Nyc Subway

October 24, 2016

Second Avenue Subway will open in December without delay, officials say

MTA Chairman Thomas Prendergast is hoping to squash rumors that the Second Avenue Subway (SAS) will miss its December opening date. As Prendergast told the Times on Friday, “[we want to show riders] we live up to our promises” and that they are "now within striking distance of having it done.” The chairman's remarks incidentally coincide with some newly unearthed information from the Daily News, who also reported Friday that the agency spent a week shaving down parts of the new subway tunnel wall because 75-foot train cars couldn't fully clear curves.
more info from the MTA here

Transit

October 13, 2016

‘City of Women’ turns the subway map into an homage to the city’s greatest females

By Michelle Cohen

Modern cities are filled with signs that mark history, and that history often bears men's names. In New York City, for example, we have Astor Place, Washington Square, Lincoln Center, Columbus Circle, Rockefeller Center, and Bryant Park, just to name a few. In introducing a new book that addresses this status quo, The New Yorker points out that history-making women, on the other hand, "are anonymous people who changed fathers’ names for husbands’ as they married, who lived in private and were comparatively forgotten, with few exceptions," and that their names are notably missing from our streets. In their forthcoming book “Nonstop Metropolis: A New York City Atlas,” Rebecca Solnit and Joshua Jelly-Schapiro offer us a New York City subway map that attempts to set the record right. “City of Women” pays homage "to some of the great and significant women of New York City" in the places they lived and made a difference.
See the full-size map here

City Living

October 10, 2016

VIDEO: MTA runs first test trains on Second Avenue Subway line!

By Diane Pham

While it's still unclear whether or not the Second Avenue Subway will meet its December opening date, it does look like the rails themselves are just about ready to take on riders. Over the weekend, Youtube user Dj Hammers spotted the agency running trains past the line's Lexington Avenue-63rd Street station (where a public area has already opened), testing out the third rail, signals and track.
more details and a video here

Transit

September 26, 2016

Second Avenue Subway may miss December opening date

By Dana Schulz

After 100 years of chatter surrounding a Second Avenue Subway, it's no surprise that the MTA can't seem to stop flip-flopping on whether or not the line will meet its December opening date. In April of 2015, the agency announced that Phase I was 82 percent complete and on schedule, but this past June, reports of construction snafus signaled what many felt was an inevitable delay. NBC New York now confirms that the MTA is reassessing its timeline due to issues with elevator and escalator testing at the 72nd Street station.
More info right here

Transit

September 26, 2016

NYC Transit paid $431M in settlements to people injured by trains or buses in last five years

By Michelle Cohen

We’re frequently reminded of the MTA’s efforts to tighten security and keep us safe from terrorists; now the Daily News reports that errors in safety procedures have led to an alarming number of accidental injuries over the past several years. And victims are definitely saying something–at an average of $86.2 million in settlement payments per year, totaling $431 million over the last five years.
Take a look at the numbers

Transit

September 22, 2016

W train service starts up again November 7th

By Dana Schulz

NY1 has learned that the W train will make its triumphant return on Monday, November 7th. The line was taken out of service in 2010, along with the V train, due to MTA budget cuts, but the idea to revive the line came about last summer as a way to better connect Astoria when the Q train is rerouted once the Second Avenue Subway opens. As Curbed notes, at first it will operate between 57th Street and Whitehall Street in Lower Manhattan, but will eventually extend to Astoria-Ditmars Boulevard.
More details

Transit

Image via Alan Bloom/Flickr

September 12, 2016

MTA kicks off an intensive two-week subway cleanup

By Metro New York

Image via Alan Bloom/Flickr The rats won’t like this. The MTA’s Operation Track Sweep to spiffy up New York’s subways commenced Monday and will continue for two weeks. More than 500 MTA workers are part of the intensive system-wide cleanup to remove trash and debris from the tracks at all of New York City’s 469 […]

Transit

September 7, 2016

Uniqlo’s NYC subway-inspired t-shirt collection hits stores

By Rebecca Paul

The New York City subway map is an icon of our modern urban culture, and it was only a matter of time before the popular graphics made their way on to a t-shirt in some trendy way. Uniqlo just released a new line of SPRZ NY tees featuring designs pulled from the The New York City Transit Authority Graphics Standards Manual, a graphic system designed by Massimo Vignelli and Bob Noorda in the late 1970s. The new line of tees were produced in collaboration with the MoMA and appropriately named, "The Subway and the City."
see more designs here

