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mrnyc Jun 24, 2020 8:54 PM

^ actually they have that!

its called the randalls island connector.

it connects directly north to port morris bx at street level.

i went to opening day for it a few yrs ago and even did a photo thread on it.

but yr right about the ped bridges idea, they really need some kind of mass transit to justify the expense. otherwise its just a chi chi highline habitrail for yuppies.

dchan Jun 24, 2020 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrnyc (Post 8961753)
^ actually they have that!

its called the randalls island connector.

it connects directly north to port morris bx at street level.

i went to opening day for it a few yrs ago and even did a photo thread on it.

That's awesome!

I see why I didn't notice it in my cursory glance through Google Maps - it's directly beneath the railroad bridge! That's a nice use of existing ROW.

Quote:

but yr right about the ped bridges idea, they really need some kind of mass transit to justify the expense. otherwise its just a chi chi highline habitrail for yuppies.
Exactly. I'm tired of these chi chi yuppie projects, especially the ones that go way outside a "standard" scope and end up blowing up costs. A good example is the Squibb pedestrian bridge in BK Bridge Park, which was demolished and replaced after repeated attempts to re-engineer it. A lot of these extra scope projects seems to be ways for architects and landscape architects to present their jack-off visions to the real world.

Don't get me wrong. Art and art installations are nice, but I would prefer money to be allocated to expanded neighborhood and park access instead.

mrnyc Jun 26, 2020 2:18 AM

^ totally agree. you have to look at projects like that and who they serve and really make a big, public point to ensure its for the greatest good for the expense.

there is a very good recent example though that comes to mind. the redevelopment and reopening of the highbridge between wash hts and the bx. of course it already existed, but it needed a modern rehab to reopen it — and that was done very well. i walked it often after work in pre covid days so can confirm.

mrnyc Jun 26, 2020 2:22 AM

not unexpected, but not so good news.

in fact as terrible as can be.

all major mta capital projects are put on ice:


https://www.thecity.nyc/transportati...ial-woes-mount

dchan Jun 27, 2020 12:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrnyc (Post 8963318)
^ totally agree. you have to look at projects like that and who they serve and really make a big, public point to ensure its for the greatest good for the expense.

there is a very good recent example though that comes to mind. the redevelopment and reopening of the highbridge between wash hts and the bx. of course it already existed, but it needed a modern rehab to reopen it — and that was done very well. i walked it often after work in pre covid days so can confirm.

I was about to write about the Harlem River being another narrow waterway, though it is a much different waterway than the Chicago River or Bronx Kill. Much of the Harlem River cuts through highlands, which I believe to be a bit harder to connect smoothly. Plus, the lowland areas of both the Bronx and Manhattan are occupied by highways.

I would love to visit the High Bridge one day.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrnyc (Post 8963320)
not unexpected, but not so good news.

in fact as terrible as can be.

all major mta capital projects are put on ice:


https://www.thecity.nyc/transportati...ial-woes-mount

Ironically, now is the absolute best time to expedite any large projects to improve the subway system.

If officials do not believe ridership will ever reach numbers similar to peak ridership this year, then they can rightfully cancel all further projects and not fund them until the time is right.

But if they believe ridership will come back at or beyond peak levels, then the MTA will likely never an opportunity, like there is right now, to commit to expedited wholesale retrofits and improvements to the aging system. I foresee greater investment in infrastructure as a way to boost the devastated economy.

Now I'm thinking out loud. Why do the MTA and other government agencies contract out all their design and construction work? I can think of two reasons:
- Liability, as in the MTA's desire to eliminate as much of it as possible and lay it on another entity.
- It's harder to fire and furlough people from the public sector, especially if they have permanent tenure status. The MTA would rather not deal with the headache of hiring and laying off a bunch of designers and construction people. I don't know if the current union contracts would even allow them lay off people. Or, if layoffs are possible, the MTA would be forced to pay out massive compensation packages.

I do wonder if it's possible for the MTA to contract entire companies, their management, and their workforce for a set time to work under the direct MTA hierarchy? Right now, the typical design-bid-build contract has a lengthy design and review period, a bidding period, and then a construction period. Perhaps it could drastically cut time (and maybe costs) if the contractors are basically working under the MTA directly, and could therefore cut out the back-and-forth waiting and communications BS.

Of course, this is merely a pipe dream at the moment.

Busy Bee Jun 27, 2020 2:34 AM

I don't know what the solution is. All I know is it can't go on like it is. The MTA needs to operate like NY is a world alpha city where we consider building entirely new lines within the time frame of a decade, not a century. It needs to completely reform and do what it needs to do to contain costs similar to contemporary peer cities.

dchan Jun 27, 2020 3:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Busy Bee (Post 8964467)
I don't know what the solution is. All I know is it can't go on like it is. The MTA needs to operate like NY is a world alpha city where we consider building entirely new lines within the time frame of a decade, not a century. It needs to completely reform and do what it needs to do to contain costs similar to contemporary peer cities.

I agree, but I also think the history, geography, and regional politics make it difficult for everyone to agree to "row the boat together".

