Transit

December 28, 2018

Here’s how to get around NYC this New Year’s

On the last weekend of 2018, the MTA will be running decent subway service. You may have to wait a while for a 4 or 5 train, and several trains are being rerouted via other lines. Read details about your line below to avoid confusion. Minor service disruptions on New Year's Day and expanded service on LIRR and Metro-North should have most travelers starting 2019 with minimal frustration. Also, this Sunday will be the last opportunity to ride on vintage subway trains from the 1930s. You can catch one on Sunday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., they'll be running from 2 Avenue to Rockefeller Center on the F and going uptown on the A, C, D from 59 Street to 125 Street.
Know before you go
December 26, 2018

Major 7 train disruptions between Long Island City and Manhattan in January and February

On weeknights in January and the first week of February, as well as all weekends in January, the 7 train will not run between 34th Street-Hudson Yards and Queensboro Plaza, the MTA announced. As 6sqft reported last month, after seven years of installing modern signals on the 7 line, the system failed the first day it went live. The upcoming work will address repairs needed on a 2,000-foot section of track near Grand Central, "where defects were discovered" during this recent Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) modern signaling system installation.
All the details
December 24, 2018

Signal and track repairs on the E, M, and J will bring delays in the last week of December

The MTA will take advantage of a period of low ridership at the end of the year to perform critical signal and power upgrades on the E, M, and J lines, which will be operating on a restricted schedule through the end of the year. The scheduled work will allow them to fit a month’s worth of weekend repairs into just a few days. Work on the E and M will be wrapped up before New Year’s and should not affect your travel plans, but repairs on the J will continue into the first week of 2019.
READ MORE
December 21, 2018

Be the first to reach Manhattan in this L train shutdown board game

In reality, the L train shutdown will be no fun for anyone, but in this satirical board game, the doomsday situation gets a playful twist. Bushwick Daily first spotted the Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the game, which is called "Escape From Hell." After selecting a hipster character, players roll the dice and follow the path as they try to get from East New York to Manhattan by bus, ferry, bike, or alternate train service.
READ MORE
December 21, 2018

How to get around (or get out of) NYC this Christmas

Here’s everything you need to know about getting around this weekend and over the Christmas holiday, whether you’re staying in or traveling outside NYC. The good news is that the MTA is suspending bridge and tunnel maintenance for the holiday, the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North are providing extra service, off-peak fares apply, and there’s a free bus to La Guardia. Read on for some of the bad news.
Know before you go
December 20, 2018

Governor Cuomo takes his second tour of the Gateway Tunnel

Last night, Governor Cuomo toured the Gateway Tunnel to survey its levels of corrosion and damage beneath the Hudson River. He was joined by the same experts from Cornell University's College of Engineering and Columbia University's Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science who toured the Canarsie Tunnel last week with the Governor. The purpose of the tour was to provide insight into rehabilitating the Canarsie Tunnel ahead of the L train shutdown. However, the tour may definitely have done double duty as a push to the Trump administration, reiterating the importance of this critical project which won’t be able to go forward without federal support.
Find out more
December 20, 2018

Grand Central train shed repairs could mean a mess for Midtown streets

The MTA recently purchased Grand Central Terminal for $35 million, a deal which gave the agency more control over development projects happening at the landmark. And in one of their first orders of business, it looks like they're mulling a massive undertaking to replace the train shed roof, according to Crain's sources. The shed is a two-level-deep underground space comprised of tracks, bridges, and viaducts used to stage and store Metro-North cars. It runs north of the terminal to East 57th Street and takes up an area larger than 20 football fields. Not only would the project cost hundreds of millions of dollars and take 20 years to complete, but Crain's notes that it would likely result in many Midtown streets being ripped up.
READ MORE
December 18, 2018

MTA to close two Washington Heights subway stations for one year

Two subway stations in Manhattan will close for one year each starting next month, although not at the same time, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced on Tuesday. The long-term closures are the result of major elevator replacement projects planned for five stations, including 168th, both 181st, 191st, and 190th Street 1/A stations in Washington Heights. According to the MTA, three of the stations are more than a century old, with most of the elevator components close to 100 years old.
Details here
December 14, 2018

