Archive for May, 2011
May
11
Report: Bike lane added to Second Ave. Subway
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The new Second Ave. Subway will come equipped with a bike lane, according to a report in the satirical final edition of The New York Times. The online parody, produced by a group of comedians, offers up a rather comical take on the state of transportation dialogue in New York City right now.
“Jerome Bosch” writes:
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s pro-bicycle agenda reached a new high water mark today with the announcement that a cyclists-only lane is being added to the long-under-construction Second Avenue Subway. The memo, authored by Deputy Mayor for Communications Howard Wolfson, makes the case that creating the city’s first subterranean bike-lane will reduce bicycle accidents by up to 15 percent, while costing a mere $1.4 billion dollars and delaying the opening of the Second Avenue line by only ten to twenty years.
The Second Avenue Subway bike lane is the latest pro-biking measure proposed by transportation commissioner Jeanette Sadik-Khan. Since becoming Mayor, Bloomberg has closed much of Broadway to automobiles and has overseen the addition of 225 miles of bike lanes, many of them physically separated from the main flow of traffic. This has led to some backlash, most prominently regarding a dedicated bike lane on Prospect Park West which critics say prevents only a small number of deaths, compared to how much harder it is for Senator Charles Schumer’s wife to receive deliveries at her Prospect Park West apartment from FreshDirect, Crate and Barrel, Sherry-Lehman and Interflora.
Sounds about right to me.
May
11
Photo of the Day: The beauty of waiting for the train
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wisteria, subway station, ditmas park by flatbushnelson on Flickr
Just a short piece tonight because I was hit with an Internet outage just as I was about to start writing, and now I’d like to go to bed. I wanted though to share this photo posted late on Tuesday on Brownstoner. It is a truly gorgeous shot of the wisteria plants Beverly Rd. along the BMT Brighton Line, and it perfectly encapsulates waiting for the subway.
The photographer framed the shot in such a way that it highlights the intricacies of the trench along the Q and the B lines as well as the small platform spaces at many of the stations. The three people on the platform — all facing south to peer down the tracks for a looming train — have barely enough space in the sheltered station alcove to wait. The plants, meanwhile, are inching into the station as they begin to bloom, and for a few minutes, the station and subway trench, both in need of a good scrubbing and a fresh coat of paint, look absolutely timeless.
Despite our complaints and the shoddiness found in many stations, it’s still possible to find beauty in the architecture of the subway and a certain New York-ness to it all. It’s all right here for anyone to see.
May
11
This post is delayed by Internet traffic ahead of us
Posted by: | CommentsTime Warner problems struck just as I was settling in to write this evening’s post. Barring a miraculous resurrection of my Internet within the next hour, I won’t have new content up until the morning. In the meantime, Gawker has a video of a racist naked guy on the 6 train. Only in New York, folks. Only in New York.
May
10
APTA: NYers save $14K annually by taking the subway
Posted by: | CommentsNew Yorkers who eschew daily driving in exchange for a subway ride can save almost $15,000 a year, the American Public Transportation Association announced today. In its monthly “Transit Savings Report,” the group says that spiking gas prices and high parking rates lead to a monetary drain on the average commuter’s wallet. “Americans need relief from current high gas prices and increasing transportation costs,” William Millar, APTA’s president, said, “And riding public transit is a sure way to lower costs without sacrificing mobility or access.”
The current results are available right here, and New York, with its high gas prices and extensive public transit network, leads the pack. To reach the savings, APTA compares the cost of a monthly transit pass — now $104 in New York — with the 2011 AAA average cost of driving formula. This formula includes variable costs such as gas, maintenance and tires as well as fixed costs such as insurance, license registration, depreciation and finance charges. The formula also assumes that the average person would drive 15,000 miles a year or 41 miles per day.
I have to believe these numbers are slightly inflated for New Yorkers. It doesn’t seem to consider the fact that many daily subway riders are still car-owners, and it seems to overestimate mileage totals. A trip from Bergen Beach to Midtown, for instance, is only 13 miles one way, and someone driving from Riverdale to Lower Manhattan would put less than 30 miles on their car. Still, the cost savings from public transit are tremendous compared to the costs of owning a car. For those New Yorkers who don’t own a car, this report can help take some of the sting out of the city’s high rent rates and general cost of living.
