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February 6, 2015

The NYC Subway Is Filled with Bacteria and DNA from Unidentifiable Organisms

If you're a hand sanitizer-wielding New Yorker who often finds yourself ridiculed by friends for your hypochondriac germaphobe ways, good news, because you've got the last laugh—sort of. A team of researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College spent the past 17 months mapping the DNA found in the New York City subway system, and what they uncovered will certainly make your skin crawl. Not only were some bacteria samples associated with bubonic plague and anthrax, but they also found that nearly half of the DNA found on subway infrastructure—we're talking turnstiles and ticket kiosks amongst other things—did not match any known organism.
Find out more here

February 5, 2015

Musical Data Project is the Soundtrack to Income Inequality Along the Subway

By Dana Schulz

While we love a good infographic or interactive map, this "musical data-viz project" really sparked our interest as a new way of looking at geographic trends. Artist and programmer Brian Foo translated a 1.5-hour subway ride on the 2 train into a 4.5 minute song that rises and falls based on the income of the neighborhood the train is passing through. What results is an audibly beautiful rendition of the often not-so-pretty diversity in the city's income levels.
Listen to the full song here

February 4, 2015

Map Revealed for de Blasio’s City-Wide Ferry System

By Dana Schulz

While there were plenty of highlights in Mayor de Blasio's State of the City address yesterday–from affordable housing to raising the minimum wage–it was undoubtedly the announcement of a city-wide ferry system that really got New Yorkers talking. De Blasio said that the ferry service will open in 2017, with pricing on par with the Metrocard, as a way to accommodate the growing population of New York. It will serve neighborhoods including the Lower East Side, Astoria, the Rockaways, Sunset Park, Brooklyn Army Terminal, Bay Ridge, Red Hook, and Soundview, among others. A new map released today shows the entirety of the system, breaking down existing ferry lines, those planned for 2017 and 2018, and those proposed.
More details and the full interactive map ahead

February 4, 2015

POLL: Would You Pay More for Better Subway Service?

By Dana Schulz

The MTA’s fare hike will take effect in March, raising the price of a single subway ride from $2.50 to $2.75, and it’s made most New York train riders pretty unhappy. But what if service was better? If those flashing “delay” projections were few and far between; massive platform pileups were a thing of the […]

Transit

February 3, 2015

Mapping How the NYC Subway Could Operate in a 40-Inch Snowstorm

By Dana Schulz

Though winter storm Juno isn't going down in history as the biggest snowstorm to ever hit NYC, it was the first time the city completely shut down the subway system due to a snowstorm. Governor Cuomo and the MTA said the shutdown was necessary because a portion of almost every train line runs outdoors. Not happy with that reasoning? Then you'll really enjoy this map from WNYC called the Snowpiercer; it proposes how the subway system could operate during a 40-inch snowstorm.
See the full map here

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February 2, 2015

What Would Happen if New York Let Everyone Ride the Subway for Free?

By Diane Pham

With the MTA fare hike just over the horizon, the question of whether or not all of New York has fair access to affordable public transportation comes into play. The hike, effective March 22nd, will push the cost to $2.75 per ride and $116.50 for a 30-day MetroCard, an increase of a quarter and $4.50, respectively. Like New York, cities across the globe are struggling with the same issue, but there are more than a handful of rogue riders in each taking matters into their own hands. About 500 riders in Stockholm have banded together to create Planka.nu (translation: "Dodge the fare now"), a scheme that has members pay $12 in monthly dues (an unlimited ride pass for 30 days costs about $120) which results in a cash reserve that can more than cover any fines that a member may occur. While illegal, the actions of these few scamps shed light on one important policy that's already being taken on by cities across the U.S.: subsidies. As noted in a recent article by The Atlantic, in the U.S., where government subsidies cover between 57 and 89 percent of operating costs for buses and 29 to 89 percent of those for rail, many public transit systems are quite affordable, costing in most cases less than $2, on average. So they ask, why not make the whole system free?
Is free transportation in New York unthinkable?