Cuomo tours damaged L train tunnel four months before shutdown

While the plan to shut down the L train for over a year to perform necessary repairs in the East River tunnel it runs through has been in the works for years, Gov. Andrew Cuomo decided this week to see the damage for himself, four months ahead of the looming closure. During a midnight tour of the Canarsie Tunnel on Friday, which connects Manhattan and Brooklyn, Cuomo said he saw "a very old tunnel that needed a lot of work," the New York Post reported. The governor toured the tunnel with two engineering experts from Cornell and Columbia Universities to get a first-hand look and determine whether a 15 month-shutdown is the best-case scenario for commuters.
Too little, too late?
December 13, 2018

Port Authority launches public poll to decide fate of awkward Holland Tunnel holiday decorations

Update 12/17/18: Following the public poll, the Port Authority says they will move the Christmas tree over the A and remove the wreath over the U in Tunnel.  The Port Authority is asking commuters to weigh in on the great Holland Tunnel holiday decoration debacle that many are calling an "OCD nightmare." While the decorations have historically been placed to sit aligned symmetrically above the tunnel lanes, workers who were tasked with decking out the tolls created an eyesore by placing a triangular tree over the N in "Holland" and by putting a wreath over the U, turning the "Tunnel" into a "Tonnel." As the New York Post reported, Cory Windelspecht of Tribeca decided to start a Change.org petition to challenge the decor faux pas. “I look at it and it makes me itch. It gives me anxiety and anger," he fumed. "Why wouldn’t they just put [the tree] in front of the A?”
Find out more
December 12, 2018

MTA confirms that ‘disabled train’ announcement was really for a bathroom break

In the summer of 2017, the MTA implemented a new policy to get rid of stock recordings ("we are delayed because of train traffic ahead of us” or “we are being held momentarily by the train’s dispatcher") and "give more detailed announcements" when trains are delayed. And it looks like they have now taken their honesty campaign to Twitter, correcting a rider that his train was not delayed by another disabled train but rather because "one train crew member had to make an emergency pitstop to the restroom."
It happens to the best of us
December 10, 2018

To reduce delays, MTA to increase subway speed limits at 100 locations

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority over the weekend doubled the speed limit on parts of two lines in Brooklyn, the N and R trains, from 15 miles per hour to as much as 30 miles per hour. These lines are the first of many the MTA will speed up, with transit officials planning to change the speed limits at 100 locations by the spring, the New York Times reported on Monday. The changes in speed limits are part of NYC Transit Chief Andy Byford's $40 billion plan to modernize the problem-plagued subway system and improve service. "This is all about getting the safe maximum out of the existing signaling system," Byford told the Times.
Get the details
December 7, 2018

No M this weekend and all the other subway updates you need to know

It's going to be another good weekend for the L train, which continues to run on weekends through late January. Not so much for the J train, which is not running again between Brooklyn and Manhattan. Like last weekend, there will be shuttle buses available from Hewes Street to Essex Street and between Essex and Metropolitan Avenue. The M train is going to have a rough weekend as well: all service is suspended. There will be M shuttle buses running between Metropolitan Avenue and Myrtle Avenue, and express to/from Delancey Street/Essex Street, but otherwise M riders will have to look to the 4, 5, and F for alternative routes.
Know before you go
December 6, 2018

Transforming LaGuardia’s Terminal B, by the numbers

The first phase of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's $8 billion overhaul of LaGuardia Aiport opened to the public this weekend, which includes a new concourse and 11 gates at Terminal B. Construction company Skanska on Wednesday released additional information about the project, detailing everything from its planned 1.3 million square footage to its use of 40,000 tons of steel. In total, the redevelopment of LGA's Terminal B will cost $5.1 billion and bring 35 new gates and two new concourses.
Get the facts
December 5, 2018

NYC sets $17 minimum wage for Lyft and Uber drivers

Roughly 80,000 for-hire vehicle drivers in New York City are expected to get a pay raise next year. The city's Taxi and Limousine Commission on Tuesday voted to secure a minimum wage for drivers with ride-hailing companies, including Uber, Lyft, Via, and Juno, making New York the first city in the world to do so. Going into effect in 30 days, the new rule mandates a minimum wage of $17.22 per hour, after expenses. That hourly rate is equivalent to the city's employee minimum wage of $15 per hour, which will be set at the end of this year.
More here
December 4, 2018

