Archive for Metro-North
Jan
12
Metro-North unveils new Yankee Stadium stop pricing
Posted by: | CommentsWhile the MTA is preparing to cut service and raise fares throughout the system, Metro-North will soon open a badly-needed station stop a few blocks away from the new Yankee Stadium in the South Bronx. The new stop will be a part of the Hudson Line but will provide gameday service along the Harlem and New Haven lines as well. Over the weekend, the Connecticut Post reported on the recently announced fare schedule for the new stop.
In a nutshell, gameday travelers heading to Yankee Stadium will pay their normal Metro-North fares to Grand Central plus one dollar more. That seems like a fair fare to me, and Metro-North officials anticipate 10,000 passengers passing through the station on game days. State and railroad officials are still attempting to hash out a post-game schedule that could include non-stop service from Yankee Stadium to parts of Westchester or Connecticut.
Jan
07
Metro-North tests new bike rakes
Posted by: | CommentsIn an effort to become more bike-friendly, Metro-North is testing bike hooks on the M-7 trains. While January is an odd time to start a bike pilot, the program will be ongoing as the MTA solicits feedback from bike-riding commuters. Trainjotting likes the look while Streetsblog wonders why bike space and disability seating have to clash.
Oct
17
Work continues on new Yankee Stadum stop
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It’s beginning to look a lot like a Metro-North stop. (Photo courtesy of the MTA)
In a few months, when the new Yankee Stadium opens, the MTA will debut its latest addition to Metro-North: a stop at Yankee Stadium.
Yesterday, the authority released a bunch of pictures of the ongoing construction. The pedestrian bridge is coming along; the platforms are staircases are rounding into shape. But a major question remains on the fares the MTA will charge for this quick ride from Grand Central to Yankee Stadium.
To that end, the commuter railroad would like to hold a hearing to set the fare. The MTA’s press release fills us in:
Fares from Grand Central and Harlem-125th Street and from suburban Hudson Line stations would be the same as existing fares to and from all other Hudson Line Bronx stations.
Metro-North also will introduce new “via” fares for travel to the new station for Harlem and New Haven Line stations. These via fares will consist of the already established one-way fare to Manhattan plus a small additional amount for the portion of the trip between Manhattan and the new station. Metro-North is proposing an additional $1.00 for all peak one-way fares and 75 cents for all one-way off-peak fares.
The new station will be open year round serving both the neighborhood and baseball fans attending the ball games. Metro-North also proposes to honor CityTickets for weekend travel between the new station and both Grand Central and Harlem-125th Street. CityTicket is a special, $3.25, weekend-only fare for travel on Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road within New York City limits.
I wonder if Metro-North would consider variable pricing for trains around game time. They could alternately charge less for access to Yankee Stadium in an effort to discourage driving and encourage rail use. Or they could charge more for Yankee Stadium-bound trains as a way to capture additional revenue during extreme peak hours.
In the end, the MTA will probably just adopt the fare recommendations set forth by Metro-North. The hearing will take place on Monday, November 17, at 6 p.m. at the office of the Bronx District Attorney just up the block from Yankee Stadium.
Oct
02
Sometimes, it’s not the GPS’ fault
Posted by: | CommentsOn Monday night, a driver in Westchester ended up driving on the Metro-North tracks. His car got stuck, and he had to get out as a train barreled down on him. After the inevitable collision and once the police arrived on the scene, Jose Silva said that “he did what he was told” by his car’s GPS. At some point, wouldn’t it make sense not to turn right on railroad tracks no matter what the automated voice inside one’s car is saying? Personality responsibility should trump technology. [Associated Press]
Sep
29
Transit to tap across Tappan Zee replacement
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The Tappan Zee Bridge’s days are numbered, and a transit-laden span will soon replace it. (Photo by flickr user vb.rm)
After years of talks and study, state officials on Friday unveiled their $16-billion plan to build a new span crossing the Hudson River to replace the aging Tappan Zee Bridge. This new river crossing will high-speed, dedicated bus lanes and Metro-North tracks as well, ushering in a new age of transit along the area’s river crossings.
