Transit

The usual roster of service changes is coming to a subway near you this weekend. There will be limited service uptown and in the Bronx on 1 and 2 trains, heavy delays continue on the 5, and for the majority of the weekend, Flushing-bound 7 trains will be skipping a bunch of stops in Queens. The worse news is that those changes won't simply go away at 5 a.m. on Monday—the week ahead has its own list of service changes, and it's a lot longer than usual. For now, check out the weekend's damage below.
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Photo via Google

May 31, 2019

MTA’s new tap-to-pay system begins replacing MetroCards today

By Dana Schulz

Before you get too distraught--you'll still be able to swipe (and "swipe again") your MetroCard until 2023. But for those techier New Yorkers, as of noon today, you'll be able to take advantage of the MTA's new tap-to-pay fare system when a pilot launches at 16 Manhattan and Brooklyn subway stations on the 4, 5, and 6 lines between Grand Central-42nd Street and Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center, as well as all Staten Island buses. The new payment system, called OMNY (One Metro New York), will employ e-readers that can accept contactless credit, debit, or reloadable prepaid cards, along with digital wallet apps on mobile phones and wearables. Additionally, Google announced that they've teamed up with the MTA to enable Google Pay as a payment option.
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Extended Rockaway shuttle and LIRR service will make getting to the beach easier this summer

Image via Flickr

May 30, 2019

Extended Rockaway shuttle and LIRR service will make getting to the beach easier this summer

The MTA is aiming to make your summer a bit sweeter with a few special train services that will help you get to the beach faster. Extended service on the Rockaway shuttle and extra LIRR service to South Fork have already kicked in, while the popular LIRR $1 Summer Saturdays program will begin this Saturday, June 1st.
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After a successful pilot program, city’s first shared e-moped service expands its fleet in Brooklyn and Queens

Images courtesy of Revel

May 29, 2019

After a successful pilot program, city’s first shared e-moped service expands its fleet in Brooklyn and Queens

After launching last summer with an initial fleet of 68 mopeds, Brooklyn-based tech startup Revel has released 1,000 new electric mopeds throughout Brooklyn and Queens today. The new models will replace the old ones and expand the service area from only Bushwick, Williamsburg, and Greenpoint to more than 20 neighborhoods, including Astoria, Red Hook (where Revel has also opened a new 10,000-square-foot warehouse), Crown Heights, and Bed-Stuy. Since launching their pilot program last July—the first of its kind in New York City—there have been 34,000 Revel e-moped rides with 4,000 riders using the mopeds.
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Plans to renovate and expand Port Authority Bus Terminal may soon move forward

Image via Wikimedia

May 24, 2019

Plans to renovate and expand Port Authority Bus Terminal may soon move forward

As 6sqft previously reported, in 2017 plans to address the overcrowded Port Authority Bus Terminal–the world's busiest–became focused on renovating the existing midtown Manhattan building rather than relocating it a block to the west. Despite constant squabbles, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the bus terminal, agreed on a timeline, and a study was undertaken to determine costs and a schedule. Options included building a terminal for intercity buses underneath the Jacob K. Javits center, which itself has undergone major renovations. Now, as Politico reports, the two-state organization is moving forward with plans to replace the overtaxed terminal, with a focus on three options as outlined in an unreleased “scoping document.”
Options, this way

Everything you need to know about getting around NYC this Memorial Day Weekend

Via Flickr cc

May 22, 2019

Everything you need to know about getting around NYC this Memorial Day Weekend

By 6sqft

If you're hitting the road this Memorial Day Weekend, best not to leave the city between 4:45 and 6:45pm on Thursday, as AAA predicts that car traffic in NYC will be twice as heavy during this time. If you're depending on the LIRR or Metro-North, the MTA will be adding extra trains, and there will be free Q70 bus service to/from LaGuardia until Friday evening. As an extra treat, most weekend subway disruptions will extend into Monday, but the good news is that there are no additional changes on the 1, 7, A, C, G, F, M, and W lines.
Get all the info here

Transit

City Council Speaker Corey Johnson’s new bill is a ‘roadmap to breaking the car culture’

Via City Council Speaker Corey Johnson

May 21, 2019

City Council Speaker Corey Johnson’s new bill is a ‘roadmap to breaking the car culture’

City Council Speaker Corey Johnson's comprehensive "complete streets" bill arrives just three months after he proposed a five-year plan to make New Yorkers who take mass transit, walk and bike a priority over motor vehicle drivers. Johnson plans to introduce legislation next week that would require city officials to build 150 miles of dedicated bus lanes and 250 miles of protected bike lanes within a five year period, Streetsblog reports. Johnson said, “I want to completely revolutionize how we share our street space, and that’s what this bill does. This is a roadmap to breaking the car culture in a thoughtful, comprehensive way.”
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MTA proposes full-fare MetroCards for NYC students

