Archive for Self Promotion
Feb
23
SAS on CBS 2 news, again
Posted by: | CommentsA media alert: I’ll be on the WCBS 2 local news again this evening during the 6 p.m. broadcast. I’ll be talking about the MTA’s decision to eliminate 1000 positions in as put of the agency’s cost-cutting measures. For more coverage on that story, check out my posts on the station agent issue and MTA CEO and Chairman Jay Walder’s statement on the personnel reductions. I’ll link to the video when CBS posts it to their website.
Update 10:15 p.m.: The video is now available right here on WCBS’ website. It’s a rather even-keeled look at the service cuts and features what I think to be the most valid need for station against. If the MTA urges us to say something if we see something yet no one is there to whom we can say something, what are we do? Still, the costs of the station agents appear to far outweigh the benefits at a time when money is more than tight for the authority.
Feb
22
Media Hit: On the component-based renovation plans
Posted by: | Comments
Updated 9:24 p.m.: This morning, the Daily News reported on an initiative put forward by New York City Transit President Thomas Prendergast that would see some high-traffic stations get some badly-needed renovations. According to Prendergast, eight stations — including Yankee Stadium and Third Ave./149th St. in the Bronx, Union Square and Times Square in Manhattan, Atlantic Ave./Pacific St. and Crown Heights-Utica Ave. in Brooklyn and Flushing-Main St. and Roosevelt Ave./74th St. in Queens — will get blitzed by teams of carpenters, masons, ironworkers and painters in an effort to spruce up stations that had been renovated within the last decade.
Prendergast decided to pursue these eight stations both as a display of the MTA’s new component-based approach toward station maintenance and because these high-traffic hubs were falling apart, just a decade or less after their last makeovers. The stations will then receive more frequent maintenance inspections. “We let conditions slip,” he said.
More specifically, Prendergast’s crack team of repairman are part of Transit’s new dedicated Station Maintenance teams. According to Transit, these teams will target previously rehabilitated stations in an effort to repair defects, and then the stations will enter the new Station Maintenance Program that will help preserve investments and avoid future disrepair. Transit chosen these station in this pilot because they include the four heaviest used stations in each borough.
This new project goes hand in hand with the new Target Component Program I mentioned above. This program will focus on station renewal rather than full-scale rehab. It is, according to Transit, a “less holistic approach” aimed at focusing on components in 150 stations that need repair. It’s a wider effort but one that won’t see all stations returned to a State of Good Repair.
This evening, CBS covered the story, and their video report featured a brief snippet from yours truly. Unfortunately, I can’t embed the video, but you can view it on CBS’ website. In a nutshell, I like the component-based maintenance plan. It is, after all, far more realistic than the seemingly unattainable State of Good Repair. But I wonder if the money used on the Station Maintenance program would be better spent on stations in far worse shape than these. I know Transit wants to keep its crown jewels looking shiny, but there are some very decrepit stations both within and without of the borough of Manhattan.
Anyway, check out the video. I always enjoy being a talking head for the local newscasts.
Jan
27
SAS recognized as a top Gotham blog by the Voice
Posted by: | CommentsAllow me to take a few minutes of your time this afternoon to toot my own horn. This week’s Village Voice, available today city-wide in those ubiquitous red boxes, features a cover story on 18 of the city’s “obsessive, cantankerous, and unstoppable” blogs, and yours truly was included in this elite list. The piece’s introduction starts right here, and my profile is on page eight. The print edition even features my head shot on page 18. So if you’re around New York City, check it out, and as always, thanks for stopping by.
Nov
30
Behind the scenes of an MTA satire
Posted by: | CommentsTen days ago, I offered up a link to the amusing Fake MTA twitter account. The then-anonymous account satirizes official MTA announcements with the appropriate mix of humor, irreverence and snark. It sounds like something the MTA would say but with a slightly off twist. Today, Heather Haddon in amNew York interviewed the men behind the humor, and yours truly provided her with a short quote about the Twitter phenomenon. The two behind the project — Josh Oswald and Reed Jackson — work in publish and chose the MTA for its irony factor. For more serious tweets, you can follow Second Ave. Sagas on Twitter.
Nov
22
A Second Ave. Sagas media alert
Posted by: | CommentsJust a heads up for my loyal readers: Based on how Jeremy Hobson, a reporter with American Public Media’s Marketplace, edits his story for Monday morning, I may be on the air. As a special Marketplace Morning Report, Hobson is looking at the progress of the Second Ave. Subway in light of the current economy. The segment airs in New York at 6:50 a.m. on 820 AM and at 8:50 a.m. on FM 93.9. Check it out, and I’ll link to the story later in the day on Monday when it hits the website.
Nov
20
Satirizing the MTA, 140 characters at a time
Posted by: | CommentsFor those of us into both the subways and Twitter, the popular microblogging platform just got a bit funnier. Earlier this week, a new Twitter account called FakeMTA debuted, and it’s quickly becoming one of the more entertaining satire feeds out there. The tone is perfect, and the message amusing. “All passengers looking for IRT, BMT or IND lines will be directed to nearby bus stops,” said one earlier this week. For more serious public transit-oriented tweets, you can also follow Second Ave. Sagas on Twitter or New York City Transit’s Subway Scoop.
Aug
02
Guest Bloggers This Week
Posted by: | CommentsGuest-blogging will continue this week at Second Avenue Sagas. Replacing Ben are Bill Boyer and myself, Jeremy Steinemann. Bill and I will be playing tag-team from Monday to Friday. Expect some excellent posts on the history and future of the subway system, as well as the usual news coverage.
