MTA

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

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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
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

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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

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The Metropolitan Transportation Authority currently claims that 114 of its 427 stations—or 24 percent—are accessible. But a new study led by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer’s office shows otherwise. A team of staffers surveyed 42 of the stations that the MTA deems accessible, visiting each station on four separate days at different times of the day. Based on complaints and conversations with advocates, they assessed elevator accessibility, station signage, and features for vision-impaired riders. As Curbed first reported, their findings show that an already sub-par statistic is actually inflated.
Learn more
NYC tunnels finally have GPS service

Image via Port Authority of NY & NJ

January 29, 2019

NYC tunnels finally have GPS service

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The days of losing your GPS signal in the tunnel are over. The popular maps application Waze announced on Tuesday that it has partnered with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to deploy "Waze Beacons" in New York City. As of this morning, users of the Holland Tunnel, Lincoln Tunnel, Queens-Midtown Tunnel, and Brooklyn Battery tunnel will be able to enjoy this revolutionary technology.
Get the details
MTA is paying outside contractors $9.5M to deep clean subway cars and stations

Via MTA on Flickr

January 28, 2019

MTA is paying outside contractors $9.5M to deep clean subway cars and stations

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The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is paying outside contractors $9.5 million to clean 3,000 subway cars and 100 stations, the Daily News reported last week. While the transit agency currently employs thousands of station cleaners, the MTA is contracting the dirty job out because the cleaning, as an MTA spokesperson told the News, is a "level of work that our maintenance employees do not perform."
Details here
Overnight and weekend L train closures will last through March

 Image via Flickr

January 28, 2019

Overnight and weekend L train closures will last through March

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Beginning on Monday, the MTA is planning a series of overnight and weekend interruptions of L train service that will give commuters a glimpse at what's to come when Governor Cuomo's new one-track plan to fix the Sandy-damaged Canarsie Tunnel kicks in at the end of April. From January 28 and through March 18, L trains will not run between Broadway Junction and 8 Avenue weeknights from 10:45 p.m. to 5 a.m. In addition to the weeknight closures, there will be no L-train service on seven weekends in February and March: Feb. 1-4, Feb. 8–11, Feb. 15–19, Feb. 22–25, March 1–4, March 8–11, and March 15–18.
Get the details
Cuomo’s new L train plan will still bring headaches for commuters, as leaked memo shows

Image via Governor Cuomo’s Flickr

January 24, 2019

Cuomo’s new L train plan will still bring headaches for commuters, as leaked memo shows

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With Governor Cuomo's plan to avoid a total L train shutdown for 15 months in favor of a "nights and weekends" approach confirmed earlier this month, questions still remain about just what the alternate plan will entail and how riders will be affected. According to an exclusive MTA memo draft obtained by Streetsblog and the New York Post this week, it looks like the new Canarsie Tunnel repair plan will bring its own set of headaches for straphangers, including 20-minute waits between trains on weekends and an exit-only system at First and Third Avenues on weekends.
There's more
MTA board delays vote on proposed fare hike

Via Flickr

January 24, 2019

MTA board delays vote on proposed fare hike

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The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board voted on Thursday to table making a decision on a proposed fare hike until February. The board was set to vote on two proposals to raise NYC subway and bus, Long Island Rail Road, and Metro-North fares. But board member Peter Ward said he was worried about increasing fares without looking at alternative revenue options. "I'm concerned we're making a decision today when we need to be a little bit slower, a little more thoughtful, and consider a few more options," Ward, who was appointed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, said during the board meeting.
More here
Bronx icons radiate light in Rico Gatson’s murals at reopened 167th Street station

Beacons (2018) © Rico Gaston, NYCT 167th Street Station. Commissioned by MTA Arts & Design. Audre Lorde portrait derived from a photo by Jack Mitchell

January 22, 2019

Bronx icons radiate light in Rico Gatson’s murals at reopened 167th Street station

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A series of bright mosaic murals created by artist Rico Gatson was revealed last week at the 167th Street B, D station in the Bronx, which recently reopened after months of repair work. The artwork, "Beacons," features eight portraits of figures who have contributed to culture and society and who also have a special connection to the broader New York City community. Figures honored include Gil Scott-Heron, Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Audre Lorde, James Baldwin, Maya Angelou, Reggie Jackson, and Sonia Sotomayor.
See the artwork
L train shutdown is really cancelled this time, MTA says

Via Wikimedia

January 18, 2019

L train shutdown is really cancelled this time, MTA says

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"The total shutdown of both tunnels and all service scheduled for April 27 will not be necessary," reads a statement from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority released Thursday. The announcement comes just a few days after the MTA held an "emergency" meeting to present the agency's board with information about the new L train plan ahead of a vote on the project. But it appears the MTA will argue that the new plan, which would not require a total shutdown of subway service, does not need board approval to move forward after all.
More here
Five years ago, transit officials rejected L train plan similar to Cuomo’s over safety concerns

Via Flickr

January 15, 2019

Five years ago, transit officials rejected L train plan similar to Cuomo’s over safety concerns

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Earlier this month, Gov. Andrew Cuomo shocked New Yorkers when he called off the 15-month shutdown of L-train service, part of the plan to fix the Canarsie Tunnel which had been in the works for years. Instead, the governor, along with an expert panel of engineers, presented a new, never-been-done-before plan that would require less construction in the century-old tunnel. But the New York Times reported on Tuesday that a similar plan was rejected by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority nearly five years ago over safety and feasibility concerns.
More here
Emergency MTA meeting on Cuomo’s L train plan set for Tuesday