William Neuman had had more about the ambitious plan:
Officials did not say how they would pay for the project; they said they would work with a financial adviser to come up with financing options. The state transportation commissioner, Astrid C. Glynn, said that the state would seek federal financing for part of the project and that a partnership involving some form of private financing would also be considered…
Officials said the bridge itself would cost $6.4 billion. A high-speed bus corridor running from Suffern to Port Chester would cost $2.9 billion. And it would cost an additional $6.7 billion to build a new rail line that would go from the Metro-North station in Suffern and across the bridge, connecting with Metro-North’s Hudson Line south of Tarrytown.
While, as the 53-year-old bridge has long been the victim of overuse, this is good news in general for the region, that the planners have opted to include transit options from the start speaks volumes of the progress road planners have made over the last few decades. When the original span was constructed in 1955, none of the area’s numerous bridges or tunnels had space for transit, and in fact, Robert Moses used his power within New York City to ensure that key arteries — such as the BQE — intentionally neglected mass transportation options.
The Tri-State Transportation Campaign addressed the transit aspect of the new bridge:
.The full corridor BRT/Rockland-NYC commuter rail combination is projected to attract more new and total transit riders than any other combination the team considered: 79,900 average weekday riders, with 31,200 of those being new riders not diverted from other transit systems..
The BRT service would begin operation on “day one” of the bridge’s opening, according to NYSDOT Commissioner Astrid Glynn, but the commuter rail line might not, depending on the construction schedule and whether sufficient funding was available. Glynn said that project design could begin in 2010 with construction starting in 2012, if the team stuck to an “aggressive schedule.” Needless to say, the study team does not have a good track record when it comes to timeliness.
In the end, this plan still has a long way to go before it becomes a reality. There will be multiple hearings and a search for the money. Then, we’ll have construction along with skyrocketing construction costs and a requisite multi-year delay. But no matter the final completion date or price tag, the study team should be praised for their attention to the times. A rail line from Grand Central up the Tappan Zee corridor will be a boon for the entire region. While it’s coming decades too late, transit is finally getting the respect it deserves in an automobile-centric world. I yearn for the day when all of our river crossings have dedicated bus lanes and rail lines running over them.
Apr
23
The fare hike was one thing, but beer prices too?!
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At Yankee Stadium, 24 ounces of Heineken will run you about $12.50. At the corner bodega, a six-pack of Heineken can be yours for around $8-$10. And on the Long Island Rail Road, that same beer will cost a measly $2.50. For now.
But bad news awaits those commuters who enjoy a relaxing beverage on their train rides home. For the first time in over ten years, the MTA is considering raising concession prices on board their trains. It was bad enough they raised the fares, but the beer prices also? Where will the madness end?
Steve Ritea of Newsday has more:
“We haven’t raised beer prices in four years and there has been no across the board price increases since 1996,” said LIRR spokesman Joe Calderone. “This price increase will help us offset higher labor and product costs for beer, wine, liquor and snacks. The increase also is in line with prices charged by other vendors at Penn Station.”
On the LIRR, domestic beers would increase by a quarter, to $2.25 and imported beer from $2.50 to $3. Top shelf liquor would go from $4.25 to $5.50 while house spirits jump from $4 to $5.25. A glass of wine goes from $3 to $3.50. Soda and water would increase from $1.25 to $1.50 and peanuts from 75 cents to $1.
Prices on Metro-North also will be higher, with top shelf liquor increasing from $5.50 to $6.50 and wine from $4.50 to $5.50.
In 2007, the MTA’s various subdivisions didn’t profit as much as one would expect from the sale of booze on board the trains. Despite grossing $2.5 million in concession sales, for example, LIRR took home a net profit of just $500,00. In this day and age of grossly overpriced beers at bars and ballgames around the city, the MTA is showing curious restraint in keeping their prices low.
I’m sure the commuter-rail passengers will grouse about this move. Those bar cars I know are popular around 6 p.m. But $3 for an import is a better deal than most happy hours, and the MTA is in revenue-capture mode these days. Personally, the next time I want a good deal on a drink, I’m hoping on the train. White Plains, anyone?