September 7, 2016

Video: The first of 300 new R179 subway cars has (finally) arrived at the MTA’s 207th Street yard

By Michelle Cohen

The future has arrived, and it's delayed, of course. The first of the city's shiny new subway cars was delivered to the MTA yard at 207th street in Inwood last night. The new R179 cars are being made upstate by Canadian company Bombardier and are slated to replace old cars on the C, A, J, M and Z lines (the trains on the C line are the oldest); a final decision on which lines will get the new cars hasn't been made at this time. The newly-arrived car is a test model, though; we won't be packing into the new cars like sardines until at least 2018.
See the future pulling in

Transit

August 29, 2016

Subway Reads offers free e-books based on the length of your commute

By Dana Schulz

It can be a bit frustrating to start getting into a book on your commute when you just as soon have to put it down, which is part of the idea behind a new initiative called Subway Reads, a web platform that offers free e-books to subway riders that can be timed to their commute. The program is a collaboration among the MTA, Transit Wireless (the company behind the $250 million+ project to put Wi-Fi in 278 underground stations), and Penguin Random House. According to the Times, the platform was launched as a way to promote the fact that connectivity has already reached 175 stations, but it will only last eight weeks. During that time, users can download novellas, short stories or parts of complete books to their cellphones or tablets, and they can make their selections based on how long they expect to be on the train (the formula accounts for about a page a minute).
Find out how it works

August 24, 2016

This 1927 city subway map shows early transit plans

By Michelle Cohen

If you're navigating the NYC subway and wishing you could start from scratch, these map outlines from 1927 might prove interesting. Found by hyperreal cartography, the maps, from the state's Transit Commission Office of Chief Engineer, outline the "plan of existing and proposed rapid transit lines" for New York City. What's shown on the map appears to be the Independent Subway System; the ISS or IND, as it was known, was first constructed in 1932 as the Eight Avenue Line. As one of the three networks that was integrated into the modern New York City subway, the IND was meant to be fully owned and operated by the city government, as opposed to the privately-funded Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) and Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT) companies. The three lines merged in 1940.
Investigate the possibilities

August 19, 2016

Video: Take a gritty summertime subway ride to Coney Island–in 1987

By Michelle Cohen

From the archives of '80s NYC nightlife videographer Nelson Sullivan comes this summertime classic video. Young Village Voice writer Michael Musto, artist Albert Crudo, and photographer Liz Lizard with her two kids in tow join Sullivan on the trip to Coney Island from Manhattan on a very different subway than we're used to today (h/t acapuck via Reddit). Their destination, too, won't look the least bit familiar to anyone who's visited the aforementioned beach destination in recent years, though there are many among us who fondly remember the beautiful decay of the boardwalk environs and the thrill of its garish attractions in the pre-MCU, pre Keyspan days. We never tire of checking out the graffiti-covered cars and fellow riders who probably only look more menacing. And at some moments if you don't look too hard, everything appears pretty much the same: The noise, the heat, the underground grit–and the fact that when it comes to fashion, everything a few decades old looks cool and new again.
Take a day trip to the '80s

History

August 18, 2016

VIDEO: The MTA tells all about dumping its subway cars in the Atlantic Ocean

By Dana Schulz

6sqft first learned about the MTA's interesting history of dumping old subway cars into the Atlantic Ocean through Stephen Mallon's insane photo series. The initiative began in late 2000 as a way to create artificial reefs and revive marine life along the Eastern seabed. Today, 2,400 cars now rest on the ocean floor in six states from New Jersey to Georgia, and we even got a peek inside them thanks to footage from novice divers at Express Water Sports, who lead scuba tours of the Bill Perry Reef system in Myrtle Beach, SC. Now, a video from the MTA itself (h/t Tracks) explains the history of the program, its financial viability, the environmental measures involved in the process, and some concerns about the reefs in the future.
Watch the full video here

Transit

August 10, 2016

Mapping Subways, Buses, and Free Transfers in One Place

By Michelle Cohen

One MetroCard. One map. Done.This new set of maps from map obsessive Anthony Denaro shows all the ways we can use the New York City transit system's unlimited MetroCard and transfers in one convenient, color-coded place. This includes both subways and buses, and important junctions where you can transfer within and between them. Included are all NYC transit services that can be accessed with an unlimited MetroCard. As the map's creator puts it, "Millions of NYC residents live beyond a 15-minute walk to a subway station. Hundreds of thousands of people start their commute by boarding a bus and then transferring to the subway. This is a map for us. One complex transit map, for one complex transit-reliant city."
The map, and the idea behind it

