins
February 17, 2017

The MTA is auctioning off 13,435 pounds of foreign coins

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It's that time of month again when the MTA cleans house and gathers up all the stuff collecting dust in their offices and puts it up for public auction. While past offerings from the agency yielded all sorts of cool items ranging from vintage subway signs to old tokens to shiny grab holds, one eagle-eyed Reddit user noticed this month's selection includes a very curious lot: 350 bags of "Mixed Non-Ferrous Metal Foreign Coins & Slugs."
more details here
Port Authority approves $32.2B capital plan, will include new bus terminal and airport upgrades
February 17, 2017

Port Authority approves $32.2B capital plan, will include new bus terminal and airport upgrades

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The Port Authority Board of Commissioners yesterday approved a $32.2 billion, 10-year capital plan--the agency's largest ever. The major allocations include: $3.5 billion to begin the planning and construction of a new Port Authority Bus Terminal; $10 billion towards improving trans-Hudson commuting, including a $1.5 billion Goethals Bridge replacement, completion of the $1.6 billion Bayonne Bridge rebuilding, and a $2 billion rehab of the George Washington Bridge; $11.6 billion in major airport upgrades, which factors in $4 billion for the new LaGuardia Terminal B, a plan to extend the PATH train from Newark Penn Station to the Newark Airport, and the beginning of Cuomo's JFK overhaul; and $2.7 billion towards the Gateway rail tunnel project.
More details ahead
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