January 30, 2015

MTA’s ‘Courtesy Counts’ Etiquette Campaign Is Brought to Life in a New Video Parody

By Dana Schulz

Regardless of which side of the man-spread debate you're on, you've definitely heard plenty about the MTA's new Courtesy Counts etiquette campaign. To get their point across, the MTA has deployed a new set of posters featuring the ubiquitous faceless green and red stick figures doing uncourteous things on the subway, including pole dancing, grooming, and, of course, manspreading. Two New Yorkers, Christian “CJ” Koegel and his partner Chris Zelig, have now created a one-minute, tongue-in-cheek video where they don full-body red and green spandex suits to bring Courtesy Counts to life as part of the #ridewithclass hashtag campaign.
Watch the amusing video

January 29, 2015

See New York’s Subway Through the Eyes of a 17-Year-Old Stanley Kubrick (Photos)

By Diane Pham

As one of the world's most respected film directors, screenwriters, producers, cinematographers and editors, it's really no surprise that Stanley Kubrick was also quite the shutterbug. Well before creating mind-bending movies like A Clockwork Orange and Dr. Strangelove, Kubrick was shooting for New York's (now defunct) LOOK magazine as a way to help make ends meet. His street photos, which are quite dramatic in subject and composition, give us a look into the mind of a young Kubrick, who at just 17 was already showing a talent for creating atmosphere with a lens.
See more photos ahead

Street Fight Round Two: What’s with All the Broadways in the Outer Boroughs?

Broadway in Brooklyn via wallyg via photopin cc

January 26, 2015

Street Fight Round Two: What’s with All the Broadways in the Outer Boroughs?

By Dana Schulz

Last week we took a look at why there are three Broadways in Manhattan–the thoroughfare proper, East Broadway and West Broadway– and learned that Broadway actually extends through the Bronx and into Westchester. There's even a one-block street in Harlem called Old Broadway. As if that weren't enough confusion, though, there are four other Broadways in the outer boroughs–one in Brooklyn, one in Staten Island, and two in Queens.
Learn about these outer-borough Broadways

January 22, 2015

New LaGuardia AirTrain Will Actually Increase Travel Times, Anthony Weiner Weighs In

By Diane Pham

Get ready to have your bubble burst. As it turns out, Governor Andrew Cuomo's proposed AirTrain to LaGuardia would actually increase the time it takes to get to the airport, and for some areas, almost double travel time. The Transport Politic enlightened (and dispirited) hopefuls yesterday in an analysis that highlighted the fact that the new train would would deliver commuters to the 7 subway station at Willets Point, which is further away from Manhattan than the airport. In light of the findings, Anthony Weiner threw in his two cents this morning, penning an op-ed in the Daily News, saying "if we are going to solve this problem, we should do it right." The former congressman also threw a proposal of his own into the ring.
More on what Weiner had to say

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POLL: Do You Agree with How the MTA Gets Rid of Old Subway Cars?

By Dana Schulz

Yesterday, we featured the breathtaking photography of Stephen Mallon, who for three years documented decommissioned NYC subway cars being dumped into the Atlantic Ocean. What might initially seem like an act of pollution is actually an environmental effort to create artificial reef habitats for fostering sea life along the eastern seabed. Some readers, though, felt […]

Transit

January 20, 2015

Photo Series Captures Three Years of NYC Subway Cars Being Dumped in the Atlantic Ocean

By Dana Schulz

Who knew that the graveyard for decommissioned NYC subway cars was at the bottom of the ocean? If this is news to you, then you don't want to miss this photo series by Stephen Mallon, who documented the train cars being dumped into the Atlantic from Delaware to South Carolina over three years. But before you call 311 about this seeming act of pollution, let us tell you that it's actually an environmental effort to create artificial reef habitats for fostering sea life along the eastern seabed, which was started over ten years ago.
More photos and info right this way

Cyclists Petition for 32-Mile Greenway That Would Connect Southeast Queens to Brooklyn

Map of the proposed route via Southern Queens Greenway

January 19, 2015

Cyclists Petition for 32-Mile Greenway That Would Connect Southeast Queens to Brooklyn

By Dana Schulz

There's been a lot of talk lately surrounding the QueensWay, the High Line-esque linear park and cultural greenway proposed for a 3.5-mile stretch of abandoned railway in central Queens, but there's another planned greenway in Queens that's also making headlines. The proposed 32-mile path known as the Southern Queens Greenway would connect portions of Brooklyn with parks in southeast Queens, and a local group of cyclists is now petitioning for this vision to be realized.
READ MORE

Via aurélien. via photopin cc

January 12, 2015

Street Fight: Why Are There Three Broadways in Manhattan?

