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Read more: http://www.mta.info/news-metrocard-s...cal-facilities

MetroCard Gets First-Time Ad Buys from Medical Facilities

http://www.mta.info/sites/default/fi...?itok=cX0oORAl

September 03rd, 2014

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Subway and bus riders may notice something a little different, yet familiar on some new MetroCards. That's because two medical facilities in New York City have purchased advertising space on MetroCards, becoming the first hospitals to promote their services on the fare card.

A print run of 50,000 cards for Mount Sinai’s Urgent Care site was the first of the two to be made available last week, with distribution at the 116 St-Columbia University http://www.mta.info/sites/all/themes..._bullets/1.png Subway station and 96 St http://www.mta.info/sites/all/themes..._bullets/1.png http://www.mta.info/sites/all/themes..._bullets/2.png http://www.mta.info/sites/all/themes..._bullets/3.png station.

Mount Sinai’s ad buy, which promotes its facility on the Upper West Side, runs on the back of the MetroCard. The print run for the other medical facility, NYU Langone Medical Center, has advertising on the front and back.

http://secondavenuesagas.com/2014/09...15-for-7-line/

MTA targeting late Feb. 2015 for 7 line extension

By Benjamin Kabak
September 21, 2014

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7428/...88b44f8a_z.jpg
Michael Bloomberg will be but a distant memory when the 7 line finally opens. Here, he gives the thumbs up at a premature ribbon cutting in late 2013. (Photo: Benjamin Kabak)

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Mark your calendars. Save the date. Scratch out the last reminder. For real this time, the MTA has re-announced a new opening for the 7 line extension, and if all goes according to the latest plans — a big “if” recent developments considered — the one-stop westward swing will be in revenue service by February 24, 2015, only 14 months after then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s photo op/ribbon-cutting ceremony in the waning days of his tenure.

For the MTA, capital delays are nothing new. No major project has opened on time, and even something as simple as the Fulton St. Transit Center headhouse has been pushed back until October. The 7 line has been beset by delays throughout the course of this project as it was originally proposed as part of the 2012 Olympics bid, should have been opened mid-way through 2013 and then prior to the end of Bloomberg’s tenure. At the December ceremony, the MTA discussed a spring opening, and then they mentioned summer, and then they mentioned fall and Q4 2014. Now, it seems this thing, with its problematic ventilation fans and prickly elevators, will open next year. Maybe.

According to materials released by the MTA on Friday, the project will be approximately $16 million under budget, but challenges remain to meet even that February date. According to these materials, the MTA is still struggling to see ventilation fans and communications system pass factory acceptance tests, and the elevators too remain a question mark. Final tests on the vent fans are planned for November while the high-rise escalators and incline elevators will undergo their examinations next month.

In an independent examination, though, the MTA’s external engineers noted that a February start date may be aggressive. If the accelerated schedule for wrapping the tests cannot be met, the MTA and its contractors won’t meet the February date, and in fact, the Independent Engineering Consultant predicts a March 2015 revenue service date for this project, one month later than the MTA’s goals. We’ll find out soon enough.

A questino to those who know: what technical obstacles are there, apart from "some" tunneling, to getting commuter rail through-services in the NYC metro area? I.e. running LIRR trains through to NJ and such? In the vein of Paris' RER network.

The administrative and political hurdles are probably mindblowingly hard to get past anyway, but I'm wondering about the tech.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swede (Post 6750736)

The technical issues are minor.

The big issues are administrative. LIRR, Metro North, and NJ Transit are separate agencies, with different union contracts, different leadership, different culture, etc. It's an enormous problem.

There is some through-running for special events, though. For example, when there are events in the Meadowlands (NJ), they have run Metro North or LIRR trains to the NJ Transit Meadowlands station. It can be done.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swede (Post 6750736)

The primary technical obstacle is the three different methods for powering the trains on NJT, Metronorth and the LIRR. NJT uses overhead catenary wire, Metronorth uses a mix of catenary and under-running third rail while the LIRR uses over-running third rail. Not insurmountable but still a challenge.