Apr
02
In the Bronx, Metro-North continues work on their most expensive station ever
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This will one day be a Metro-North stop filled with Yankee fans. (Photo by Mark Vergari of The Journal News)
It’s amazing what this city will do for the Yankees.
While a new stadium goes up across the street from venerable Yankee Stadium, the city and its taxpayers are footing the bill for a larger portion of that construction project that anyone likes to admit. Meanwhile, a few hundred yards away, various city agencies are paying $91 million to build the most expensive and largest station ever built by Metro-North.
With a new baseball season upon us and construction at the Yankee Stadium site continuing at a rapid pace, Ken Valenti of The Journal News toured the construction. LoHud.com has some poorly resampled pictures posted of the station under progress. While this concrete platform will soon be a Metro-North crown jewel, for now, things are progressing:
The project has outsized dimensions compared with most Metro-North work. The platforms are 20 to 25 feet wide and 420 feet long, compared with typical platforms 12 feet by 70 feet, Miceli said. Staircases and elevators will connect the platforms with a 10,000-square-foot covered mezzanine, making the walkway accessible to people in wheelchairs. The new walkway will be 25 feet wide, more than twice the width of the one with the curved plastic top, of which only part remains, and connected to the one under construction by the wooden steps. The new walk will make room for 15,000 fans arriving for the start of a game by train and from the parking area…
New York City pitched in $39 million for the project. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is paying $52 million, but $4 million of that comes from legislative earmarks from Rep. Jose Serrano, D-Bronx, and state Assembly members Carmen Arroyo and Jose Rivera. None of the money came from the Yankees.
Of course, the project is delayed with an anticipated completion date of shortly after Opening day 2009, but would you really expect an on-time delivery here?
My biggest concern with the project is, of course, fiduciary. While the Metro-North stop will benefit the South Bronx neighborhoods surrounding Yankee Stadium, I’m a little dismayed that the Yanks couldn’t toss in a few million dollars to off-set the MTA’s expenditures here. The MTA could use the financial relief, and the Yankees are veritably rolling in dough these days.
But either way, this will certainly be a useful station when it opens next year.
Jul
22
Officials break ground on Yankee Stadium Metro-North stop
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It’s hard to believe that this whole new Yankee Stadium thing is actually happening. I’ve been going to Yankee games for my whole life at Yankee Stadium; my dad has been going to games at Yankee Stadium for his entire life. But come January 2009, the Yanks will be playing in some other stadium called Yankee Stadium with the so-called modern amenities that the House that Ruth Built is supposedly lacking.
While this is a discussion for another blog, one positive part of the new Yankee Stadium plan got off the ground — or should I say underground? — today as Yankee, MTA, city and state officials journeyed up to the Bronx for the Metro-North groundbreaking. The new stop, which I discussed in depth in May, will link the south Bronx area around Yankee Stadium to the popular Metro-North commuter rail network. During non-game hours, the Hudson line will head through this station. During game days, the Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines will deliver thousands of fans to Yankee Stadium.
NY1 had more about the groundbreaking:
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Governor Eliot Spitzer were among those at a ground breaking Friday for a new commuter train station in the Bronx where Metro-North trains will one day pull up to the new Yankee Stadium. The station is located on the north side of 161st Street in the Bronx.
Officials say the station will be able to accommodate up to 12,000 fans, reducing traffic on the subway and streets. “There’s an awful lot of traffic and there will be even more traffic as time goes on, because more and more people will be coming to these games,” said Bloomberg. “So finding a way that we can get there by mass transit is just as integral of having the stadium as the actual field and the stands.”
The station is set to open in June of 2009, two months after the new stadium. And New York officials are hopeful that it will reduce congestion and traffic around the stadium during game days.
Meanwhile, the social impact of the new station can already be felt in the Bronx. As with any new transportation hub, real estate value is on the rise in the area, and Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion noted that many young families are opting to buy apartments in what hasn’t been a very desirable neighborhood. While some think long-term residents will stick with their trusty automobiles, the congestion fee could very well change those plans.