By Dana Schulz

Broadway is arguably the most famous street in New York City. It's synonymous with the Theater District; it runs from the southern tip of Manhattan all the way up to Westchester County; and it's the oldest north-south thoroughfare in NYC. While we might not all know these fun facts about the street, we undoubtedly know a thing or two about Broadway and its nonconformity to the street grid. But did you know there's also a West Broadway in Tribeca/Soho and an East Broadway on the Lower East Side/Chinatown? They're not extensions of Broadway proper, so how did they receive their monikers?
Find out about the Broadway conundrum here

January 6, 2015

Will Streetcars Make a Comeback in the Bronx?

By Stephanie Hoina

Once upon a time in a city now known for its web of transportation options, the world’s very first streetcar made its debut in 1852 on the roads New York. At the height of their popularity, streetcars could be seen running on just about every major thoroughfare; but pressure from New York City's Board of Transportation for a unified bus transportation system across the city soon led to their demise. By 1948, the streetcar lines in the Bronx and Manhattan were gone, seemingly lost forever to the nostalgia of simpler times. Today, a perfect storm of factors may pave the way for the resurgence of this once-popular mode of transportation that promises to yield a bevy of benefits for Bronxites and beyond.
Streetcars back in the Bronx?

Transit

January 5, 2015

New Study Reveals It’s More Important to Have a MetroCard Than a College Degree in NYC

By Diane Pham

A new study conducted by NYU's Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management shows just how much impact proximity to public transit–in this case to Manhattan–can have on one's earning power. The Rudin Center examined 177 NYC zip codes and found that those living closest to transit have the highest median income and the lowest unemployment rate. “In New York, mass transit is the path to economic mobility, not education,” Mitchell Moss, the center’s director, told the WSJ. “It’s far more important to have a MetroCard than a college degree.”
Find out the startling figures here

December 22, 2014

The NYC Subway Still Runs on 1930s Technology, Pen and Paper

By Diane Pham

Most of our commutes are rife with subway delays, over-crowding and shutdowns, and while you can credit some of those to the sick passengers (and a handful of dizzy dieters), a lot of the blame falls on the fact that our subway still runs on an antiquated system built in the 1930s. Transit authorities are only now beginning to replace the eight-decade-old system, which still uses—wait for it—pencil and paper to track train progress. The update is a long overdue one, yes, but don't expect your commute to get any more comfortable in the near future. With 700 miles of track to cover, the time estimated to make the switch won't be much of a boon for us six million riders now boarding daily.
READ MORE

December 16, 2014

Brand New NYC Water Taxi Stop Makes It Easier to Explore Red Hook

By Diane Pham

Those who've been dying to check out up-and-coming Red Hook will now have a much easier, much more comfortable way of getting to the cozy, cute nabe. The New York Water Taxi Commission has just added a brand new stop that will ferry passengers to Van Brunt Street from Lower Manhattan, DUMBO and Midtown on the West Side. Locals residents have been championing for a stop for the last few years, citing that it would be a boon to business development in the area, particularly for those still hurting from the effects of Superstorm Sandy.
Find out more here

Transit

December 15, 2014

Google-Backed Pedal-Powered Pod Cars Coming to a City Near You?

By Diane Pham

JPods, East River Skyway, an expanding Citi Bike—if one thing is clear, New York City's rapidly growing population has gotten a lot of people worried about how our already taxed infrastructure is going to account for all of these new bodies. The latest transportation idea to come out of the woodwork is not necessarily a new one, but it's one that's recently found a new boost thanks to interest and funding provided by everyone's favorite search giant: Google. Called "SkySMART," this new idea for mobility utilizes a series of sun- and pedal-powered pods that run along an elevated rail high above city traffic.
More on Skysmart here

