The M train was running up to 96th—2nd ave with the Q today. It was weird.

Too long to post but I recommend reading it: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/04/n...imit.html?_r=0

In regards to the subway overcrowding, conditions, and some measures taken. Its a good read.

the first city ferry is a hit out of the gate:



NYC Ferry Rockaway route sees 11,000 riders in first week

By Vincent Barone vin.barone@amny.com May 9, 2017

The dust and confetti have settled, and the numbers are in. NYC Ferry’s Rockaway route served about 11,000 riders during its first week of service, according to the city.

The existing East River route, which was absorbed by NYC Ferry, served another 38,000, bringing total ridership to 49,000 for the first week of the new municipal ferry service, from Monday, May 1, through Sunday, May 7. Mayor Bill de Blasio saw promise in the numbers as the administration prepares to launch another four routes by the end of next year.

“Thousands of New Yorkers are starting and ending their day riding NYC Ferry—and this is just the beginning,” de Blasio said in a statement. “We’re bringing people back to the water. With two more routes set to launch this summer, these numbers are only going to grow from here on out.”

While the numbers were hailed by the mayor, who committed $325 million to launch the service and another $30 million annually for operations, some experts say it’s too soon to call the endeavor a success. Mitchell Moss, a professor of urban policy and planning at New York University, said that only time will tell.

“A ferry system for some areas of the city is going to be an acquired taste,” he said. “We have to give the service a full summer and full winter to see how the Rockaway population decides to use it.”

A one-way ticket costs $2.75, but service is not incorporated with the MTA, a state-run agency. This means riders won’t be able to transfer freely to subways or city buses. Critics of the service have argued that this will limit ridership on the ferries, which is expensive to subsidize.

Rising costs led to the demise of an older, now-defunct Rockaway ferry service that the city supported after Superstorm Sandy badly damaged A train tracks in the area. Despite vocal support from Rockaway residents, that iteration of ferry service only served about 3,000 riders per week and was discontinued in 2013, according to the city’s Economic Development Corporation.

The two initial NYC Ferry routes have thus far operated largely without a hitch—except for a mechanical issue with one of the new boats, which threw a wrench in morning commutes on the East River during day one.

De Blasio and James Patchett, the commissioner of the city’s Economic Development Corporation, the agency overseeing ferry operations, have marketed NYC Ferry as an alternative to driving or taking the subway. Moss countered that the ferries, each with a 150-person capacity, would at best complement—not supplement—the subway system.

For instance, the Rockaway route served 11,000 riders in a week while the 11 A train subway stations in the area combined serve 16,400 riders in one day, according to MTA averages.

“Ferries are not going to be competitive,” Moss said. “The subway system has more than 400 stations with meaningful transit connections. This is much more of a specialized mode but it’s a delightful innovation. I think over time it’s going to develop a serious following.”

A South Brooklyn ferry route is scheduled to go online in June, with an Astoria route following in August. The Soundview and Lower East Side routes will come sometime in 2018. The city expects NYC Ferry to eventually draw 4.6 million annual riders once all six routes are in service.


more:
http://www.amny.com/transit/nyc-ferr...eek-1.13583586

lga airtrain contract awarded:


Parsons Brinckerhoff tapped for LaGuardia AirTrain design: Cuomo

By Vincent Barone vin.barone@amny.com May 8, 2017

The $14.6 million contract to prepare initial designs for the AirTrain to LaGuardia airport was awarded to an engineering firm that worked on the Second Avenue Subway, according to officials.

Parsons Brinckerhoff will lead initial planning of the project, championed by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and proposed by the Port Authority, to bring an AirTrain running from Willets Point to the airport. It would be supported by a to-be-built, three-station complex at Willets Point that would serve as the stop for the 7 train, LIRR and the AirTrain.


more:
http://www.amny.com/news/parsons-bri...als-1.13583151

the nj/brooklyn freight tunnel is back in the mix:



Port Authority will study potential Brooklyn-New Jersey freight tunnel

The agency has issued a Request for Proposals and will grant up to $35 million for the study

BY AMEENA WALKER MAY 9, 2017, 9:15AM EDT


After years of discussion, Port Authority has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to determine the feasibility of a Cross-Harbor Rail Freight Tunnel that would connect Brooklyn to New Jersey, reports the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

The tunnel would run between a rail yard in Jersey City’s Greenville neighborhood and would link with a rail yard along 65th Street in Bay Ridge.