May
10
‘She’s got a ticket to marry…’
Posted by: | CommentsIn frivolous MTA news, board member Nancy Shevell and her long-term beau Paul McCartney are getting married, Christine Haughney of The Times reported this week. Shevell, who cut her transportation teeth in the freight and shipping industries, has made headlines in the past for her relationship with the former Beatle and for skipping out on MTA Board meetings. She was appointed to the board in 2001 by then Gov. George Pataki, and her appointment expires at the end of June. It’s unclear if Andrew Cuomo will reappoint her or use the first vacancy on the MTA Board during his term to appoint someone he knows with more rail experience.
May
10
From the Annals of Bad Ideas: A ‘no-ride’ list
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Let’s try this one on for size: Nine days ago, when President Barack Obama announced the capture and killing of Osama Bin Laden, the intelligence materials gathered from the terrorist’s Pakistani hideout revealed nascent plans to attack the United States’ rail system at some point in the indeterminate future. For terrorists looking for an easy strike, rail attacks aren’t a new idea. We’ve seen them in Moscow, Tokyo, Madrid and London, to name a few, and rail systems that cover vast expanses remain relatively porous.
So what would you say an appropriate response from the Senior Senator from the state with the most commuter rail passengers would be? Do you think he would propose shoring up weak access points? Or do you think he’d rather go in for the quick score that would bring travel headaches, higher costs and few real safety upgrades to the trains? As you can imagine, Chuck Schumer picked the security theater found in the latter.
In interviews with reporters on Sunday, Schumer called upon Amtrak to implement a “no-ride” list similar to the airlines’ no-fly list. The Department of Homeland Security would share its database with the train operator, and all they would have to do is check the ID of every single person who buys a ticket and boards a train. According to Schumer, this plan would come at “virtually no extra cost” to the government.
“Circumstances demand we make adjustments by increasing funding to enhance rail safety and monitoring on commuter rail transit and screening who gets on Amtrak passenger trains, so that we can provide a greater level of security to the public,” Schumer said.
As Gawker noted, that’s a pretty out-there claim by our Senator. Schumer, wrote Jeff Neumann, “of course failed to explain how that statement is even remotely true. He wants Amtrak employees to cross-reference names from the list with passengers. Amtrak alone last year had 28.7 million passengers. Now, just add all of the commuter rail lines across the country and that’s a whole lot of cross-referencing. Well, thanks for fighting the good fight, Chuck. And good luck with that!”
Schumer’s plan for Amtrak also doesn’t address the system’s real vulnerabilities. Terrorists boarding trains shouldn’t be our primary concern right now. Rather, thousands of miles of exposed tracks and bridges and tunnels that remain easy to access should be the focus of the government’s security efforts and dollars.
While Amtrak promised to “review Schumer’s proposal,” DHS seemed lukewarm. A spokesman told Newsday that the Department has expended over $1.6 billion on security enhancements over the past five years, and they’ve done so in a way that isn’t as confining as airpot security. It is the difference between a plan designed to make us feel safer and one that actually makes us safer.
Despite the uproar today — Schumer’s statements have gotten play from virtually every media outlet across country — his idea isn’t a new one. It was originally put forward by the 9/11 Commission back in 2004, but Amtrak has never acted on the “no-ride” list. It also comes at a time when the federal government cut rail security spending by $50 million.
Meanwhile, what of our commuter rails, equally as vital and equally as vulnerable? Schumer says passengers on carriers such as the LIRR and Metro-North wouldn’t have to show IDs, but he would like to see security expenses increased for commuter railroads across the country. It’s always just a matter of money.
May
09
Florida’s rejected HSR dollars come to New York
Posted by: | CommentsFlorida’s loss has become New York’s gains. When the Sunshine State’s Governor Rick Scott declined $2 billion in federal funding for high-speed rail, northern leaders leapt at the opportunity to secure the money, and today, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that $785 million of Florida’s spoils will be distributed to Northeast Corridor projects and another $150 million will fund non-Northeast Corridor improvements. This funding will help lay the groundwork for high-speed rail through the region.
