Nyc Subway

At the start of the Friday evening rush hour last week, about a third of the New York City subway system–the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and Times Square shuttle lines–ground to a halt, leaving commuters stranded–some for as long as 90 minutes–in the sweltering heat. AM New York reports that the cause of the breakdown was a computer glitch the MTA has been fighting for months.
Delays and more delays this way

1, 2, and 3 lines will get hit with major disruptions over the next six weekends

Image via Flickr

July 18, 2019

1, 2, and 3 lines will get hit with major disruptions over the next six weekends

The MTA is preparing an extensive upgrade to track switches on the 1, 2, and 3 lines at and north of 96 Street, which will cause significant weekend service changes for the rest of the summer. The work will be done in three phases over the next six weekends, with reduced service expected throughout the Upper West Side. During the final two weekends of repair work in August, there will be a full suspension of service at all 1, 2, 3 stations between Harlem and Downtown Brooklyn. “We scheduled the work for these summer weekends when our ridership has been historically low,” the MTA said.
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10 Brooklyn stations won’t have overnight L train service for nine weekends

Via Flickr

July 8, 2019

10 Brooklyn stations won’t have overnight L train service for nine weekends

A large part of the L line in Brooklyn will not be available during overnight hours for nine weekends, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced Saturday. Starting on July 16, there will be no L service from midnight to 5 a.m. between Broadway Junction and Lorimer Street spread out across nine different weekends until January. L train service has been reduced since April when the 15-month reconstruction and partial shutdown of the Canarsie Tunnel began.
Get the L train low-down

Transit

After a four-year renovation project, N train service in Brooklyn is fully restored

Photo via Wiki Commons

July 2, 2019

After a four-year renovation project, N train service in Brooklyn is fully restored

The average New Yorker's biggest MTA gripe is delays at their station, but imagine having no station at all for two years? That's what residents in the Bensonhurst area of Brooklyn have endured. Beginning in July 2017, seven Coney Island-bound N train stations, starting at Fort Hamilton Parkway in Borough Park and stretching to 86th Street in Gravesend, were closed as part of the Sea Beach Line restoration project. After a sixth-month delay, the final phase is now complete, with four stations in Bensonhurst finally reopening, reports The City.
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Transit

Governor Cuomo wants to test self-driving subways in NYC

Image via Flickr

July 1, 2019

Governor Cuomo wants to test self-driving subways in NYC

During a three-day trip to Jerusalem last week, Governor Andrew Cuomo toured the offices of Mobileye–a supplier of autonomous driving software—with the possibility of applying those same technologies to the MTA. "We have seen tremendous growth in software development for navigational systems to make automobiles safer and more reliable, and if this software works well on the road then we owe it to commuters to test its application for train and rail," Cuomo said in a statement.
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MTA will bring food and retail options to three of the city’s most trafficked subway hubs

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June 17, 2019

MTA will bring food and retail options to three of the city’s most trafficked subway hubs

As subway newsstands continue to decline, the MTA is reconsidering its retail strategy at three of the cities busiest stations, the Wall Street Journal reports. Riders will soon have more underground dining and shopping options, as the agency seeks to replicate the success of Grand Central Terminal—which teems with a wide range of bars, restaurants, and shops—and the Turnstyle Underground Market leading to Manhattan's 59th St-Columbus Circle Station. The three stations set for a revamp are 42nd Street-Port Authority, 42nd Street-Times Square, and 47th-50th Streets-Rockefeller Center.
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Transit

MTA rolls out rainbow MetroCards and train decals for Pride month

Photo: Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit

June 13, 2019

MTA rolls out rainbow MetroCards and train decals for Pride month

The Federal government may be banning Pride flags at U.S. embassies, but here in New York, our city agencies are prouder than ever to show off the rainbow. The latest initiative comes from the MTA, who has revealed a special set of Pride MetroCards, along with Pride-themed Transit merchandise and a new Pride logo on select subway cars. All of the festive additions mark not only World Pride being hosted in NYC this year but the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.
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Judge rules accessibility lawsuit against the MTA can move forward

