Transit

Despite a meeting in November to discuss the Gateway project, President Donald Trump has made it clear that the 2020 federal budget doesn't specify an money for the much-needed rail tunnel under the Hudson River. U.S. Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary Jeffrey Rosen told reporters Monday that, “Those transit projects are local responsibilities, and elected officials from New York and New Jersey are the ones accountable for them.” Gov. Andrew Cuomo replied in a statement, "These ridiculous claims should not be taken seriously," calling the exclusion of funds for the project "political posturing."
200,000 daily commuters hope somebody figures it out

Transit

Judge rules MTA must provide elevators in all stations it renovates

Photo via Flickr

March 8, 2019

Judge rules MTA must provide elevators in all stations it renovates

On Wednesday U.S. District Court Judge Edgardo Ramos ruled that the MTA was in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act for failing to install elevators when it renovated a Bronx subway station. The ruling is the result of a 2016 lawsuit initiated by Bronx Independent Living Services after the MTA refused to make a the Middletown Road elevated subway station in the Bronx wheelchair accessible, though the $27 million renovation included new floors, walls, ceilings and stairs to the street and the train platform, Gothamist reports. Ramos' ruling stated that the MTA is obligated to install an elevator, regardless of cost, unless it is technically infeasible.
Really, MTA?

Transit

Brace for another weekend of service changes on nearly every line

Image via Flickr

March 8, 2019

Brace for another weekend of service changes on nearly every line

Planned work will be impacting just about everyone this weekend, with only the M lucky enough to avoid significant disruptions. The J isn't running between Crescent Street and Jamaica Center and 7 train service will be severely limited. Most lines will be skipping multiple stops and running with delays—see the full damage below.
Know before you go

Transit

Corey Johnson proposes new city-controlled transit system called Big Apple Transit or ‘BAT’

Via City Council Speaker Corey Johnson

March 5, 2019

Corey Johnson proposes new city-controlled transit system called Big Apple Transit or ‘BAT’

In a self-proclaimed atypical State of the City address, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson on Tuesday laid out his vision for city control over New York City's mass transit system. Johnson said municipal control "means we decide how our system is run, we decide how we raise money, and we decide how we spend it." He added: "Municipal control means saying goodbye to the MTA." The new entity would be controlled by the mayor and called Big Apple Transit, or "BAT."
Is it goodbye MTA?

City will expand Fair Fares program to all eligible New Yorkers by 2020

Image via Flickr

March 5, 2019

City will expand Fair Fares program to all eligible New Yorkers by 2020

After facing criticism for the delayed and limited roll-out of Fair Fares, Mayor de Blasio and City Council Speaker Johnson have announced plans to expand the program. Starting this fall, eligible New Yorkers in NYCHA, enrolled students at CUNY, and military veterans below the poverty line will have access to the program, which provides half-priced MetroCards for low-income New Yorkers. By January 2020, open enrollment will expand to all New Yorkers at or below the federal poverty line (a household income of $25,750 for a family of four). The program has also been criticized for its reversal on reduced fares for single trips, but Monday's announcement came with the good news that a pay-per-ride option will be available by mid-March.
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Does the subway ‘Pizza Principle’ still hold?

Image via Flickr

March 4, 2019

Does the subway ‘Pizza Principle’ still hold?

For decades some New Yorkers have believed that the price of subway fares and pizza slices are linked. Known as the “Pizza Principle,” the economic theory/urban legend tries to account for the fact that, for the past 40 or so years, the cost of a plain slice of pizza has pretty much tracked with the cost of a single ride fare. So far nobody has been able to provide a clear explanation of why that might be—or if there’s more to it than coincidence. The latest MTA board vote on fare increases may have severed the connection between subway and pizza before we could fully understand it. As the Wall Street Journal reports, the “Pizza Principle” doesn't hold now that gourmet offerings have bumped the average cost of a slice to the $3-$3.50 range while the MTA is maintaining the base fare at $2.75.
More on New York's strangest economic theory

Some NYC subway newsstands will be replaced by vending machines

Via Jens Schott Knudsen on Flickr

March 4, 2019

Some NYC subway newsstands will be replaced by vending machines

The magazine-stuffed and candy-filled newsstands found across New York City's subway system may soon be a thing of the past. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority said it will replace some of the old-school booths with high-tech vending machines, the Daily News reported on Monday. The move comes as the cash-strapped MTA struggles to fill vacant newsstands, with 40 percent of 326 retail spots on the agency's property empty or closed.
More this way

