Transit

New open gangway subway cars to debut on the A and C lines this year

All photos courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

February 6, 2023

New open gangway subway cars to debut on the A and C lines this year

By Devin Gannon

Starting this year, commuters on the A and C subway lines will be able to easily walk from one train car to the next. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority last week unveiled one of the "open gangway" subway cars, which are undergoing testing and are expected to carry passengers by the end of the year. The open gangway cars, which feature accordion-like walls that connect the entire train, are part of an order that includes 535 subway and Staten Island Railway R211 cars, 20 of which will have the open gangway design.
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Transit

In New York, Biden touts $300M investment for Hudson River rail project

President Biden hosted a press conference in NYC to discuss the Hudson River Tunnel Project on 1/31/23; Photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

February 1, 2023

In New York, Biden touts $300M investment for Hudson River rail project

By Aaron Ginsburg

President Joe Biden made an appearance at Hudson Yards on Tuesday to announce a $292 million investment for a project that would fix a century-old rail tunnel and build a new one under the river between New York and New Jersey. The $16 billion Hudson River tunnel project is just one part of the broader $30 billion Gateway Project, which includes new bridges and the expansion of Penn Station. The funding announced by Biden will go toward a $649 million project that extends the concrete casing for the tunnels between Penn Station and the Hudson River before any work on the tunnels can actually begin.
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NYC will require Uber and Lyft to go fully electric by 2030

Photo by Pranay Pareek on Unsplash

January 30, 2023

NYC will require Uber and Lyft to go fully electric by 2030

By Aaron Ginsburg

All New York City Uber and Lyft rideshare vehicles must go 100 percent electric by 2030, Mayor Eric Adams announced during his State of the City address last week. The decision will affect roughly 100,000 drivers for the two rideshare platforms, which both applauded the city's announcement, as first reported by The Verge.
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New 34th Street station entrance features mosaic depicting clock from old Penn Station

Image courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

January 27, 2023

New 34th Street station entrance features mosaic depicting clock from old Penn Station

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Thursday unveiled new accessibility improvements at Penn Station. In addition to four newly modernized elevators, the new, fully accessible entrance at 7th Avenue and 33rd Street features artwork by Diana Al-Hadid. Measuring nearly 15 feet tall, the glass mosaic, called The Time Telling, was inspired by a photograph of the clock that hung at the entrance of the old Penn Station.
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LIRR service to Grand Central Madison starts this week

Photo of Grand Central Madison in December 2022; Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

January 24, 2023

LIRR service to Grand Central Madison starts this week

By Aaron Ginsburg

After a month-long delay due to vent exhaust problems, Grand Central Madison will officially open this week, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced Tuesday. The first Long Island Rail Road train with service to Manhattan's east side is scheduled to leave Jamaica at 10:45 a.m. on Wednesday and arrive at the new terminal at 11:07 a.m. As part of the initial roll-out, there will be limited shuttle service between the two stations to help commuters get familiar with the new terminal, which cost roughly $12 billion, according to the transit agency.
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NYC subway stations near rivers have worst air quality in the system

Photo of High Street station entrance by The All-Nite Images on Flickr

January 19, 2023

NYC subway stations near rivers have worst air quality in the system

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City subway stations that lie beneath the city's rivers may expose commuters to higher levels of harmful pollutants compared to other stations, according to a study published this month. Known as the "river-tunnel" effect by researchers, tunnels that are beneath water have limited ventilation, which ends up trapping harmful particles, according to scientists from New York University's Grossman School of Medicine. According to the research, stations neighboring river tunnels had 80 to 130 percent higher concentrations of potentially dangerous particles compared to stations only a few stops away.
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Transit

MTA to install bike racks at dozens of subway and commuter rail stations

Image courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

January 12, 2023

MTA to install bike racks at dozens of subway and commuter rail stations

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority this week released an action plan to better serve the city's cyclists, including the installation of bike racks on the front of buses and outside of dozens of train stations. As part of the agency's Extending Transit's Reach plan, the bike racks will be installed on the front of M60 SBS, S79 SBS, and Q44 SBS buses, all of which are Select Bus Service routes that span across four boroughs. The city's transit agency will also work to install bike racks at the entrances of 37 subway stations that currently lack parking for bikes.
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Newark Airport’s Jersey-themed Terminal A finally opens

All photos courtesy of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on Flickr

January 12, 2023

Newark Airport’s Jersey-themed Terminal A finally opens

By Devin Gannon

The new Terminal A at Newark Liberty International Airport officially opened on Thursday, after several delays and $2.7 billion. Travelers will have no problem knowing where they are, with Garden State-themed artwork, concessions, and digital displays found throughout the one-million-square-foot terminal. The state-of-the-art Terminal A, which replaces a nearly 50-year-old terminal, is the most expensive infrastructure in New Jersey's history, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
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Transit

Hochul’s 14-mile ‘Interborough Express’ connecting Brooklyn and Queens will use light rail