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May 20, 2019

MTA proposes full-fare MetroCards for NYC students

By Dana Schulz

"This is a common-sense policy that makes it easier for kids to get to school and does away with needless complexities that have existed for too long," said NYC Transit President Andy Byford in response to the MTA's proposal to replace half-price student MetroCards will full-fare options for students. The MTA Board is expected to vote on the proposal on Wednesday, which would grant K-12 students who live at least a half mile from their school three-trip, full-fare student MetroCards.
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May 17, 2019

Cuomo reveals new Penn Station entrance, work set to begin next month

On Thursday Governor Andrew M. Cuomo unveiled the final design for the new main entrance to Penn Station. The new 33rd Street and 7th Avenue entrance will provide much-needed direct access to the Long Island Rail Road main concourse and the subway, eliminate congestion by doubling capacity for riders entering and leaving the LIRR level and enhance safety and security. Construction begins next month and will wrap up in December of 2020. The new design is the first we've seen of the $600 million Penn Station revamp since last September when Gov. Cuomo revealed a new LIRR entrance and public plaza.
More of the new designs this way

The 1 isn’t running uptown, expect heavy delays on 5 trains, and more weekend service updates

The weather forecast is looking good this weekend, but underground things aren't as bright. The usual roster of subway service changes will hit the tracks, and while some straphangers are lucky enough to avoid planned work on their lines—the C, F, and G are in the clear—others are not so fortunate. The 1 isn't running uptown, the 5 will only be running every 20 minutes, and there are scores of skipped stops and reduced service across the board.
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Here’s how the trains will be running this Mother’s Day weekend

Image via Flickr cc

May 10, 2019

Here’s how the trains will be running this Mother’s Day weekend

This weekend, riders of the C and G trains will be better off than most, with no planned service changes on either line. The main source of frustration will be skipped stops across most other lines, with further reduced service after 11:45 p.m. on the 3, 5, 6, D, and N trains. Below, all the updates you need to make sure you don't keep Mom waiting.
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The 3 and C are the only trains without planned track work this weekend

Via Flickr cc

May 3, 2019

The 3 and C are the only trains without planned track work this weekend

As the L train enters the second week of its slowdown this weekend, there are plenty of service changes hitting most other lines. Watch out for skipped stops across the board (but especially on the 1, 2, 4, 6 and D trains) and limited service in Brooklyn and Queens on the A and J trains. You can also expect longer than usual delays on the 2, D, N, and Q trains, which are only running every 12 minutes—and that's all without taking into consideration all the unplanned disruptions that are sure to occur.
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Transit

April 30, 2019

Grand Central Terminal’s departure boards are going digital

Grand Central got a questionable makeover yesterday when one half of the retro Departures board was switched to digital displays. The controversial upgrade has been in the works since March and is part of Metro-North’s Way Ahead initiative which will replace the station’s gate boards, digital track indicators, departure monitors and platform displays with a new, modern system that promises brighter, easier-to-read, and more accurate displays that can help curb congestion in the busy terminal.
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Transit

April 26, 2019

New interactive tool tracks transit ridership in America’s cities

The story of public transit in America is an ongoing one: We need more of it, in more neighborhoods; we need to pay for it; ridership is declining in some places and growing in others. The state of transit often varies wildly depending on the city it serves. Transit Insights, a new visual tool from TransitCenter allows you to compare the country's transit systems in recent years while looking into factors like regional population changes and density, fare prices, operating costs and how many miles the system covers. Transit Insights combines information from the National Transit Database, the U.S. Census and route maps from Transit.Land into a visual format so you can reference information quickly and easily.
What's the story behind your city's transit system?

Transit

The L train ‘slowdown’ begins this weekend (and all the other service updates you need to know)

Image via Flickr

April 26, 2019

The L train ‘slowdown’ begins this weekend (and all the other service updates you need to know)

After years of planning and months of confusion, it's finally here: the L train shutdown slowdown officially begins at 8 p.m. tonight. L trains will only be running every 20 minutes on weeknights and weekends for the next 12-15 months. During peak weekend hours, the L typically services 8,000 straphangers, but will only be able to accommodate 4,800 an hour under the reduced schedule—that leaves plenty of frustrated riders who will need to look for travel alternatives like the 7, G, and M trains, or the “Williamsburg Link” buses for stops in the Brooklyn neighborhood. Read on for all the service disruptions hitting the subways this weekend.
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14th Street busway is back on, private vehicles will be banned during L train shutdown

