Nyc Subway

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.
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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

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.
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Council Speaker Corey Johnson kicks off five-day, five-borough tour of NYC subway stations

Via City Council Speaker Corey Johnson

January 7, 2019

Council Speaker Corey Johnson kicks off five-day, five-borough tour of NYC subway stations

On Monday, Corey Johnson, the speaker of the New York City Council and Acting Public Advocate, kicked off a five-day tour of the city's subway system. Johnson, who will hold both posts until the public advocate special election on Feb.26, plans on traveling to stations in all five boroughs to get feedback from real New Yorkers all over the city. "New York City deserves a world-class transportation system, but unfortunately, due to years of neglect and mismanagement, we don't have one," Johnson wrote on the City Council's website.
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Transit

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

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

First weekend of 2019 starts major headaches for 7 train riders and Washington Heights station

Via Flickr

January 4, 2019

First weekend of 2019 starts major headaches for 7 train riders and Washington Heights station

New year, same subway challenges. This weekend will be the start of significant service disruptions along the 7 line—making travel between Manhattan and Queens more complicated—and of long-term construction at several stations in Washington Heights, beginning on January 5 with the closure of the 1 train's 168 Street station (some good news: A and C trains will still be servicing the station). Riders can expect to encounter skipped stops across many lines and long wait times. Read on for a detailed list of the planned service changes.
Know before you go

Transit

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

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

On the front lines of Mayor La Guardia’s 1939 chewing gum war

Gum, and Gum disposal, advertising on the 8th Avenue IND, via The Municipal Archives

January 2, 2019

On the front lines of Mayor La Guardia’s 1939 chewing gum war

By Lucie Levine

In December 1939, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia was at war – with chewing gum. The situation was one we would recognize today: the subway was stuck. With subterranean transit stalled and sticking in stations, the Mayor believed the answer was a full-scale assault on chewing gum. La Guardia led the charge against gum, urging New Yorkers to throw away their finished sticks, rather than sticking them to the city’s streets and subway stations. In true La Guardia fashion, he turned his crusade against sticky subways into a city-wide contest, soliciting catchy anti-gum slogans from the public. And in true New York fashion, the public responded with a variety of slogans, from the sweet to the sly, including “Don’t be Dumb, Park Your Gum” and “Shoot the Wad.”
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History

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

Via Flickr

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.
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Transit

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

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

Transit

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.
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Transit

December 17, 2018

This map will help you navigate the system when the L train shuts down

By Michelle Cohen

As the dreaded L train shutdown of April 2019 looms ever nearer, the fine folks at Citymapper have created an addition to their interactive mapping app to show you what your commute will look like when the L is not an option. Use the SuperRouter to plan a trip between Brooklyn and Manhattan and see which of your alternative routes works best.
More detai s, this way

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

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

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.
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Transit

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

Via Flickr

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

Transit

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

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

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

Image via HBO

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.
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Transit

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

William Wegman stands with one of his newly unveiled murals. Photos © Dana Schulz for 6sqft

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

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

Photo courtesy of Todd Shaffer via Flickr

November 30, 2018

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

By Michelle Cohen

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

Transit

New signals on the 7 line fail on first day system goes live

Photo via Tim Adams on Flickr

November 27, 2018

New signals on the 7 line fail on first day system goes live

After seven years of installing modern signals on the 7 line, the system failed on the first day it went live. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Monday announced on Twitter that "modern signaling tech" went live on the entire line. Less than an hour later, the authority tweeted that 7 trains were delayed in both directions due to a "network communication problem." Upgrading the line with the new system, called communications-based train control, originally was scheduled to finish by late 2016.
7-train problems continue

Transit

Everything you need to know about getting around NYC this Thanksgiving

Photo via Flickr cc

November 20, 2018

Everything you need to know about getting around NYC this Thanksgiving

By Michelle Cohen

Here's what you need to know to get where you're going by NYC public transit this Thanksgiving weekend. Special schedules apply for trains and buses from Wednesday, November 21, through Sunday, November 25 to get you over the river and through the woods to Grandma's house and back Thanksgiving weekend. The good news is that 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. Look below for more information.
Vintage trains are back, too

With key environmental approval, Second Avenue Subway’s second phase inches forward

Via Flickr cc

November 20, 2018

With key environmental approval, Second Avenue Subway’s second phase inches forward

The second phase of the Second Avenue Subway passed its environmental assessment, putting the Metropolitan Transportation Authority one step closer to bringing more subway service to East Harlem. The agency announced on Monday that with the Federal Transit Administration issuing the project a "Finding of No Significant Impact," the MTA can now secure federal funding for phase two. In this phase, the Q line will extend from its terminus at 96th Street north to 125th Street, moving west to Lexington and Park Avenues, where the line will connect with the 4, 5, 6, and Metro-North trains.
More here

Transit

You can buy the earliest ‘portable’ NYC subway map for $12,000

The 1904 map via Martayan Lan Gallery

November 2, 2018

You can buy the earliest ‘portable’ NYC subway map for $12,000

New Yorkers have used maps to navigate the city's subway system since the first year the system opened 114 years ago. And one of only two known examples of the Interborough Rapid Transit's first guide is for sale for $12,000, the New York Times reported. That 1904 transit guide, along with many more historic maps of New York, can be found at the Martayan Lan Gallery, which is kicking of its "New Amsterdam to Metropolis: Historic Maps of New York City 1548-1964" exhibit on Nov. 9.
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Stopped in its tracks: The fight against the subway through Central Park

Photo by Phil Roeder / Flickr

November 1, 2018

Stopped in its tracks: The fight against the subway through Central Park

By Lucie Levine

In 2018, Mayor Bill de Blasio closed all of Central Park’s scenic drives to cars, finishing a process he began in 2015 when he banned vehicles north of 72nd Street. But not all mayors have been so keen on keeping Central Park transit free. In fact, in 1920, Mayor John Hylan had plans to run a subway through Central Park. Hylan, the 96th Mayor of New York City, in office from 1918 to 1925, had a one-track mind, and that track was for trains. He had spent his life in locomotives, first laying rails for the Brooklyn Union Elevated Railroad (later the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company, or BRT), then rising through the ranks to become a conductor. In that capacity, he was involved in a near-accident that almost flattened his supervisor, whereupon he was fired from the BRT. Nevertheless, Hylan made transit his political mission, implementing the city's first Independent subway line and proposing that it run from 59th Street up through Central Park to 110th Street.
So, what happened?

April 27, 2019: MTA announces start date for L train shutdown

Photo via Flickr cc

October 30, 2018

April 27, 2019: MTA announces start date for L train shutdown