Transit

6 and 7 trains are the only lucky ones this weekend

Image via Flickr cc

March 1, 2019

6 and 7 trains are the only lucky ones this weekend

We're looking forward to another weekend of convoluted service changes impacting nearly every line. The 6 (lucky you!) is the only line with no planned changes, but the 7 is also looking good. Service changes will continue to spill into late night and early morning hours over the week. Take note: The A needs some last minute "urgent track repairs" and will not run between Jay Street-MetroTech and Utica Avenue on Monday and Tuesday. Read on for the full details.
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Transit

Partial shutdown of Hudson River tunnel would cause NY and NJ home values to drop by $22B, report says

Via Amtrak

February 27, 2019

Partial shutdown of Hudson River tunnel would cause NY and NJ home values to drop by $22B, report says

If the only rail link between New Jersey and Manhattan shuttered, homes in the region would see a drop in home value by $22 billion, according to a report released on Tuesday. An analysis from the Regional Plan Association highlights the economic effects of a partial shutdown of the Hudson River tunnel, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy and carries 200,000 daily passengers via Amtrak and NJ Transit. To make repairs to the 110-year-old tunnels, officials have called for a $13 billion project that would construct a second tunnel to keep service operating while the existing tunnel is restored. But President Donald Trump's administration said it will not support the Gateway tunnel project, making a partial shutdown of the tunnel more likely, according to the RPA (h/t Crain's).
Get the details

Cuomo and de Blasio endorse congestion pricing and reorganization of MTA in new 10-point plan

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio endorsed congestion pricing and a proposal to reorganize the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in a joint 10-point plan released on Tuesday. The joint plan, which requires legislative approval, calls for tolls to be collected south of 61st Street in Manhattan, with the exception of FDR Drive. Cuomo said on Tuesday he hopes the package of transit proposals is included in the state budget, which lawmakers must pass by April 1. The tolls would not take effect until December 2020, if approved.
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Finalists announced in Transit Tech Lab accelerator program to help modernize NYC public transit

Image via Flickr

February 26, 2019

Finalists announced in Transit Tech Lab accelerator program to help modernize NYC public transit

As part of the much-needed effort to modernize New York City public transit, the MTA and the Partnership for New York City have announced six finalists for the inaugural Transit Tech Lab accelerator program. The eight-week program, which began this week, will give the six chosen companies an opportunity to try new technologies customized to solve for specific subway and bus priorities such as reducing cost and cutting down subway delays by employing predictive maintenance, deploying a transit network planning platform, using computer vision to untangle bus lane traffic and using sensors to address platform crowding.
More innovation this way

MTA touts subway improvements as more service disruptions lie in wait

Via Colin Mutchler on Flickr

February 25, 2019

MTA touts subway improvements as more service disruptions lie in wait

The subway has seen its best on-time performance and the fewest number of delays across the system in four years, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced on Sunday. But while the stats reveal a promising start for the Subway Action Plan, launched by the agency and Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2017, the gains come at a cost for straphangers with off-peak commutes. The rescue plan, as well as New York City Transit President Andy Byford's $40 billion plan to fix the subway, both which require new sources of funding, will require many subway lines to close on nights and weekends for years, as the New York Times reported.
Learn more

Transit

February 25, 2019

MTA announces public meetings to discuss revised L train repair plans

The MTA said in a press release that 100 percent of riders during high ridership hours will have full service under the revised approach to L train repairs. Also, added transit options such as more G, 7 and M service, new Williamsburg Link buses and free transfers will benefit evening and weekend riders. Starting in March, the MTA will be holding open houses with the community to discuss the plan.
Open house dates and more info this way

Delays, disruptions, and despair: Nearly every subway line to see service changes this week

Image via Flickr

February 25, 2019

Delays, disruptions, and despair: Nearly every subway line to see service changes this week

This week's slate of planned subway service changes rivals the weekend's—and maybe even exceeds it. Service on parts of the B and D will continue to end early, 5 service between E 180 Street and Bowling Green will end at 8:30 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, and the L is only running every 24 minutes during the day. The A and C are the only lines without scheduled work, but unplanned signal issues are likely to shake things up there as well.
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Transit

Not a single subway line to be left unscathed this weekend

Image via Flickr

February 22, 2019

Not a single subway line to be left unscathed this weekend

A majority of train lines will have to deal with service changes this weekend, with lots of skips, delays, and convoluted routes, especially on the E. To top it all off, the MTA just announced there will be no 7 service on Saturday between Queensboro Plaza and 34 Street-Hudson Yards from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., due to urgent track repair needs.
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Transit

February 21, 2019

Pols suggest R train be split to save Brooklyn riders from Manhattan delays

A few Brooklyn elected officials asked the MTA to halt half of R subway service at Court Street, with Queens-Manhattan service covering the Whitehall and 71st Avenue stations on the other half, in the interest of streamlining the route and avoiding the traffic delays that plague the line, AM New York reports.
R they serious?