Yankee fans will enjoy the benefits of this station too, and with fans coming from all over the area, this stop will be a boon for the Yanks and a boon for the area.
Jun
17
MTA set to fix that pesky armrest problem
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Is that an armrest in your pocket or are you just happy to see me? (Photo by Michelle V. Agins/The New York Times)
Rest easy, commuters. Your pants are safe from the terror that are the armrests on commuter rail trains. The MTA has heard your cries, and they will fix the problem of the pants-eating armrests.
According to The New York Times, Metro-North and the L.I.R.R. plan to submit a request to the MTA board this month asking for a $3.59 million contract to purchase replacement armrests that won’t tear unsuspecting passengers’ pants. As William Neuman notes, that comes to about $70.50 an armrest. The armrest replacement project should be completed by the end of 2009 on L.I.R.R. cars and mid-2010 on Metro-North.
The Times notes the PR benefit of this move:
What the railroads are really buying is goodwill from riders. Together, the railroads have paid out more than $100,000 in claims to hundreds of riders whose clothing has been torn on the armrests. Interviews with riders suggest that hundreds or thousands more have damaged their clothes but never submitted a claim.
The old armrests are made of a rubbery material that seems to latch onto clothes and not let go. They are also long and tapered and are attached at an angle that allows them to slide unobserved into pants pockets as a rider sits down.
The new armrests are shorter, with a smoother finish, which, according to the board summary, “does not ‘grab’ clothing.”
While tailors around Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal lose out, commuters are sure to be thrilled with armrests that fill their pockets with loving caresses instead of tearing glances. Phew.
May
31
Alcohol task force wants commuters to have a drink on them
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I’ve got some good news for you commuters that can’t stomach the thought of a sober ride home. The task force convened to examine the MTA’s alcohol policy has returned a verdict: You can keep on drinkin’ on Metro-North and LIRR trains.
The MTA issued a press release just a few hours ago detailing the task force’s decision:
The final report unanimously recommended that the current policy should not be changed. Upon review of the report, Chairman Kalikow and Executive Director and CEO Sander agreed with the recommendation…
The report based its conclusion on four main findings:
- Based on MTA Police Department testimony and data, State DWI/DUI statistics, and the polling of police departments along MTA railroad Rights-of-Way, no correlation was able to be drawn between the sale or consumption of alcohol on MTA facilities and DWI incidents in or around either railroad (since 2003, only four DWI cases were reported on commuter rail property, and not a single one was attributed to drinking on MTA trains or facilities);
- The sale of alcohol, beverages and snacks were considered an amenity for customers, particularly for those traveling longer distances;
- Alcohol was readily available for purchase in multiple locations in or around LIRR and MNR stations/terminals; and
- Preventing the consumption of alcohol prior to arrival at or on commuter railroad trains was not feasible.
MTA Executive Director and CEO Elliot “Lee” Sander uttered the understatement of the year in announcing this decision. “Many of our customers enjoy this amenity, and I am pleased that the Task Force confirmed that the current policy provides a benefit without compromising safety,” he said. It’s safe to assume that a whole bunch of white-collar, suburban commuters may just have taken their eyes off of their Blackberries long enough to riot had the MTA banned alcohol on these trains.
Meanwhile, The Times reports that alcohol-related medical cases are far from uncommon on commuter rails:
The police issued 287 tickets on the Long Island and Metro-North lines last year to people on trains or in stations who were drinking alcohol and creating a disturbance. Far more prevalent, the police said, were instances of people on commuter lines who needed medical help because of extreme drunkenness. There were 994 such cases on the two railroads last year, but officials said that in virtually every case, the riders appeared to have done most or all of their drinking before they ever got on a train.
I’d hate to think what these folks who drink themselves into a stupor on Metro-North or the Long Island Railroad do for a day job. Maybe it’s just too hard to travel back to North White Plains and face yet another night in suburbia with the family.
But anywhere, there you have it, folks. The MTA will allow you to keep on drinking yourself silly on the way home. Now, if only we could enjoy some booze on the subways. Just imagine how nice that would smell on Sunday morning.