Aside from that, most of Penn Station's platforms are too narrow and cluttered with columns to deal with the volume of passengers waiting on the platform for through train service, which is why Amtrak's few current through trains take 20 minutes to deboard and board passengers separately.

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Originally Posted by Crawford (Post 6750933)

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Originally Posted by KVNBKLYN (Post 6751989)

Three different kinds of power systems? That's nuts, and I guess very much due to legacy systems not being changed. How's the loading gauge on the different lines? (i.e. not the rail gauge, that's all standard, the loading gauge as in the clearence to the sides and above the tracks/trains).
Having as a long-term goal the unification into one type of power deliviery (preferably normal overhead lines) would make soooo much sense. As would unifying and reforming the transit agencies in the area.

As to the narrow paltforms at Penn that would be overwhelmed by increased use: with through trains you could do away with quite a few tracks probably and thus re-do the layout to have wider platforms. Plus with running EMUs with standardized door posiitions you could even go for PSDs.

But then again, it would cost quite a bit of money, take a long time and worst of all get sooo many polticians and agencies invloved it wouldn't happen. Even if it would be awesome for the people using the services.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/repai...ins-1412222342

Repairs to Tunnels Damaged by Sandy Could Snarl Trains
Passengers on LIRR, NJ Transit and Amtrak Face Fewer, More Crowded Rides as Tunnels Undergo Major Repairs

By ANDREW TANGEL

http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/i...1001190009.jpg

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Passengers on the Long Island Rail Road, NJ Transit and Amtrak face fewer and more crowded trains in coming years as tunnels beneath the Hudson and East rivers undergo major repairs.

Amtrak officials said riders are in for even worse headaches if new Hudson River tunnels aren't built and further deterioration forces a shutdown of one of the two currently beneath the river.

The warnings came Wednesday as the railroad released an outside engineering firm's report outlining damage to the underwater tubes caused by superstorm Sandy two years ago.

Amtrak has been chipping away at repairs, shutting down tunnels over weekends. And while officials said the tunnels remain safe, saltwater that flooded the tunnels continues to damage their concrete lining, embedded steel, track and electrical systems at a crucial link along the Northeast Corridor from Washington to Boston.

"Left unattended, these tunnels will be less reliable and they will provide less service over time," said Stephen Gardner, an Amtrak official who oversees infrastructure and investment development.

The Amtrak report estimates tunnel repair costs at $689 million, which officials said they expected to be covered by insurance.

Officials highlighted what they and transportation experts said was the need to add tunnels underneath the Hudson. But they didn't offer a firm timeline for Sandy repair work, saying only that the first East River tunnel might see work start in more than a year.

Timing for work on the Hudson tunnels was less clear. Mr. Gardner said Amtrak would soon begin preliminary engineering and environmental permitting for new tunnels as part of its stalled Gateway project.

...

Even if the railroad had secured funding for building new tunnels, which it hasn't, Mr. Gardner said they wouldn't be open until perhaps the "middle of the next decade."

Transportation experts have long called for adding Hudson tunnels as New York City-area commuter ridership grows and is expected to further strain the region's rail infrastructure in coming decades.

Without new Hudson tunnels and one of two current ones shut down, that "nightmare scenario" would lead to overcrowded and delayed trains between New York and New Jersey as commuter-rail capacity between the states drops 75%, said Dan Schned, senior transportation planner for the Regional Plan Association.

Many commuters would be forced onto roads and bridges and into the PATH train system between the states, he added.

"It would really be a catastrophe for the regional economy," Mr. Schned said.

http://www.capitalnewyork.com/articl...avenue-problem

Downtown Brooklyn’s Lexington Avenue problem

By Dana Rubinstein 3:13 p.m. | Sep. 16, 2014

http://www.capitalnewyork.com/sites/...al6Train_0.png

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Companies like Tough Mudder and MakerBot may be expanding within Downtown Brooklyn's office market to take advantage of its cheaper-than-Manhattan office rents and hipster credibility, but the neighborhood's commercial sector does face one difficult, built-in limitation: the Lexington Avenue subway line.