Via Oran Viriyincy on Flickr

April 24, 2019

14th Street busway is back on, private vehicles will be banned during L train shutdown

It seems plans for a "busway" on 14th Street are back on, according to a draft release of the de Blasio administration’s plans obtained by amNY. The city will ban most private vehicles on 14th Street to help speed up the flow of buses and mitigate overcrowding during the L train shutdown. While the L train Canarsie Tunnel rehabilitation work is scheduled to begin on April 26, the 14th Street changes won’t kick into effect until June.
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Transit

Parts of every NYC borough will go car free next weekend for Earth Day

Photo courtesy of NYC DOT on Flickr

April 19, 2019

Parts of every NYC borough will go car free next weekend for Earth Day

To celebrate Earth Day next weekend, New York City is closing some of its streets to cars. As part of an annual event run by the city's Department of Transportation, 30 blocks of Broadway from Times Square to Union Square will be closed on April 27 to allow pedestrians and cyclists to roam and ride free between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Along the nearly two-mile route, the city will offer some environmental programs and nonprofit organizations will be on-site to educate walkers about climate change and sustainability.
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As the Easter Parade hits Midtown this weekend, here’s how subways will be running

Image via Flickr cc

April 19, 2019

As the Easter Parade hits Midtown this weekend, here’s how subways will be running

If you're heading to the annual Easter Parade and Easter Bonnet Festival this Sunday—beginning at 10 a.m. at Fifth Avenue and 49th Street and marching up to 55th Street—you'll want to take the E to Fifth Avenue-53rd Street, the N and R to Fifth Avenue-59th Street, the 4, 5, and 6 to Grand Central, or the 7 to Fifth Avenue. If you have other plans this weekend, check out our guide to planned service changes so you can get there with minimum headaches.
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Price of weekly and monthly MetroCards to increase this Sunday

Via Phil Hollenback/Flickr

April 18, 2019

Price of weekly and monthly MetroCards to increase this Sunday

The board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority voted in February to increase the fares for weekly and monthly MetroCards while eliminating the pay-per-ride bonus. This Sunday, April 21, the price of a monthly pass will rise from $121 to $127 and a weekly pass from $32 to $33, as reported by amNY. The base fare will remain at $2.75.
More on the fare hike

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April 16, 2019

MTA maps L train service changes and alternative transit options ahead of partial shutdown

Starting Friday, April 26 through the summer of 2020, L train service will be suspended on weeknights and weekends. The halt of train service is part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's revised plan to repair the Canarsie Tunnel, proposed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in January as an alternative to shuttering the line completely. While the L train will run normally during peak times for the next year and a half, service on the line will be reduced starting as early as 8 p.m. on weekdays. To ease the impending headache for commuters, the MTA has released a map that shows service alternatives, transfer points, and planned wait times for the L train.
Get the scoop

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L train service between Brooklyn and Manhattan suspended for 10 weeknights

Via Flickr

April 12, 2019

L train service between Brooklyn and Manhattan suspended for 10 weeknights

Ahead of the revised partial shutdown happening at the end of the month, the L train is shutting down. Starting Monday, April 15, the line will not run for 10 weeknights between Manhattan and Brooklyn from 10:30 p.m. to 5 a.m., Monday through Friday. The shuttered service allows the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to install signal equipment to prepare for rehabilitation work on the Canarsie Tunnel set to begin April 27, as amNY reported.
Get the l train low down

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Get ready for another weekend of service changes on every line

Image via Flickr

April 12, 2019

Get ready for another weekend of service changes on every line

A bunch of service changes are hitting the subways again this week, with no line left untouched. In addition to multiple trains skipping stops or running express, several lines will be rerouted via other trains, and the 6 and L trains are both running in two sections, with delays to be expected. No matter what your plans are for the weekend, we've put together our weekly guide of planned subway service changes below, so you can head out prepared.
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As rail freight expands, an old train line in Brooklyn and Queens could provide congestion relief

Image via Wiki Commons

April 8, 2019

As rail freight expands, an old train line in Brooklyn and Queens could provide congestion relief

The New York & Atlantic Railway, a little-known freight line that runs through Brooklyn and Queens, is set to receive a significant investment as part of ongoing strategies to relieve congestion in the city, the New York Times reports. Currently, the city’s rail lines only transport two percent of New York’s cargo, while trucks carry about 90 percent. One rail car can carry the equivalent of four trucks, so they could represent a previously "unsung" key to diverting truck traffic, a major contributor to the city’s ongoing battle with gridlock.
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Study for Utica Avenue subway extension launches four years after city secured $5M for it

Photo via Flickr

April 8, 2019

Study for Utica Avenue subway extension launches four years after city secured $5M for it