For decades, the tunnel has been explored as a solution to alleviate traffic congestion in the city by removing 1,800 trucks carrying freight into Manhattan and Staten Island off the road each day all while improving air quality.

The project is already supported by local officials, including Governor Andrew Cuomo.


more:
https://ny.curbed.com/2017/5/9/15588...freight-tunnel

The Q train has been REALLY spotty. I've seen Ws on 2nd Avenue lately too.

Demanding Answers: When Will Long Delayed George Washington Bridge Terminal Finally Open?

• Video Link

^ haha, yeah the gwb bus station is taking a long time and those of us who use it regularly are all sick of it for sure, but its getting there. they are working on it every day. i see constant work and progress. it's certainly a huge, very difficult and unusual rehab project.

them costs:



Subway construction in NYC costs more than in peer cities like London, report says

By Vincent Barone vin.barone@amny.com May 16, 2017



...Between 1999 and 2023, Madrid will have built 71 miles of underground railway at the cost of $3.5 billion. London will have 48 miles of new underground rail at $31 billion. New York will have 13 miles at $19.9 billion — barring any future delays of the Second Avenue subway, of course.

When looking at total route miles of various rail projects, both Denver and Los Angeles far surpass New York over the past 10 years as well....



more:
http://www.amny.com/transit/subway-c...ays-1.13641013

I think we agree in general, a ferry system can be a really useful compliment to a large rail/bus system. My problem stems with the fact that DeBlasio has basically just opened a handful of new ferry lines a few months before the election, and called it a day. He has proven he's more than willing to kick the can down the road, and just blame the state than actually try and tackle the issue of the of the subway system head on. The lack of personal responsibility is something I would expect from a child.

From today's NYT...

“I think the M.T.A. needs to recognize that they’ve got to do something quick here,” [the mayor] said. “Now I will do my disclaimer upfront: The M.T.A. is run by the State of New York and the governor.”

He added: “If you take responsibility, it’s yours. I’m responsible for the schools. I’m responsible for policing. I’m responsible for a lot of things. Hold me accountable. But these M.T.A. issues — it’s not like they don’t have money. They are making decisions with their money...”

Anyone else think the signage is really really ugly?

Which is unfortunate because transit is the biggest issue I feel facing the city as the population grows. All of those new residents popping up along rail lines or within 10 or less walking blocks of a station will just jam the system even more.

Not just on the NY side, but NJ as well.

Time is a big factor in costs. The longer a project goes on and takes to complete, the more the costs. Time can essentially double or triple a projects costs. Every day is money, and the more its prolonged, the worse it gets, and with it, the transit woes.

^ haha yeah, its pretty bad, but i would not go that far. :haha:


we have some very, very good news though!!! :cheers::notacrook:



At long last, revamped GWB Bus Station set to open

Bus operations begin Tuesday, and the retail portion of the terminal is slated to open at a later date.

By
Nikki M. Mascali
Published : May 16, 2017 | Updated : May 16, 2017



http://www.metro.us/sites/default/fi...s_station7.jpg



It looks like the long wait — and outdoor stair climbing — may be over for the thousands of commuters who come through the George Washington Bridge Bus Station on a daily basis.

Since 2014, the main concourse of the GWBBS has been closed while renovations were made to the terminal, but come Tuesday morning, a whole new experience for travelers is set to be unveiled, one that includes new escalators and elevators, an indoor waiting area and, for the first time, a roof over where passengers board and exit buses.

“I’m looking forward [to the new terminal]. It’s very exciting,” said Karen Koppel, who grew up in the neighborhood and was heading to Nyack, New York. “I think the old terminal was horrible.”

Stan, who declined to give his last name and travels between New York and New Jersey several times a month, agreed.

“I am happy I’ll have cover over where I catch my bus, especially in winter,” he said. “I’ll be glad to see the escalators working because those steps got a bit rough.”