Or so argued the president of the city's Economic Development Corporation on Tuesday morning.

"One of the biggest problems that Downtown Brooklyn faces ... is the 4, 5, 6 train coming out of Lexington [Avenue]," said Kyle Kimball, during a conference hosted by real estate firm Massey Knakal at the Brooklyn Museum.

His argument goes something like this.

When companies think about relocating to new offices, one of the decisive factors in their decision-making is how best to accommodate the C.E.O.'s commuting preferences. A lot of C.E.O.s live in Westchester, and they take the Metro-North Railroad to Grand Central Terminal.

That means that their commute to Brooklyn will almost invariably involve the 4 and 5 trains. And those trains, as Kimball noted, have "capacity issues."

Put another way, the Lexington Avenue line carries more than 1.3 million riders a day, more than the Boston, Chicago and San Francisco subway systems do combined.

Accordingly to Kimball, C.E.O.s don't want to deal with sardine-can conditions.

"It’s just something that comes up all the time when we talk to companies about moving to Downtown Brooklyn," said Kimball, adding, "It is something that we really need to figure out for the long-term growth of Downtown Brooklyn."

....

I think the best investment for the city would be something to safeguard against Sandy like flooding. It would suck if they did all of that work, only to get another storm like Sandy in a few years. The extent of the storm is still being felt. I thought it was really only on the coast to be honest, and certain parts of the Gold Coast, but I didn't know it affected those exact tunnels.

http://www.capitalnewyork.com/articl...onal-challenge

Cuomo on the M.T.A.‘s ’generational challenge'

By Dana Rubinstein 7:13 p.m. | Sep. 14, 2014

http://www.capitalnewyork.com/sites/...mo%20mta_0.png

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Governor Andrew Cuomo made a rare appearance in the subway system on Sunday afternoon to tout an even rarer occurrence: an M.T.A. project that came in both ahead of schedule and under budget.

“Tom wants to know if he gets the savings on his budget,” the governor told reporters, referring to M.T.A. chairman Tom Prendergast. “I said ‘Forget that. That goes right to my budget, those savings.'”

^ Cuomo: "Nice job saving $60M, MTA! Just to reward that careful planning and fiscal discipline, I'm gonna take that money away."

Good news on the PATH Train. ALthough I think NY's airport-train situation is rather messy compared to peer cities, they are making slow progress. Now they need to update the airport monrail. Next up please, LGA rail and JFK one seat ride.. The only thing that's wrong with the project is the fact that the train is not arriving in the terminal area.

http://www.citylab.com/design/2014/1...ctical/381139/

Why Can't Transportation Mega-Projects Be Both Beautiful and Practical?
In New York City's $4 billion PATH Hub, form overtakes function.

BENJAMIN KABAK @2AvSagas Oct 7, 2014

http://cdn.citylab.com/media/img/cit...lead_large.jpg

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Nestled among the skyscrapers of Midtown Manhattan, at the crossroads of 42nd Street and Park Avenue, rests the 101-year-old Grand Central Terminal. Designed by the early-20th-Century architectural powerhouses of Reed and Stem and Warren and Wetmore, this Beaux-Arts masterpiece, along with the Park Avenue tunnels, cost nearly $3 billion in today's money, and provided a regional and intercity connection for a growing New York City. Today, approximately 700,000 travelers, commuters, and tourists pass through its sweeping halls and stair-less design on a daily basis. Grand Central wasn't cheap, but it worked in the Gilded Age and it works now, a triumph of design and utility alike.

Fast forward a century and head south a few miles. In Lower Manhattan, a new train terminal arises. This one too comes with a star-studded architect behind it, and it too is being constructed in and around an active subway station. It's also going to cost an unheard-of amount by the time construction is over. I am, of course, referring to the Port Authority's Santiago Calatrava World Trade Center PATH Hub, a $4 billion behemoth at Ground Zero that will serve around up to 40,000 PATH passengers per day. Under construction for seven years, it is set to open in 2015 and has come to stand for the debate over design, cost and a public agency's responsibility to the public.