MTA says 500,000 daily fare evaders are to blame for budget deficit

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Monday said it expects to lose roughly $215 million this year from fare evasion on the city's subways and buses. Nearly 500,000 people daily are not paying to ride, according to a study conducted by the MTA, contributing to the agency's already massive deficit. At a meeting to discuss the issue, NYC Transit President Andy Byford told reporters he intends to focus on both fixing services and stopping fare evasion, as the New York Times reported. "I think the most pressing priority for customers is that they want reliable regular service," Byford said. "But equally, I think New Yorkers would expect that everyone pay their way."
More here
December 4, 2018

Limited-edition ‘Game of Thrones’ MetroCards launch today at Grand Central

After a slight delay, limited edition "Game of Thrones"-themed MetroCards will be available starting today at Grand Central Terminal. The MetroCards are part of a larger #ForTheThrone campaign in anticipation of the series' final season debuting sometime in April 2019. The MTA partnered with HBO for the "Game of Thrones" takeover at Grand Central, which includes more than 150 promotional posters that will remain at the station through Dec. 23, as Gothamist reported.
Get the details
December 3, 2018

William Wegman’s famous dog murals cheer up the newly reopened 23rd Street F, M station

After four months of renovations, the 23rd Street F/M Subway reopened last week. In addition to platform repairs and tech upgrades, the station now features a series of 11 charming murals of artist William Wegman's infamous Weimaraners, Flo and Topper. Set against bright, colorful backgrounds, the dogs look out onto the platform as if they were waiting for the train themselves, echoing some of the emotions felt by straphangers and bringing a bit of humor and life to the subway. 
See the murals
November 30, 2018

Lyft will invest $100M to triple the size of Citi Bike to 40,000 bikes

Just in time for the L train shutdown, the city is getting more bike-friendly. Lyft, the car-sharing company that bought the Citi Bike's operator Motivate, will invest $100 million to dramatically expand the program, according to an announcement from Mayor Bill de Blasio. The fleet of Citi Bikes will triple from 12,000 now to 40,000 over the next five years and cover an area more than twice its current size. The investment will also add more electric bikes, which Citi Bike began to roll out in the summer, boost the $5 discount membership program for NYCHA residents and SNAP recipients, and help repair existing bikes and infrastructure.
Find out more
November 30, 2018

The L train is back! Don’t get used to it.

The L train will be back for weekend service from December until late in January, a relief from the weekend dress rehearsal it's been staging since this summer. The bad news is that the J and M trains won't be running between Manhattan and Brooklyn on weekends until late in January. Free shuttle buses, should you choose them, can get you from Hewes Street to Essex Street and between Essex and Metropolitan Avenue. Before you head out this weekend, check the rest of the planned service changes ahead.
It's still warm enough for the bike
November 29, 2018

LaGuardia Airport’s first new gates and concourse are open

The first new gates in LaGuardia Airport's Terminal B will open this Saturday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced earlier today. The opening will inaugurate the first of two concourses and 11 of the 35 total gates that will service Air Canada, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines. This is the first phase of Cuomo's larger $8 billion overhaul to create "a whole new LaGuardia." The new concourse will feature retail space, a "food hall," complete with local mini-chains like Shake Shack, Irving Farm coffee, and La Chula taqueria, as well as an indoor park (a design feature Cuomo is also implementing at JFK).
Find out more
November 29, 2018

Trump ‘receptive’ to Gateway project, but still no funding agreement reached

Gov. Andrew Cuomo called his meeting with President Donald Trump "productive," despite not reaching an agreement about the funding of a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River. The two Queens natives met for lunch at the White House on Wednesday to discuss the Gateway project, a plan to fix an existing train tunnel and build a new one, construct two new bridges, and expand Penn Station, estimated to cost $30 billion. "I think it's fair to say the president was receptive to what we were talking about," Cuomo said. But there is no timeline for the project, as the governor noted. "So we are nowhere right now," Cuomo told reporters. "There is no clock ticking because there is no clock."
More this way