View of the Bay Ridge Branch from below 5th Ave, which would be incorporated in the proposed Interborough Express. Image courtesy of Marc A. Hermann/MTA on Flickr

January 11, 2023

Hochul’s 14-mile ‘Interborough Express’ connecting Brooklyn and Queens will use light rail

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Interborough Express, a highly-anticipated train line that will connect Brooklyn and Queens, will use light rail, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced in her State of the State address on Tuesday. While the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is still conducting its environmental review of the project, Hochul stated that selecting light rail would "provide the best service for customers at the lowest cost per rider," according to a press release.
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MTA reopens public bathrooms at 9 subway stations

Image via WikiCommons

January 9, 2023

MTA reopens public bathrooms at 9 subway stations

By Aaron Ginsburg

At last, straphangers can experience some relief. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority reopened 18 bathrooms in nine New York City subway stations to the public on Monday. The bathrooms are open at select stations from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, with a one-hour closure from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. for cleaning. The NYC subway system's 133 public restrooms have been closed since March 2020 due to the pandemic.
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Popular Articles

7 train will not run between Queens and Manhattan for six weekends

Photo by David Wilson on Flickr

January 4, 2023

7 train will not run between Queens and Manhattan for six weekends

By Aaron Ginsburg

The 7 train will not run between Queens and Manhattan on six weekends starting next month as work begins to make Queensboro Plaza station fully accessible, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced Tuesday. The $74 million project includes the addition of two elevators, an expanded mezzanine, new lighting and boarding areas, and upgrades to the existing street and station stairs to meet current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. To carry out these upgrades, the MTA will be suspending 7-line service between 34th Street-Hudson Yards and Queensboro Plaza on certain weekends in February through April, and suspending the N line in May.
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Transit

NYC subway surpasses 1 billion riders for the first time since 2019

Photo by Charles16e on Flickr

December 28, 2022

NYC subway surpasses 1 billion riders for the first time since 2019

By Devin Gannon

Ridership on the New York City subway hit 1 billion this year for the first time since the pandemic. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday announced the subway carried more than a billion passengers in 2022, up from 760 million riders in 2021 and 640 million in 2020. While it's a significant milestone for the system as it recovers from Covid, ridership remains at roughly 60 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
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Transit

MTA to cut Monday and Friday subway service on some lines

Photo via WikiCommons

December 20, 2022

MTA to cut Monday and Friday subway service on some lines

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority will modify subway service on seven lines to better accommodate post-pandemic transit ridership trends. The agency on Monday said starting next June it would increase scheduled trips on the weekends and decrease trips on Mondays and Fridays, two days where ridership recovery has been the slowest.
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NYC proposes pedestrian-friendly path on Fifth Avenue from Bryant Park to Central Park

Conceptual renderings from one proposal for a reimagined Fifth Avenue. Credit: Fifth Avenue Association

December 19, 2022

NYC proposes pedestrian-friendly path on Fifth Avenue from Bryant Park to Central Park

By Aaron Ginsburg

Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday released a plan that reimagines a stretch of Fifth Avenue from Bryant Park at 42nd Street to Central Park at 59th Street as a pedestrian-focused space that prioritizes safety, mass transit, and the public realm. This new vision of one of the world's most iconic tourist destinations and commercial districts is part of a broader plan to make the area more appealing to new residents and workers and builds upon the recent closure of Fifth Avenue this month for the holidays.
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MTA unveils stunning mosaics by Yayoi Kusama and Kiki Smith inside the new Grand Central Madison

Yayoi Kusama, “A Message of Love, Directly from My Heart unto the Universe, 2022.” Photo by Kerry McFate ©YAYOI KUSAMA Courtesy of Ota Fine Arts, David Zwirner

December 7, 2022

MTA unveils stunning mosaics by Yayoi Kusama and Kiki Smith inside the new Grand Central Madison

By Devin Gannon

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority last week unveiled new permanent floor-to-ceiling mosaics at the soon-to-open Grand Central Madison terminal, adding to the impressive and expansive public art portfolio found across New York City's transit system. The glass mosaics designed by renowned contemporary artists Yayoi Kusama and Kiki Smith animate the new terminal, which when it opens later this month, will bring Long Island Rail Road service to Grand Central Terminal.
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Official Grand Central Terminal tours return after pandemic hiatus

All photos courtesy of Walks

December 2, 2022

Official Grand Central Terminal tours return after pandemic hiatus

By Aaron Ginsburg

Official guided tours of Grand Central Terminal are returning for the first time since the start of the pandemic. MTA Metro-North announced this week City Experiences's sightseeing company "Walks" will become the new operator of the official tour of Grand Central. Tours of the historic landmark are available daily, starting at 3 p.m. Tickets cost $35 for adults and $30 for children.
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Transit