December 12, 2014

How Bike-Friendly Architecture Can Transform Cities for the Better

By Steven Fleming

NYC is well on its way to becoming a bike-friendly city. With Citi Bike expanding and designs for bikes of all shapes and sizes growing in popularity, it's only a matter of time before we start seeing architecture built specifically for cyclists' use. In his article, “10 Points of a Bicycling Architecture”, originally published on ArchDaily, Steven Fleming explores ten ways major cities, like New York, can make this happen. A revolution is occurring in street design. New York, arguably the world’s bellwether city, has let everyday citizens cycle for transport. They have done that by designating one lane on most avenues to bicyclists only, with barriers to protect them from traffic. Now hundreds of cities are rejiggering to be bicycle-friendly, while in New York there is a sense that more change is afoot. Many New Yorkers would prefer if their city were more like Copenhagen where 40% of all trips are by bike. But then Copenhagen wants more as well. Where does this stop? If you consider that we are talking about a mode of transport that whips our hearts into shape, funnels many more people down streets than can be funneled in cars, has no pollution, and costs governments and individuals an absolute pittance, you won't ask where it stops, but how close to 100% the bike modal share can possibly go and what we must do to achieve that.
It's a beautiful day for a bike ride

December 1, 2014

This Map Shows the Holiday Craziness of NYC Airport Taxi Trips

By Dana Schulz

Still recovering from a Thanksgiving travel fiasco? Or maybe you haven't even made it home yet. Either way, this map is probably not going to make you feel better. It's a visualization of taxi trips from NYC-area airports between Thanksgiving and New Year's. The project was inspired by a previous mapping endeavor, NYC Taxis: A Day in the Life, and was created by designers at ImageWork Technologies. They looked at taxi trips originating from JFK and LaGuardia in 2013, and even have a feature that allows users to filter the results by individual airline terminals.
More details ahead

World Trade Center Transportation Hub Gets Its Final Steel Rafter

Ironworkers attach the “Old Glory” flag to the final Oculus rafter piece before installation

November 26, 2014

World Trade Center Transportation Hub Gets Its Final Steel Rafter

By Dana Schulz

Just weeks after One World Trade Center and the Fulton Center Subway Station opened their doors for business, the last of the 114 steel rafters was installed on Santiago Calatrava's long-overdue, majorly over-budget flying bird-looking transportation hub. This is just one of many steel components in the project; it’s made up of 618 steel pieces which weigh more than 12,000 tons. The rafters were supposed to be completed by August, but though they were three months behind schedule, the hub is still expected to open in late 2015.
Read more here

November 24, 2014

IDEO’s Three Concepts for Self-Driving Cars Will Change How We Work, Live and Play

By Diane Pham

Self-driving cars are definitely in our future. Some states–Nevada, Florida, Michigan, California–and Washington, D.C. are already allowing them on their streets (at least for testing purposes) and a number of others are considering doing the the same. Though the road to a hands-free life has been paved, the future of it all is still up in the air. What would allowing self-driving cars on the road en masse mean for our safety? How will we communicate our needs to them? In what ways will they change how we live day to day? And can they enrich our lives? International design group and think tank IDEO wants to explore what this new technology could mean for urban life over the next 15 years. With their study "The Future of Automobility" they offer up a wildly vibrant vision through three concepts grounded in the use of autonomous vehicles.
Check out their fantastic proposal here

The Verrazano Bridge Opened 50 Years Ago, but There’s Still a Myth About Its Toll

Verrazano Bridge via Sue L C via photopin cc

November 21, 2014

The Verrazano Bridge Opened 50 Years Ago, but There’s Still a Myth About Its Toll

By Dana Schulz

Bridges and tolls are on everyone's mind these days, thanks to the MTA's latest proposed fare hikes. If approved, this would raise the toll of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to $16. And today, on the 50th anniversary of the bridge's opening, most Staten Islanders still think that driving across the bridge was supposed to become free once it was paid off. No one's really certain where this myth came from, but those who believe it are quite passionate about the subject.
More on the urban myth here

November 21, 2014

Tiny Carbon Fiber Electric Bike Folds Down to Fit Inside a Backpack (And It’s a Comfy Ride!)

By Diane Pham

We've featured some foldable bikes on 6sqft in the past, but this cool new design from Impossible Technologies takes things to a whole new level. Not only does it fold down small enough to fit into a backpack, but it's also all-electric and easy to ride!
Check it out in action here

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