Jul
24
Wanted: A few good bloggers
Posted by: | CommentsI’m going to be out of the country starting on Monday, July 27 returning on Friday, August 7, and while I am away, I will limited access to the Internet. I have a guest blogger lined up for the end of next week, but I am currently looking for some guest contributors for the week of August 3. If anyone is looking to share their news and views on transportation in New York City and the subways, please contact me or leave a comment here with a valid e-mail address in the e-mail field. Anything help would be greatly appreciated.
Jun
19
Connecting with SAS (and weekend service advisories)
Posted by: | CommentsAs the weekend draws near, I thought I would take a few minutes to promote the site a bit. Tomorrow, I’ll be riding the Nostalgia Train to the Bronx, and when the train goes above ground, I’ll upload some pictures via Twitter.
To that end, you can find Second Ave. Sagas on Twitter right here. Follow me for mass transit musings and updates in 140 characters or less. My more personal, non-blog related Twitter account is here. We’re also on Facebook, but that’s far more passive.
Finally, if you’re interested in advertising on Second Ave. Sagas, please contact me. I’m always looking for more advertisers, and this site attracts a solid number of high-value eyeballs. Competitive rates, preferential placement available. You know the drill.
Now on to the service advisories. As always, these are as provided to me by New York City Transit and are subject to change. Check the fliers posted at your local station and listen for announcements on board.
From 12:01 a.m. to 7 a.m. Saturday, June 20 and from 12:01 a.m. to 8 a.m. Sunday, June 21 and from 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, June 22, Manhattan-bound 2 and 4 trains skip Eastern Parkway, Grand Army Plaza and Bergen Street due to switch renewal.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, June 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, June 22, 4 trains run in two sections due to cable work:
- Between Woodlawn and 125th Street and
- Between 125th Street and New Lots Avenue
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, June 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, June 22, Manhattan-bound 4 trains skip 138th Street due to cable work.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, June 20, to 5 a.m. Monday, June 22, there are no 5 trains between East 180th Street and Bowling Green due to cable work. Customers should take the 2 or 4 instead. (Transfer between the 5 and 2 at East 180th Street. Transfer between the 2 and 4 at 149th Street-Grand Concourse.)
From 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 20 and Sunday, June 21, Bronx-bound 6 trains run express from Parkchester to Pelham Bay Park due to station painting near Westchester Square.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, June 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, June 22, Queens-bound A trains run local from 168th Street to West 4th Street, then on the F to Jay Street, then local to Euclid Avenue due to the Chambers Street Signal Modernization project.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, June 20 to 5 a.m. Manhattan-bound A trains run local from Euclid Avenue to 168th Street due to the Chambers Street Signal Modernization project.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, June 20, to 5 a.m. Monday, June 22, there are no C trains running due to the Chambers Street Signal Modernization project. Customers should take the A instead.
From 4 a.m. Saturday, June 20 to 10 p.m. Sunday, June 21, Manhattan-bound D trains run on the N from Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue to 36th Street (Brooklyn) due to track panel installation.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, June 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, June 22, Bronx-bound D trains skip 170th, 174th-175th, and 182nd-183rd Streets due to track cable work.
From 11:30 p.m. Friday, June 19 to 5 a.m. Saturday, June 21, Manhattan-bound F trains run local from Forest Hills-71st Avenue to Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue to due to track and roadbed replacement at Grand Avenue.
From 12:30 a.m. to 5 a.m. Saturday, June 20 and 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, June 21 and Monday, June 22, Jamaica-bound F trains run local from Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue to Forest Hills-71st Avenue due to track and roadbed replacement at Grand Avenue.
From 8:30 p.m. Friday, June 19 to 5 a.m. Monday, June 22, there is no G train service between Forest Hills-71st Avenue and Court Square. Customers should take the E or R instead.
From 11:30 p.m. Friday, June 19 to 5 a.m. Monday, June 22, free shuttle buses replace L trains between Lorimer Street and Myrtle Avenue due to track and roadbed replacement at Jefferson Street.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, June 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, June 22, N and R trains are rerouted over the Manhattan Bridge between DeKalb Avenue and Canal Street due to subway tunnel rehabilitation. Customers may take the 4 at nearby stations.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, June 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, June 22, Manhattan-bound Q trains skip Newkirk Avenue due to station rehab work.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, June 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, June 22, Coney Island-bound Q trains run express from Prospect Park to Kings Highway due to Brighton Line station rehabilitation.
Mar
23
Fare Hike Feedback: SAS on NBC
Posted by: | CommentsAs the public digests the news that the MTA Finance Committee has approved recommending the Doomsday budget to the MTA Board, I’ll be on TV providing some reaction. Andrew Siff of WNBC interviewed me for a segment that will run during the 30-minute newscast at either 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. on Channel 4 in New York. I’ll also be a guest on Chuck Scarborough’s cable-only 7 p.m. news broadcast. Check here for channel information for the Nightly News broadcast.
As long-time readers of this site could guess, I’m not too happy about the news. The MTA Board has been forced into a corner, and the politicians in Albany are simply spewing excuses. If we’ve known about this impending problem for a year, well, so has Albany. It’s time for the politicians to stop playing games with transit. New York needs its transit funding, and the MTA is now on borrowed time.