Calatrava's PATH Hub looms physically and metaphorically over transit planning in New York City. The stark white design of Calatrava's rafters hulk over the streets even as the visible joints and rust coloring give it a rundown urban chic look. From above, the building appears downright ionic. Inside, the white marble hallways designed to accommodate 200,000 pedestrians glisten, with light bouncing off in every direction. One day, this underground passage will host a high-end mall from the Cortlandt Street 1 train station to Brookfield Plaza, and the mall will offset the expense. It was supposed to be a subway station.

From a practical perspective, where Grand Central seamlessly integrates commuters with its purpose as a rail depot, the Port Authority's new hub fails its customers, the PATH-riding public. One platform is already completed, and its design flaws are obvious. Staircases are too narrow to accommodate the morning crowds who come streaming out of the trains from Hoboken, Jersey City, and beyond, while the narrow platforms quickly fill with irate commuters. Anyone trying to catch a train back to the Garden State risks a stampede. The marble, bright and sterile, picks up any spill, and a drop of water creates dangerously slippery conditions until a Port Authority janitor scurries out of some unseen door, mop in hand. Passenger flow and comfort, two of the most important elements of terminal design, seem to be an afterthought. The PATH Hub is shaping up to be an example of design divorced from purpose.

The price tag too creates consternation among those fighting for sparse transit dollars. For $4 billion, the Port Authority could have extended PATH to Brooklyn, built a one-seat ride from Lower Manhattan to JFK Airport or helped cover the cost overruns from the dearly departed ARC Tunnel. For $4 billion, the MTA could build out most, if not all, of another phase of the Second Avenue subway or the lost 7 line station at 41st Street and 10th Avenue five times over. At a time with real needs for regional transportation improvements, a $4 billion missed opportunity stings.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. Calatrava's station was originally expected to cost $2 billion, and it was to feature fewer of the rusting rafters and a retractable roof. But as the costs have soared, so too have the design compromises, and it's hard to divorce the two. Not one to mince words, the New York Post called it an "elephantine excess … of bureaucracy-fed vainglory." With no strong Port Authority leadership or oversight, and countless politicians hoping to make their marks, Calatrava was given carte blanche to rework his design to fit warring factions' needs, and costs went up without bounds. The Port Authority delegated its project management to nowhere, and we are stuck with a building that falls far short of its transportation purposes. The only real transit capacity increases in this $4 billion subway stop are lengthened platforms for longer trains.

{...}

http://www.yimbynews.com/2014/10/tim...authority.html

Time for Cuomo to Take Responsibility for His Transit Authority

http://www.yimbynews.com/wp-content/...c68f826a_z.jpg

BY: STEPHEN SMITH ON OCTOBER 10TH 2014 AT 3:00 PM

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“We cannot build a 21st-century city and compete globally,” said Scott Stringer, the rare politician who recognizes the MTA’s dire cost problem, “if we continue to spend five, even seven times as much on construction projects as compared to our competitors.”

And without leadership from Governor Cuomo and the legislature in Albany, none of this is going to change, even if MTA management actually wants it to.

And there are signs that MTA leadership does want change. They do genuinely seem to realize, for example, that their staffing levels for capital projects are out of this world. When pressed about his department’s stunningly high per-mile subway construction costs, MTA Capital Construction chief Michael Horodniceanu has on more than one occasion pointed to high staffing levels mandated by outmoded labor agreements. He cited the example of tunnel boring machine work, where New York City work rules require 25 workers for a job that could be done with nine in Spain, a country with much lower costs. (Asked independently, Mysore Nagaraja, who previously held Horodniceanu’s job, gave us similar numbers in a telephone interview a few years ago.)

But in order to take on the unions and work rules that drive overstaffing and high costs, the MTA will need support from Albany to do battle with labor – a fight that Cuomo appears to have no stomach for, given how quickly he rolled over during recent labor talks with the LIRR unions.

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