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June 6, 2019

Judge rules accessibility lawsuit against the MTA can move forward

A state Supreme Court judge has denied the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s request to dismiss a lawsuit over inaccessible subway stations, amNY reported Wednesday. A coalition of accessibility advocacy groups, including the Center for Independence of the Disabled and Disability Rights Activists, filed the suit. They argued that the MTA is in violation of the city's Human Rights Law because only 24 percent of the subway system’s 472 stations include elevator access.
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Photo via Google

May 31, 2019

MTA’s new tap-to-pay system begins replacing MetroCards today

Before you get too distraught--you'll still be able to swipe (and "swipe again") your MetroCard until 2023. But for those techier New Yorkers, as of noon today, you'll be able to take advantage of the MTA's new tap-to-pay fare system when a pilot launches at 16 Manhattan and Brooklyn subway stations on the 4, 5, and 6 lines between Grand Central-42nd Street and Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center, as well as all Staten Island buses. The new payment system, called OMNY (One Metro New York), will employ e-readers that can accept contactless credit, debit, or reloadable prepaid cards, along with digital wallet apps on mobile phones and wearables. Additionally, Google announced that they've teamed up with the MTA to enable Google Pay as a payment option.
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Study for Utica Avenue subway extension launches four years after city secured $5M for it

A study examining the feasibility of extending Brooklyn's Utica Avenue subway line has finally launched, NY1 reported. As part of the Utica Avenue Transit Improvement Study, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the city will look into extending the 3 and 4 train south of Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights to neighborhoods like East Flatbush and Marine Park. Funding for the study has been in place since 2015 when Mayor Bill de Blasio designated $5 million for it as part of his One NYC plan.
Details this way

Ride to the Yankees home opener on a 102-year-old subway train

Photo courtesy of the New York Transit Museum

March 27, 2019

Ride to the Yankees home opener on a 102-year-old subway train

Baseball fans headed to the New York Yankees home opener this week can arrive in the Bronx via a transportation method almost as old as the team itself. On Thursday, the New York Transit Museum is rolling out its 1917 IRT Lo-V train to run from Grand Central to 161st-Street Yankee Stadium, allowing Bronx-bound passengers to travel back in time before officially kicking off the 2019 baseball season.
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Transit

Judge rules MTA must provide elevators in all stations it renovates

Photo via Flickr

March 8, 2019

Judge rules MTA must provide elevators in all stations it renovates

On Wednesday U.S. District Court Judge Edgardo Ramos ruled that the MTA was in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act for failing to install elevators when it renovated a Bronx subway station. The ruling is the result of a 2016 lawsuit initiated by Bronx Independent Living Services after the MTA refused to make a the Middletown Road elevated subway station in the Bronx wheelchair accessible, though the $27 million renovation included new floors, walls, ceilings and stairs to the street and the train platform, Gothamist reports. Ramos' ruling stated that the MTA is obligated to install an elevator, regardless of cost, unless it is technically infeasible.
Really, MTA?

Transit

Corey Johnson proposes new city-controlled transit system called Big Apple Transit or ‘BAT’

Via City Council Speaker Corey Johnson

March 5, 2019

Corey Johnson proposes new city-controlled transit system called Big Apple Transit or ‘BAT’

In a self-proclaimed atypical State of the City address, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson on Tuesday laid out his vision for city control over New York City's mass transit system. Johnson said municipal control "means we decide how our system is run, we decide how we raise money, and we decide how we spend it." He added: "Municipal control means saying goodbye to the MTA." The new entity would be controlled by the mayor and called Big Apple Transit, or "BAT."
Is it goodbye MTA?

City will expand Fair Fares program to all eligible New Yorkers by 2020

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March 5, 2019

City will expand Fair Fares program to all eligible New Yorkers by 2020

After facing criticism for the delayed and limited roll-out of Fair Fares, Mayor de Blasio and City Council Speaker Johnson have announced plans to expand the program. Starting this fall, eligible New Yorkers in NYCHA, enrolled students at CUNY, and military veterans below the poverty line will have access to the program, which provides half-priced MetroCards for low-income New Yorkers. By January 2020, open enrollment will expand to all New Yorkers at or below the federal poverty line (a household income of $25,750 for a family of four). The program has also been criticized for its reversal on reduced fares for single trips, but Monday's announcement came with the good news that a pay-per-ride option will be available by mid-March.
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Does the subway ‘Pizza Principle’ still hold?