The GWBBS is managed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) and is home to New Jersey Transit and carriers such as Express/Spanish Transportation, Ameribus/Saddle River and Rockland Coach/Red & Tan. The original station was built in 1963 and designed by Italian engineer Pier Luigi Nervi over a busy network of highways that feeds from the George Washington Bridge, the world’s busiest bridge.

While bus operations are set to move into their new home at the GWBBS, many tenants of the new 120,000 feet of retail space that was part of the redesign are expected to move in at a later date. The same goes for the tunnel between the bus station and the A-train station at 175th Street.



more:
http://www.metro.us/news/local-news/...tation-reopens

new gwb bus station shops guide:

https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/201...de-store-guide

ridership boost and service upgrade as people are figuring out 2nd avenue:

http://www.amny.com/transit/second-a...ins-1.13656295


http://cdn.newsday.com/polopoly_fs/1...280/image.jpeg

amtrak won't give it up:



Amtrak won’t cede control of Penn Station to Port Authority

By Danielle Furfaro May 23, 2017 | 4:01am



Amtrak officials claim the company is perfectly capable of running Penn Station, including carrying out the crucial repairs needed to stop frequent delays at the hub, and they have no plans to cede control to the Port Authority or anyone else.

“It is Amtrak’s role and our responsibility to step up and run that station as well as we can, and that’s exactly what we intend on doing,” Amtrak CEO Wick Moorman told The Post’s editorial board on Monday. “Our name is on the deed.”

Gov. Cuomo and other politicians have said they don’t have faith in Amtrak after a rash of incidents and derailments caused by ancient infrastructure crippled the LIRR and New Jersey Transit.


more:
http://nypost.com/2017/05/23/amtrak-...ort-authority/

THE PARK AVENUE IMPROVEMENT IN NEW YORK CITY.

This Article and 2 Illustrations come from a time when The Bronx, NY was not consolidated into the City of New York.
Mott Haven lies in The Bronx but was known then as part of the Annexed District.

Read More: http://www.catskillarchive.com/rrextra/nycrr01.Html

http://www.catskillarchive.com/rrextra/nycrr111.jpg

http://www.catskillarchive.com/rrextra/nycrr112.jpg

^ cool read! :tup:



Subway upgrade contest from Cuomo to pay $3M to anyone who can fix signal issues

By Vincent Barone vin.barone@amny.com May 23, 2017

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday lamented that he won’t live to see the day the MTA updates all of its ancient subway signals to increase train capacity.

Though that process as it stands now would take 40 to 50 years to complete, the 59-year-old governor is hedging his bets.

“I will be dead in the next 40 years,” Cuomo said, jokingly, as he announced a new “MTA Genius Transit Challenge” that he hopes will speed things up.

The Challenge will pay $1 million each to any three experts from around the world who can pitch ways to more quickly update MTA track signals; repair or replace aging train cars; and expedite the rollout of more modern amenities to the subway system.

With modern signaling, like Communications Based Train Control, or CBTC, the MTA would be able to run 20% more trains on lines that currently feature signals dating back to the 1930s, according to Cuomo.


more:
http://www.amny.com/news/subway-upgr...ues-1.13658588

Funny how Cuomo is around to shit on the MTA and Amtrak every time something bad happens or there's a photo op to be had but when it's time to pay the bills he's nowhere to be found..

He's the worst. All he cares about is optics. He's actually touting putting light bulbs on bridges.

And an upgrade contest? What a clown. SecondAveSagas does a breakdown. It's going to be the exact same. Something he can campaign on, pure and simple. He'll say something like, "In working through the city subway systems failures I have taken the initiative of tapping into the most innovative minds the world has to offer in confronting the challenges the city subway faces, and how to fix these problems in the short term and long term," and then will put into practice exactly zero of the panels recommendations.

"If Cuomo’s panel idea sounds familiar, well, that’s because it is. Do you remember the 2014 MTA Reinvention Commission? Cuomo convened this panel to advise on the 2015-2019 capital plan and longer-term challenges facing the MTA. It barely met, was stonewalled by Cuomo himself and then released an underwhelming report nearly eight weeks late. The MTA has implemented none of the buzzword-y recommendations that commission suggested and remains very much un-reinvented..."