Transit

August 2, 2016

New Interactive Subway Game Lets You Build the Transit System of Your Dreams

By Michelle Cohen

A new interactive New York City subway planning game created by electrical engineer Jason Wright gives you a chance to try your hand at building the subway system of your dreams. Though based on a similar idea to Dinosaur Polo Club's Mini Metro, the game goes further and gives players a lot more to work with. “Brand New Subway” lets players start from scratch or use current subway maps, modify historic maps dating as far back as the 1900s or use maps from the future (like the planned 2025 subway system map pictured above) (h/t DNAinfo).
Try your hand at playing god of the subways

July 28, 2016

MTA Likely to Implement Fare Hike to $3 by 2017

By Dana Schulz

Start saving your quarters; the MTA all but definitively announced at its board meeting yesterday that it will raise subway and bus fares by 2017 in an effort to raise more than $300 million annually. This is part of their four-year financial plan that includes fare and toll hikes every two years to Jamison Dague of the nonprofit Citizens Budget Commission told the Daily News that if past increases are any indication, the MTA will likely raise fares from $2.75 to $3, a four percent increase that would bring in roughly $308 million through 2020. And if another increase was implemented in 2019, the cash-strapped agency would pull in an additional $594 million over two years.
More here

July 25, 2016

MTA Announces Details on L Train Shutdown To Begin in 2019

By Michelle Cohen

The MTA plans to announce today that the long-dreaded L train shutdown for repairs needed on the Canarsie tunnel that runs beneath the East River will commence in 2019 and take the line out of service from Manhattan to the Bedford Avenue station in Brooklyn for 18 months, as reported by the New York Times. The 18-month option was the expected choice, the alternative being a partial three-year shutdown that would give about one in five passengers service to Manhattan (20 percent of current service). The agency needs to do major repairs on damage done by the 2012 superstorm Sandy, and while the tunnel is “not in grave danger of collapse,” according to the MTA, it can’t go untreated. As 6sqft previously reported, night and weekend service is off the table because of the amount of work that needs to be done, and building a third tube would be time- and cost-prohibitive.
Find out more

Transit

July 20, 2016

POLL: Are You Happy With Governor Cuomo’s Planned Subway Changes?

By Dana Schulz

On Monday, as 6sqft reported, Governor Cuomo unveiled the MTA's "plans to build 1,025 new subway cars, and to modernize 31 of the city’s more than 400 stations." Most of the new fleet will be of the open-gangway format, and they'll boast wider doors, Wi-fi, USB ports, better lighting, cell service, security cameras, full color digital information displays, and a new blue and gold color palette that represents New York's state colors. Since the upgrades are part of the $27 billion capital plan that was approved in May, some critics are questioning whether the changes are more cosmetic and brag-worthy, rather than functional. But the city explains that the design of the new cars will help alleviate overcrowding, thereby reducing delays. What do you think--can the MTA do better?
Cast your vote here

Transit

July 18, 2016

New High-Tech Subway Station and Car Designs Unveiled by Governor Cuomo

By Diane Pham

Straphangers rejoice! As unveiled by Governor Cuomo at the NYC Transit Museum in Brooklyn today, the MTA has announced plans to build 1,025 new subway cars, and to modernize 31 of the city's more than 400 stations. In addition to the majority of these cars taking on the globally-favored "open car end" format, they will also boast wider doors, Wi-fi, USB ports, improved lighting, cell service, full color digital information displays, security cameras for passenger safety, and interestingly, a new color palette—yes, Cuomo has also taken to branding the cars in New York's state colors, blue and gold.
Welcome to the 21st Century, new york city

Transit

July 14, 2016

Buy Old Subway Seats, Signs, Tokens and More From the MTA

By Michelle Cohen

We know that thing where they were dumping old subway cars into the ocean for fish to live in was pretty cool, but there are only so many the briny deep can handle, and as cars get upgraded, items from the various good old days of NYC transit increasingly become collectibles. To that end, the MTA holds monthly online sales featuring retired and vintage subway cars (yes, you can apparently buy one of those), buses and their various parts and other ephemera, with items regularly added to the trove. All items are sold with a certificate of authenticity (don't laugh, there's actually a company that makes "vintage" subway signs). The current haul includes vintage subway and bus seats, roll signs and metal hanging straps (so you can feel like a commuter without leaving your living room).
Find out how you can recreate the subway experience at home