Image via Flickr

March 4, 2019

Does the subway ‘Pizza Principle’ still hold?

For decades some New Yorkers have believed that the price of subway fares and pizza slices are linked. Known as the “Pizza Principle,” the economic theory/urban legend tries to account for the fact that, for the past 40 or so years, the cost of a plain slice of pizza has pretty much tracked with the cost of a single ride fare. So far nobody has been able to provide a clear explanation of why that might be—or if there’s more to it than coincidence. The latest MTA board vote on fare increases may have severed the connection between subway and pizza before we could fully understand it. As the Wall Street Journal reports, the “Pizza Principle” doesn't hold now that gourmet offerings have bumped the average cost of a slice to the $3-$3.50 range while the MTA is maintaining the base fare at $2.75.
More on New York's strangest economic theory

Some NYC subway newsstands will be replaced by vending machines

Via Jens Schott Knudsen on Flickr

March 4, 2019

Some NYC subway newsstands will be replaced by vending machines

The magazine-stuffed and candy-filled newsstands found across New York City's subway system may soon be a thing of the past. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority said it will replace some of the old-school booths with high-tech vending machines, the Daily News reported on Monday. The move comes as the cash-strapped MTA struggles to fill vacant newsstands, with 40 percent of 326 retail spots on the agency's property empty or closed.
More this way

Transit

Cuomo and de Blasio endorse congestion pricing and reorganization of MTA in new 10-point plan

Via Flickr

February 26, 2019

Cuomo and de Blasio endorse congestion pricing and reorganization of MTA in new 10-point plan

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio endorsed congestion pricing and a proposal to reorganize the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in a joint 10-point plan released on Tuesday. The joint plan, which requires legislative approval, calls for tolls to be collected south of 61st Street in Manhattan, with the exception of FDR Drive. Cuomo said on Tuesday he hopes the package of transit proposals is included in the state budget, which lawmakers must pass by April 1. The tolls would not take effect until December 2020, if approved.
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MTA touts subway improvements as more service disruptions lie in wait

Via Colin Mutchler on Flickr

February 25, 2019

MTA touts subway improvements as more service disruptions lie in wait

The subway has seen its best on-time performance and the fewest number of delays across the system in four years, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced on Sunday. But while the stats reveal a promising start for the Subway Action Plan, launched by the agency and Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2017, the gains come at a cost for straphangers with off-peak commutes. The rescue plan, as well as New York City Transit President Andy Byford's $40 billion plan to fix the subway, both which require new sources of funding, will require many subway lines to close on nights and weekends for years, as the New York Times reported.
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Delays, disruptions, and despair: Nearly every subway line to see service changes this week

Image via Flickr

February 25, 2019

Delays, disruptions, and despair: Nearly every subway line to see service changes this week

This week's slate of planned subway service changes rivals the weekend's—and maybe even exceeds it. Service on parts of the B and D will continue to end early, 5 service between E 180 Street and Bowling Green will end at 8:30 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, and the L is only running every 24 minutes during the day. The A and C are the only lines without scheduled work, but unplanned signal issues are likely to shake things up there as well.
Know before you go

Transit

February 21, 2019

Pols suggest R train be split to save Brooklyn riders from Manhattan delays

A few Brooklyn elected officials asked the MTA to halt half of R subway service at Court Street, with Queens-Manhattan service covering the Whitehall and 71st Avenue stations on the other half, in the interest of streamlining the route and avoiding the traffic delays that plague the line, AM New York reports.
R they serious?

Transit

No weeknight service on parts of the B and D lines in the Bronx for three weeks

Photo via Flickr cc

February 19, 2019

No weeknight service on parts of the B and D lines in the Bronx for three weeks

Bronx residents who ride the B and D lines, take note: beginning today and lasting for three weeks, maintenance, cleaning, and repair work will cause the MTA to close stations between 161st Street-Yankee Stadium and Norwood-205th Street from 9:30pm to 5am as part of their larger Subway Action Plan.
All the details

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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

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

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February 6, 2019

NYC has fewer accessible subway stations than MTA claims, report says

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.
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TransitCenter maps out the next 50 subway stations that should be made accessible in NYC

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January 31, 2019

TransitCenter maps out the next 50 subway stations that should be made accessible in NYC