“President Obama and Vice President Biden’s vision for a national rail system will help ensure America is equipped to win the future with the fastest, safest and most efficient transportation network in the world,” LaHood said at a presser this morning. “The investments we’re making today will help states across the country create jobs, spur economic development and boost manufacturing in their communities.”
As part of the morning’s announcement, Gov. Andrew Cuomo outlined what New York plans to do with its $354.4 million. As part of the Northeast Corridor upgrades, $295 million to fund a project to replace the Harold Interlocking in Queens. Doing so will alleviate major delays as LIRR and Amtrak trains coming into and out of Manhattan compete for space. A new interlocking system will allow Amtrak trains to bypass what the feds called “the busiest passenger rail junction in the nation.” The $295 million represents the entire amount requested by the MTA for this project.
The remaining $59.4 million will go toward Empire Corridor Capacity improvements and a new intermodal station in Rochester. The state planes to construct a fourth station track at Albany/Rensselaer and replace the Schenctady station as well. By eliminating these bottlenecks, the state can set the stage for high-speed rail.
“New York stands ready to use this federal money to rebuild our transportation infrastructure, expand high speed rail, and put New Yorkers back to work. In April I applied for federal grant money to fund promising projects that would push New York’s high-speed rail plans forward and create jobs,” the governor said in a statement. “Today, the US Department of Transportation awarded New York $354.4 million for three projects. These initiatives have tremendous potential and will be a significant factor in ushering our economy and transportation system into the 21st century.”
Of course, despite these grant awards, one key aspect of the northeast high-speed rail plan is lacking. None of these awards will go toward constructing a new trans-Hudson tunnel, and the fact was not lost upon New York Senator Chuck Schumer. Prior to the press event this morning, he was caught on tape saying how Xanadu dollars should have gone to the ARC Tunnel but was thrilled by the federal grants anyway. “If you want to award hundreds of millions of dollars for high-speed rail,” said New York’s senior senator, Charles E. Schumer, “you need not ask New York twice.”
For more on the grants, check out the following: Gateway Gab breaks down how the remaining Northeast Corridor dollars will be spent while the DOT press release lists the other grant awards California and the Midwest will gain the bulk of the remainder of the federal funds that Florida gave up earlier this year. Ever so slowly, high-speed rail is coming into view.
May
09
Second Ave. Subway breach: harmless explorers or security breach?
Posted by: | CommentsSecurity breach! Everyone panic! That, at least, is the word coming out of the Second Ave. Subway this morning, but should it be? The story, as reported sensationally by The Post, goes as follows: Four twenty-somethings who label themselves urban adventurers were arrested and charged with criminal trespass early Sunday morning when they were spotted entering the Second Ave. Subway tunnel at 112th St. The Post, trying to equate this development with a PATH tunnel breach as well, claims these incidents are indicative of a lack of security surrounding the city’s rail infrastructure. I’m not so sure the two are analogous.
What happened underneath Second Ave. is, whether we admit it or not, a common happenstance. A savvy, if unsubtle, group of explorers who know about the preexisting parts of the Second Ave. Subway well north of and disconnected from the current launch box at 96th St. hopped into the abandoned tunnel to take photos. Despite The Post’s reporting, these trespassers were not able to gain access to any areas of the Second Ave. Subway under construction. This happens at abandoned stations and shuttered areas of the subway system all the time. It’s happened at South 4th Street with the Underbelly Project; it’s happened at City Hall in that abandoned station. It simply shows that off-limits areas of the system are not immune from penetration.
The bigger question concerns our personal safety. Should we be worried about the porous nature of the subway system? I’ve written in the past about how vulnerable our subway system is, and in the post-Bin Laden era, that still holds true. It’s nearly impossible to protect and guard over 700 miles of track and open-ended tunnels. I doubt terrorists are going to target an abandoned half mile of subway along 112th St. and Second Ave, but access is easy enough for those willing to try.
May
09
MetroCard replacement to be an ‘E-ZPass for Transit’
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While the demise of the MetroCard is still a few years away, the MTA already knows what its next-generation fare payment technology will resemble. In fact, the authority has produced a 140-page “Concept of Operations” that includes, according to the authority, “a detailed definition of what the MTA wants the system to do.” It does not, however, offer a technical solution for the system, and to that end, the authority will present its new fare payment system to an extensive group of industry experts this week.
