Just for fun I thought I'd post this fantastic photo of the Hell Gate I found on ebay...

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/7AgAA...8j/s-l1600.jpg
_


Just a tip, I'd save this photo now because ebay dumps listing images off their server after 90 days and thus off this post.

MTA will pilot protective platform doors at 3 subway stations

https://gothamist.com/news/mta-will-...ubway-stations

It's about time! :cheers:

like the airtrains i guess -- waste of $ if you ask me -- and something else to break down and repair:



MTA to pilot platform doors at three NYC subway stations

By Kevin Duggan
Posted on February 23, 2022


The MTA wants to test platform doors at three subway stations in Manhattan and Queens, the agency’s chief Janno Lieber announced Wednesday.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority will pilot the barriers at Times Square on the 7 line platform, at Third Avenue on the L line, and at Sutphin Boulevard/JFK on the E train, Lieber told NY1.


more:
https://www.amny.com/transit/mta-to-...hree-stations/

https://www.intelligenttransport.com...-doors-tmb.jpg

There's no need to get bent out of shape. I guarantee this "pilot program" is just lip service to get advocates off their backs. They've already said it would cost a fortune to impliment system wide and only really possible in less than half of stations. I know there's a lot of transit world advocates for PSDs but they really only make sense on new lines with a minimum semblance of automation. Ultimately it's a solution in search of a problem. While subway pushings are horrific, make no mistake they are extremely rare events and a better solution is station security and getting the homeless and roaming mental cases off the subway and into the help they need.

EXTENSION OF THE N TRAIN BEING CONSIDERED FOR LAGUARDIA ACCESS!!

Map: https://www.anewlga.com/wp-content/u...March-2022.pdf

Tweet: https://twitter.com/ByERussell/statu...35836218089483

We knew it would be back on the table. We'll see how seriously they pursue an actual subway based solution and not be tempted by the cheaper and inferior lower hanging fruit. Good news nonetheless.

^ count me in for FIXED GUIDEWAY WITH LIGHT RAIL: JAMAICA -- the dream of connecting jfk and lga by rail.



more lga airtrain alternatives news :tup:



Queens


Port Authority reveals possible alternatives to LaGuardia AirTrain


By Kevin Duggan
Posted on March 2, 2022



more:

https://www.amny.com/politics/port-a...rdia-airtrain/


https://www.amny.com/wp-content/uplo...0_19_q01_z.jpg
A rendering of the proposed AirTrain to LaGuardia.
Office of the Governor

Just extend the N and do all the bus improvements. If a deal can eventually be made for IBX access to the Hell Gate build a transfer station at Ditmars.

The JFK aitrain setup sucks at Jamaica. The fare is way too high and process confusing for visitors.

well the jfk airtrain has one unbeatable advantage, it exists.

there are several good alternatives and of course extend the N is a popular one.

however, do not underestimate a light rail or airtrain from lga to jamaica. this would connect both airports by rail, which would be an amazing amenity. for example, you could connect from international to domestic flights easily. also, it could make for a further out loop IBX-type rail transit service.

If the Port Authority is going to insist on a likely $10+ fare I'm a hard no on another AirTrain.

for jfk:
bus = $15
airtrain+subway = $10.75
cab = $52


and i dk about the future, but i looked and as of now for paris for example the rer+metro from degaulle is 50 cents more expensive than nyc, the bus a buck less, and cabs run more at $55-77.
so even if the subway fee eventually goes up a bit and the airtrain up a buck or two, it definitely sux, but it is still in line. :shrug:

That's for one person though. The advantage erodes dramatically as you have more people in your party and taking a cab means you're not schlepping luggage all over the place.

You're referring to a matter of convenience, not cost. I live just a 15 minute walk from a subway line that will take me right to the JFK airtrain, it would never make sense for me to waste money on a cab when I can just wheel my luggage a half dozen blocks.

This would seem to argue that convenience doesn't have any value. Which I don't think I agree with. Especially if talking about a traveling party of more than 2 able bodied adults.

That has always been the case. It's called carpooling, or passenger pooling. A solo cab ride is not cost efficient, but a multi-person cab ride might be.

I did this with my parents and my brother's family when we travelled from Zhuhai to Guangzhou in China a couple of years ago. China has a fantastic high speed rail between the two cities, and Guangzhou has a fantastic modern subway system. We were going to take rail-to-subway, but we were solicited by some van drivers at the Zhuhai rail station. Initially, we basically ignored them, especially since they were fairly aggressive (common mainland Chinese trait, especially among the hustling workers). But then we did some math in our heads:

1. We needed to wait in a long line to buy the HSR tickets, since they require passports to purchase. Not the most efficient process.
2. We needed to walk our luggage and two small kids to the correct HSR track. Train stations are big & cavernous.
3. Once at the Guangzhou HSR station, we needed to walk our luggage and two small kids all the way to the subway station. Not a short walk.
4. The Guangzhou HSR stations (there are a few) are all at the outskirts of the city. So it takes a 1 hr subway ride with transfer to reach our hotel (and not a simple across-platform transfer)
5. The end subway station was a long walk or short taxi/bus ride to the hotel.

So we ended up taking the van drivers on their offer. It was a pretty good deal overall, and ended up taking a bit less time than the rail-to-subway route. The main speed advantage of rail-to-subway was the HSR, but that advantage disappeared because the Guangzhou HSR stations are all around the outskirts of the city. The deal was good enough that we contracted the driver to drive us to Zhongshan for a one-day trip a few days later.

Another issue to consider is traffic. Cabs are definitely the most convenient option, and are often the fastest option. But they are not always the fastest, especially if you're going with rush-hour traffic.

i am hearing golden touch doesn’t run the $15 jfk shuttle bus anymore as of fairly recently and that there are no other airporter shared shuttle busses out there (they do still go to newark though). thats a shame — hopefully it was a covid thing and jfk shuttle busses start back up soo.

subway safety:


https://nypost.com/2022/03/06/nyc-su...-top-priority/

Shuttle buses would be nice. It cost us $40 to go back to Fresh Meadows from JFK via taxi. By myself, I would never pay that, but it depends on how much luggage I have and whether it's really late at night, I suppose. I can take the AirTrain to Sutphin Blvd and take the Q30 or 31, which stops 9 blocks from my house. Or I can save a few bucks by taking the taxi from Sutphin.

three hour delays for some people today -- uugggh!



‘Worst subway ride of my entire life!’: Village signal problem triggers subway delays for hours Wednesday morning

By Kevin Duggan
Posted on March 9, 2022


A signal problem at the W 4th Street-Washington Square station derailed commutes for many New Yorkers Wednesday morning causing subway delays for more than three hours as the MTA rerouted or suspended service along its 6th Avenue line, carrying B, D, F, and M trains.


more:
https://www.amny.com/transit/subway-...ignal-problem/