Transit

July 13, 2016

Interactive Map Shows Massive ‘Subway Deserts’ in Underserved ‘Hoods

By Dana Schulz

Last summer, 6sqft shared an interactive map from transit data junkie Chris Whong that laid out all NYC land ares more than 500 meters from one of the city's 470 subway stations. He's now revised his Subway Deserts Map to better take into account walkability, using a 10-minute walk from a station as the buffer zone (h/t Gothamist). The "walkshed" is styled in the same hue as water, leaving only the map portions that are subway deserts. Not surprisingly, Manhattan is pretty well set, save for Alphabet City and the far east and west sides, and the majority of the Bronx is underserved, as is much of Queens, southeast Brooklyn, and the Williamsburg waterfront.
Check out the full map here

June 22, 2016

Poll: Will Phase One of the Second Avenue Subway Open on Time?

By Dana Schulz

New Yorkers have learned to take deadlines and budgets from the MTA with a grain of salt, and the Second Avenue Subway may be the worst offender since it was first proposed all the way back in the 1920s. But the past couple years have restored some hope; in April 2015, it was announced that Phase I of the project was 82 percent complete and on track for its December 2016 opening, and last summer the MTA even went so far as to say the entire line could open sooner than originally planned. But yesterday the Post reported that there's a good chance the Second Avenue Subway won't be finished on time, blaming construction crews not showing up for work. This has put inspections behind schedule, and therefore "the agency has only completed 67 percent of the testing and needs to do another 1,100 checks by October."
What do you think this means for the deadline?

Transit

The MTA Joins Forces With Arup Engineers to Build Quieter Subway Stations

Artist’s impression of one of the Second Avenue subway’s 16 new stations

June 16, 2016

The MTA Joins Forces With Arup Engineers to Build Quieter Subway Stations

By Michelle Cohen

While the New York City subway system has improved by leaps and bounds since the days of squealing graffiti-covered, crime-riddled trains, stations are still an unpleasant reality. Between the grime, stench, heat and noise of oncoming trains (which in turn makes it impossible to hear indecipherable, possibly important announcements), by the time the actual train shows up we've had our share of city cacophony. The good news is that an engineering firm is working with the MTA to create the amazing possibility of quieter subway stations, Wired reports. The challenge of quieting the din lies in the fact that a subway station has to be "incredibly strong, graffiti-proof, soot-resistant, human bodily waste-resistant,” according to Alex Case, an architectural acoustician with the University of Massachusetts Lowell. This indestructible infrastructure by nature creates an echo chamber that amplifies the racket. Engineering firm Arup has been hired by the MTA to improve the acoustics of the new Second Avenue line, the first phase of which–a stretch of track that lies 10 stories below the Upper East Side–is scheduled to open this December, with 8.5 miles and 16 new stations on the way when the line is complete.
Find out how they're doing it

May 31, 2016

The NYC Subway Accounts for 100-Percent of the Nation’s Transit Growth, Says New Study

By Diane Pham

Although the NYC subway system may be hemorrhaging money, unable to turn a profit despite annual fare increases, expanded services and a slew of other measures, there is one thing that it can gloat about. According to a just-released annual report from the American Public Transportation Association (h/t New Geography), the New York City subway accounts for ALL of the transit increase seen in the United States between 2005 and 2015. In the last decade, subway ridership has ballooned nearly a billion trips, while transit systems outside the New York City subway saw a loss of nearly 200 million riders over the same period. And if current figures are any indication of what's to come, this trend will only strengthen. As 6sqft reported in April, NYC subway hit 1.7 billion annual trips, the highest since 1948 when ridership was at its peak.
more details here

Transit

May 27, 2016

MTA Flaunts Future Subway Map With Second Avenue Line

By Dana Schulz

Perhaps in an attempt to distract disgruntled riders from looming shutdowns and never-ending delays, the MTA has released a new subway map that features stations along phase one of the Second Avenue line and the reinstated W line to Astoria. The former isn't planned to open until December (which, as Gothamist notes, we'll believe when we see) and the latter November, but if you were stuck on a sweaty platform this morning, this eye candy is surely a welcome treat.
See the full map here

Transit

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