Transit

No weeknight service on parts of the B and D lines in the Bronx for three weeks

Photo via Flickr cc

February 19, 2019

No weeknight service on parts of the B and D lines in the Bronx for three weeks

By Dana Schulz

Bronx residents who ride the B and D lines, take note: beginning today and lasting for three weeks, maintenance, cleaning, and repair work will cause the MTA to close stations between 161st Street-Yankee Stadium and Norwood-205th Street from 9:30pm to 5am as part of their larger Subway Action Plan.
All the details

Transit

NYC officials discussed underground tunnel system to JFK with Elon Musk’s company

Via Flickr

February 15, 2019

NYC officials discussed underground tunnel system to JFK with Elon Musk’s company

In looking for out-of-the-box ways to cut travel time between Manhattan and JFK Airport in Queens, New York officials recently reached out to Tesla founder Elon Musk for engineering ideas, Crain's reports. Musk's The Boring Company reportedly outlined strategies for connecting John F. Kennedy International Airport with Manhattan based on the tunnel system the company has developed, though several challenges were immediately evident.
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Transit

Here’s how the subways will be running this Presidents’ Day weekend

Image via Flickr

February 15, 2019

Here’s how the subways will be running this Presidents’ Day weekend

Many New Yorkers are looking forward to a long weekend, but it won't be without its fair share of service changes. On Monday, MTA services will operate on special schedules, with Metro-North and the LIRR offering off-peak fares throughout the day. The worse news is that subways and buses will be on a Saturday schedule, meaning that many of the planned service interruptions listed below will extend into Monday, and in some cases, even Tuesday.
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Transit

Plan for an all-day ‘busway’ on 14th Street will likely be scrapped as L train alternative

Via Oran Viriyincy on Flickr

February 13, 2019

Plan for an all-day ‘busway’ on 14th Street will likely be scrapped as L train alternative

With the L train shutdown called off last month after years of preparing for its impact on commuters, many New Yorkers were left wondering what would happen to the mitigation efforts planned for both Manhattan and Brooklyn. According to amNY, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority no longer sees the need for a busway on 14th Street, which was intended to limit car traffic during the L train shutdown. While the MTA said it intends to run buses as often as every three minutes on 14th Street when L train service is reduced this spring, critics say buses will move at a sluggish pace.
More here

Transit

Expect delays on the 4, 5, D, N, and Q lines this weekend

Image via Flickr

February 8, 2019

Expect delays on the 4, 5, D, N, and Q lines this weekend

It's going to be the second weekend without L service between Brooklyn and Manhattan, there will be a slew of skipped stops across many of the lines, and longer than usual wait times on the 4, 5, D, N, and Q trains. Riders of the 2, 3, 6, and G are in luck this weekend with no planned interruptions on the slate for you (though there's always a risk for unplanned hiccups). Read on for the full details and keep frustration at bay this weekend.
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Transit

Lyft is providing a free ride to black history museums and cultural sites in NYC this month

Via Flickr

February 7, 2019

Lyft is providing a free ride to black history museums and cultural sites in NYC this month

To celebrate Black History Month, ride-hailing company Lyft is offering one free ride to black-owned businesses, history museums, and memorials in New York City. According to the company, 82 percent of Lyft drivers identify with a minority group, which makes the company "see the importance of celebrating the diversity that we have right around us."
More here

Transit

Subway riders could save up to 9 days a year under the MTA’s Fast Forward plan

Photo via Dan Phiffer on Flickr

February 7, 2019

Subway riders could save up to 9 days a year under the MTA’s Fast Forward plan

Last May, 6sqft reported on the release of the MTA's ambitious 10-year "Fast Forward" plan to modernize New York City's transit system featuring a state-of-the-art signal system, more accessibility, a new fare payment system and thousands of new subway cars and buses. Perhaps the most ambitious part of the plan is that work previously estimated to take nearly 50 years would be completed within the next decade. But just how much would these marvelous changes improve our daily commute? Transit advocacy organization Transit Center breaks it down for a few of the city's more sluggish examples to show us how much time we might get back to do better stuff than sit on the subway.
More time to wait in line for coffee

NYC has fewer accessible subway stations than MTA claims, report says

Photo via Flickr

February 6, 2019

NYC has fewer accessible subway stations than MTA claims, report says