Due to the demands of law school, I’ve been sitting on this story for a week because I simply haven’t had time to parse through this extensive PDF file, and over the weekend, the Daily News spilled the beans. Right now, the MTA is seeking public comment through the end of May on its concept of operations. It will host a meeting on Tuesday with a group of over 70 companies. Those attending the meeting include everyone from Google and HP to AT&T and Verizon to Visa and Mastercard and everyone in between. It is the next step as the MTA continues to beat the death drum for the MetroCard.
So what exactly does the MTA want its future fare-payment system to do? The agency’s CFO Charlie Monheim said to the Daily News that the new fare payment system Card will be “an E-ZPass for Transit,” but that’s a rather vague summary. The extensive PDF provides a glimpse at the card. By and large, the authority hopes that straphangers will use their contactless debit and credit cards for subway travel. This move is as expected after multiple trials along the Lexington Ave. line.
“MTA wants to accept bank and third party issued credit, debit and prepaid cards directly at the turnstile and farebox unit for fare payment, as a merchant in payment industry terms,” the document reads. “Which card the customer uses will be his/her choice as long as it is contactless and has the appropriate spending authority. PIN-only debit cards will not be accepted at the readers. Fees for card transactions at the reader are expected to cost the MTA less than cash transactions today at the vending machines, station booths and farebox units.”
The MTA says it will continue to rely on open standards as well. To avoid making the same costly mistakes it made with the MetroCard, the authority will turn to open standards to “create a competitive market and more choice.”
For those who do not have the necessary access to a bankcard or do not want to use their debit or credit cards for subway fares, the MTA will also offer a new fare media currently entitled the MTA Card. This will be a contactless pre-paid fare card issued by the MTA that comes with a magnetic strip for reloading. The authority is hellbent on eliminating magnetic-strip technology, something that was obsolete by the time the MetroCard made its debut. Magnetic strips, the document says, are “not appropriate for the high volumes and rapid transaction times required for public transportation.”
These cards will operate on a “closed loop,” good only for travel on MTA rail roads. It will be available for purchase through one channel only — either a third-party or a white-label arrangement with a payment industry organization. It will be available, for a one-time retention fee, for purchase and then can be reloaded throughout the system. It sounds quite similar, in fact, to the DC Metro’s SmarTrip card.
Overall, the authority is asking the industry to develop something that is “future-proof.” Says the Concept of Operations: “MTA wishes to build a system based on technology where the choice to renew components or subsystems or adapt to an emerging technology during the system’s lifecycle is not an all-or-nothing choice. Basing a new fare payment system on open standards will ensure MTA can adapt to evolving technology in the payments arena and network environment. Components based on open standards have a shorter refresh cycle and can be replaced as the technology evolves without having to modify the entire system.”
As Jay Walder said to me in November, this new fare payment system is a prime example of spending money to save money. Per the Concept of Operations, the MTA’s fare collection costs translate to 15 cents per $1 revenue collected. This new system should cut those costs significantly while eliminating the need to spend millions on MetroCard maintenance and staving off vandalism as well. If executed properly, it’s a win-win for the MTA’s pockets and consumer flexibility.
Finally, as the Daily News article notes, Monheim believes that “the technology could also allow the MTA to charge different rates on a daily or hourly basis – like rush hour or weekends.” As the 140-page document details, the MTA expects a lot out of the looming presentations, but with the titans of the payment and fare card industries ready to listen to the nation’s largest public transit system, this project will move forward. For better or worse, the MetroCard’s demise is growing nearer and nearer.
May
08
MTA anticipating Monday a.m. LIRR delays, cancellations
Posted by: | CommentsDue to a Sunday afternoon derailment of an Amtrak work train, the MTA is anticipating a rough Monday for westbound LIRR commuters. According to a statement released this evening, the Long Island Rail Road will “operate a significantly reduced AM Rush schedule” on Monday. Numerous trains will be canceled or diverted as crews work to rerail the train and repair the damaged track and catenary wires. The authority has already canceled 19 trains while a handful of others have been diverted to Atlantic Ave. Keep an eye on this page for the latest.