NYC subway fare could hit over $3 by 2025

Photo by Asael Peña on Unsplash

December 1, 2022

NYC subway fare could hit over $3 by 2025

By Aaron Ginsburg

The cost of a subway or bus ride in New York City could increase to more than $3 per trip by 2025 under proposed fare hikes, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced this week. During the transit agency's monthly board meeting on Wednesday, officials said a higher-than-projected fare increase, from a planned 4 percent hike to instead a 5.5 percent jump, is needed because of significant budget deficits due to low ridership.
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Ride vintage subway trains in NYC every Sunday this holiday season

Photo by Marc Hermann, Courtesy of the New York Transit Museum

November 28, 2022

Ride vintage subway trains in NYC every Sunday this holiday season

By Aaron Ginsburg

Holiday Nostalgia Rides, the New York Transit Museum's beloved tradition, has returned to the city for the first time in two years. Every Sunday between Thanksgiving and Christmas, New Yorkers will be able to ride vintage subway trains that will depart from Chambers Street and 137th Street-City College stations and make express stops on the local 1 line track. The Holiday Nostalgia Train will feature the Train of Many Colors, a selection of different vintage subway cars from the 1960s representing different eras of the subway system's history.
Travel back in time this holiday

NYC unveils plan for car-free streets in Midtown to reduce holiday crowds

Photo by Alex Haney on Unsplash

November 23, 2022

NYC unveils plan for car-free streets in Midtown to reduce holiday crowds

By Devin Gannon

Some streets in Midtown Manhattan will be closed to cars during the holiday season to provide New Yorkers and visitors a safe way to enjoy the festivities, Mayor Eric Adams announced Thursday. Under the plan, the city will open 11 blocks to pedestrians, including a strip of Fifth Avenue from 49th Street to 57th Street, the first time in 50 years the iconic thoroughfare will close to traffic. Starting next week, certain streets around Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall will only be open to pedestrians during the busiest hours.
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Fifth Avenue will partially close to all traffic on select days in December

The decorated holiday window at Saks Fifth Avenue in 2016; Photo by Phil Roeder on Flickr

November 21, 2022

Fifth Avenue will partially close to all traffic on select days in December

By Aaron Ginsburg

Fifth Avenue will be closed to cars in celebration of the holiday season next month. As first reported by Time Out, the "Fifth Avenue for All" initiative will take place on three Sundays next month, December 4, 11, and 18, from noon to 6 p.m., allowing pedestrians to safely stroll along Fifth Avenue from 49th Street to 57th Street.
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NYC taxi fares to increase by 23% by end of the year

Photo by Taton Moïse on Unsplash

November 17, 2022

NYC taxi fares to increase by 23% by end of the year

By Devin Gannon

The cost of an average metered New York City taxi ride will increase by nearly 23 percent by the end of the year. The city's Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) voted this week to approve fare hikes for yellow cabs, the first increase in roughly a decade. The average passenger metered fare will increase from $15.97 to $19.62 per ride, which will lead to drivers seeing a 33 percent jump in gross revenue, according to the TLC.
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NYC is considering making Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza car-free

Photo courtesy of Jordan Rathkopf/ Prospect Park Alliance

November 11, 2022

NYC is considering making Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza car-free

By Aaron Ginsburg

Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza may become the city's next car-free space. As first reported by Gothamist, the city's Department of Transportation (DOT) is considering connecting the Prospect Heights plaza to the Open Streets program on Vanderbilt and Underhill Avenues. The plaza, anchored by its ornate Soldiers' and Sailors' Arch and the official entrance to Prospect Park, has long been the target of safe street activists due to its vehicle traffic and poor sidewalk conditions.
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MTA celebrates Dolly Parton’s new album with limited-edition MetroCard

Image courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

November 9, 2022

MTA celebrates Dolly Parton’s new album with limited-edition MetroCard

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has released a limited-edition Dolly Parton MetroCard in celebration of the legendary country singer's new greatest hits album. In partnership with Legacy Recordings and Dolly Records, the MTA has loaded MetroCard vending machines with 50,000 limited edition cards at four high-traffic stations in Manhattan.
How to score one

Transit

MTA to reopen some subway station bathrooms early next year

Image via WikiCommons

October 25, 2022

MTA to reopen some subway station bathrooms early next year

By Aaron Ginsburg

Straphangers in need of relief will be happy to hear that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority will begin reopening subway station restrooms in early 2023, as Streetsblog first reported on Monday. Thanks to the hiring of 800 new cleaners in recent months, public bathrooms at eight subway stations will reopen starting in January, with the transit agency gradually opening restrooms at additional stations. The subway system's 133 public restrooms across 69 stations have been closed since March 2020 because of the pandemic.
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Nearly 100 NYC streets will go car-free for safe trick-or-treating this Halloween

Photo courtesy of Marco on Flickr

October 24, 2022

Nearly 100 NYC streets will go car-free for safe trick-or-treating this Halloween

By Aaron Ginsburg

For the first time, dozens of New York City's "Open Streets" will expand operating hours on Halloween to make trick-or-treating safer for young New Yorkers. As part of the Department of Transportation's "Trick-or-Streets," nearly 100 streets, plazas, and other commercial corridors across the city will be closed to cars on October 31 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
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