1. Remember: the MTA is just one fiefdom and power broker among many fiefdoms in the region.
2. Ideally, NYC and maybe a few nearby counties should break off and be governed as a self-contained city-state. Instead, it has too many hands in the cookie jar, including the MTA, PATH, NJ State, NY State, NYC, Connecticut (to a lesser extent), individual counties and townships, etc.
3. The system is also rife with systemic and individual corruption. It happens at higher levels (politicians, management, contracts) and lower levels (worker overtime scams, the LIRR worker disability scam, etc.).
4. The NYC region had a master builder in the past (Robert Moses). The government has largely shied away from giving one person or entity so much power, even through unintentional means. People's opinion of Moses will vary (mostly negative), but he definitely knew how to seek out inefficiencies in the system and get things built relatively quickly. Nowadays, we have a "too many cooks" situation, which is made worse because the individual cooks are stealing the ingredients for their own use.

However, not all is nigh. As crappy as its roads and transit systems are, NYC has at least one thing that is absolutely alpha: its water supply system. For me, there is no better tasting water in the world, and all bottled waters pale in comparison to it. So maybe the MTA can take some lessons from the water system to figure out how to deliver a quality product. Or maybe its apples and oranges, but I'm sure there are a few lessons that can translate to an improved product.

mrnyc Jun 27, 2020 6:43 PM

the very least mta can do in this down time, aside from cost-cutting and budgeting, is to really fine tooth prioritize the many plans already in place or envisioned.

second ave phase two is probably at the top of the list. rank order them from there. move anything past the environment impact survey stage they can. have as much shovel ready projects as possible. break off the capital work into another entity for the city, or better yet, like the port authority, for the whole tri-state region. then let the politicians and public do the lifting to fund them.

dchan Jun 27, 2020 9:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrnyc (Post 8964756)
the very least mta can do in this down time, aside from cost-cutting and budgeting, is to really fine tooth prioritize the many plans already in place or envisioned.

second ave phase two is probably at the top of the list. rank order them from there. move anything past the environment impact survey stage they can. have as much shovel ready projects as possible. break off the capital work into another entity for the city, or better yet, like the port authority, for the whole tri-state region. then let the politicians and public do the lifting to fund them.

Besides the 2nd Ave phases, I would also prioritize all signal modernization projects to increase speed, capacity, and reliability for when ridership numbers approach peak again. Station accessibility is also very important.

It would be interesting to see how these capital projects would fare under a separate entity whose sole (or primary) mission is to deliver these projects. Do you have any info on how the Port Authority handles it?

mrnyc Jun 29, 2020 4:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dchan (Post 8964876)
Besides the 2nd Ave phases, I would also prioritize all signal modernization projects to increase speed, capacity, and reliability for when ridership numbers approach peak again. Station accessibility is also very important.

It would be interesting to see how these capital projects would fare under a separate entity whose sole (or primary) mission is to deliver these projects. Do you have any info on how the Port Authority handles it?


here is how the pa handles construction:

https://www.panynj.gov/content/dam/p..._program-2.pdf



this is how the mta does:

http://web.mta.info/capconstr/about.htm


these are the mta capital plans:

https://new.mta.info/agency/construc...nd-development


i wish that besides second ave and upgrades, something else big like tri boro rx and maybe a few other things like north shore rail for staten island can get sussed out to be shovel ready in case the next administration wants to fund big transit infrastructure improvements.

manchester united Jul 1, 2020 12:03 AM

Finally great news: https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2020/06/...eturn-sort-of/

Busy Bee Jul 1, 2020 2:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrnyc (Post 8965933)
i wish that besides second ave and upgrades, something else big like tri boro rx and maybe a few other things like north shore rail for staten island can get sussed out to be shovel ready in case the next administration wants to fund big transit infrastructure improvements.

100%

Throw Utica subway on there too. G-Franklin Shuttle connection. I could keep going. Basically the MTA should have 10 shovel ready expansions or heavy revamps ready to go at any given time funding dependent.

mrnyc Jul 6, 2020 3:21 PM

fair fares, upgrades and congesting pricing in limbo:


https://www.thecity.nyc/2020/7/1/213...udget-cuts-nyc

mrnyc Jul 20, 2020 2:03 PM

push for more fed $


https://www.amny.com/transit/new-jer...next-stimulus/

mrnyc Jul 20, 2020 4:52 PM

i always wondered about this.

as mta is rapidly moving toward the omny tap card, which will pay them on demand, it will lose approximately $80M in annual unused metrocard money (2016).

https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york...icle-1.3379149

manchester united Jul 23, 2020 7:21 PM

About the 24/7 subway service: https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/pr...tion-requiring

mrnyc Jul 28, 2020 1:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by manchester united (Post 8990197)


^ interesting and good to know they are ensuring that.

funny enough, i just spoke with state sen. hoylman.

he hangs out at our neighborhood farmers market on saturday mornings giving out masks and chatting with the people. nice guy. :tup:


***


chair and ceo of mta pat foye discusses the frightening mta fiscal tsunami:

https://www.amny.com/oped/op-ed/

mrnyc Aug 5, 2020 11:35 PM

yep this is about right on point for mta and all of us these days


https://twitter.com/YoufeckingIdiot/...987760128?s=20

Busy Bee Aug 6, 2020 3:42 AM

:photographer:Best looped video I've seen in awhile.

mrnyc Aug 10, 2020 1:33 PM

first ave L train elevator improvement is in -- and more mta ada news:

https://www.amny.com/transit/mta-com...-improvements/


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