Via Gov. Cuomo’s Flickr

January 14, 2019

Emergency MTA meeting on Cuomo’s L train plan set for Tuesday

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The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Tuesday will hold an emergency public meeting for its board to review Gov. Andrew Cuomo's L train reconstruction proposal. Earlier this month, the governor unexpectedly presented a new plan to fix the Carnasie Tunnel that would not require it to close for 15 months and halt L train service between Manhattan and Brooklyn, but instead be repaired on nights and weekends. The MTA board is expected to question the agency on the feasibility of the new plan, which was announced by Cuomo just three months before the shutdown was set to begin in April.
Find out more
$60M contract will finally bring East Side Access to Grand Central

Via Wikimedia

January 10, 2019

$60M contract will finally bring East Side Access to Grand Central

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It was announced today that a $60.2 million contract to build the project that will bring the Long Island Rail Road service to Grand Central Terminal was awarded to construction and development company Skanska. The award represents the final heavy civil contract in the MTA's largest largest capital project and one that marks the first expansion of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) in over 100 years.
Find out more
De Blasio promises to increase NYC bus speeds and number of designated lanes

Via Flickr

January 10, 2019

De Blasio promises to increase NYC bus speeds and number of designated lanes

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Significant improvements will be made over the next two years to the New York City's outdated bus system, Mayor Bill de Blasio is expected to announce during his State of the City address on Thursday. A report released by City Comptroller Scott Stringer in 2017 found the city's buses run at the slowest pace in the nation among large cities, traveling at just 7.4 miles per hour on average. The mayor aims to increase the bus speeds by 25 percent to just over 9 miles per hour by the end of 2020, as amNY first reported.
More this way
Government shutdown could cost MTA $150M per month in federal funds

Via Flickr

January 7, 2019

Government shutdown could cost MTA $150M per month in federal funds

By
With each passing month of the partial government shutdown--currently in its third week--the Metropolitan Transportation Authority stands to lose $150 million per month in federal funds, Sen. Chuck Schumer said Sunday. Without funds from Washington, which are allocated for track repair work and construction projects, the MTA may have to cut back service or borrow money, if the shutdown continues. "They can last another four weeks, but after that, [the MTA has] got real trouble," Schumer said during a news conference, as the New York Post reported. "They may have to borrow which would increase their costs. They may have to cut back, which would be a very bad thing."
More here
Four days late, de Blasio launches Fair Fares program with some caveats

Image via Flickr cc

January 4, 2019

Four days late, de Blasio launches Fair Fares program with some caveats

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After facing sharp criticism this week from almost all New York media outlets for missing the January 1st start date of Fair Fares, Mayor de Blasio and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson held a press conference this afternoon to officially launch the program. As of now, the joint initiative will provide half-priced MetroCards to approximately 30,000 low-income New Yorkers who are receiving cash assistance benefits from the Department of Social Services. In April, an estimated additional 130,000 New Yorkers receiving SNAP benefits will be able to apply. But as the Daily News' City Hall bureau chief Jill Jorgensen mentioned on Twitter, limiting the program to these two groups means that no undocumented residents are eligible to apply.
More details here
Cuomo says MTA board must sign off on L train plan, one day after it was presented as a done deal

Via Wikipedia

January 4, 2019

Cuomo says MTA board must sign off on L train plan, one day after it was presented as a done deal

By
The dreaded 15-month L train shutdown, planned and studied for three years, is canceled. Or is it? Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday presented a proposal for a new L train plan that would no longer require a 15-month closure of the Carnasie Tunnel, the link between Manhattan and Brooklyn and which was damaged by saltwater floods during Hurricane Sandy. During the news conference, Cuomo, along with a panel of experts, engineers, and the acting chair of the MTA, Fernando Ferrer, touted the project as being the shortest and best way to fix the tunnel. But in a conference call with reporters on Friday, the governor called on the MTA board to hold an emergency meeting to vote yay or nay on his new plan, of which most had heard about on the same day it was announced.
More here
With no details from de Blasio, Fair Fares pilot program misses Jan. 1 start date

Via Flickr

January 3, 2019

With no details from de Blasio, Fair Fares pilot program misses Jan. 1 start date

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A program to provide discounted MetroCards to low-income New Yorkers missed its target start date of Jan. 1, and the city has not provided any concrete details on its rollout, amNY reported Wednesday. The Fair Fares pilot program, which was agreed upon in June by Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, would provide half-price MetroCards for those who fall below the federal poverty line. One day after the original launch date passed, the mayor on Wednesday told reporters that more information on how to apply for the program will be provided "in literally just a few days."
More on the Fair Fares flop
Major 7 train disruptions between Long Island City and Manhattan in January and February

Photo via Flickr cc

December 26, 2018

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

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

Photo via Wiki Commons

December 20, 2018

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

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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.
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MTA to close two Washington Heights subway stations for one year

Via Wikipedia

December 18, 2018

MTA to close two Washington Heights subway stations for one year

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

Photo via Flickr cc

December 12, 2018

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

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

Via Wikimedia

December 10, 2018

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

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

Image via WNYC

December 4, 2018

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

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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
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