Every Friday, when NYC Transit sends out the weekend service advisories, the press release always discusses the agency’s $10 billion capital improvement plan. Yesterday, Infrastructurist ran a piece on China’s transit investment plan.
Outside of New York, the U.S. is hardly committed to transit, and here’s Jebediah Reed’s take on it:
As of March 31, China has committed $259 billion to the project, and plans to spend nearly a half trillion dollars more in the next three years, boosting the total investment to $730 billion by 2012…The US–a country with a per capita GDP about 16 times that of China–has set rail as a national priority and has committed… $13 billion. Or, about 2 percent as much in China. This, of course, is in a place where it costs a hell of a lot more to get anything done.
“Why, oh, why,” he asks, “do we have such difficulty approaching serious projects with the required seriousness in this country?”
The discussion on Infrastructurist moves into the comments, and it is, of course, enlightening. China’s approach to everything — politics, governing, investment, society — is far different from ours. Yet, China has the right idea in investing in a legitimate national rail network. If they can do it, so can we.
Anyway, just something to think about for Memorial Day weekend. I’ll be back with new content on Tuesday morning unless I got inspired during the long weekend. In the meantime, let’s get to the service advisories.
A few notes: The subways will run on a Sunday schedule on Memorial Day Monday. That means, for example, no B, V and W trains, among others. Pay attention the service advisories. Some run only through Monday morning and others encompass Memorial Day.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, May 23 to 5 a.m. Monday, May 25, Bronx-bound 25 trains run express from 3rd Avenue-149th Street to East 180th Street due to cable installation near East 180th Street.
From 4 a.m. Saturday, May 23 to 10 p.m. Sunday, May 24, 3 trains run in two sections due to track panel installation:
* Between 148th Street and Crown Heights-Utica Avenue and
* Between Crown Heights-Utica Avenue and News Lots Avenue (runs every 20 minutes)
From 4 a.m. Saturday, May 23 to 10 p.m. Sunday, May 24, there are no 4 trains between Crown Heights-Utica Avenue and New Lots Avenue due to track panel installation. Customers may take the 3 instead.
From 5 a.m. to 12 noon Sunday, May 24, there are no 5 trains between 149th-Grand Concourse and East 180th Streets due to rail repair. Customers may take the 2 instead.
From 4 a.m. Saturday, May 23 to 10 p.m. Sunday, May 24, the last stop for some Bronx-bound 6 trains is 3rd Avenue-138th Street due to track panel installation between Morrison-Sound View Avenues and St. Lawrence Avenue.
From 4 a.m. Saturday, May 23 to 10 p.m. Sunday, May 24, Bronx-bound 6 trains run express from Hunts Point Avenue to Parkchester due to track panel installation between Morrison-Sound View Avenues and St. Lawrence Avenue.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, May 23, to 5 a.m. Monday, May 25, Bronx-bound 6 trains run express from 3rd Avenue to Hunts Point Avenue due to platform edge rehabilitation at Cypress Avenue, East 143rd Street, East 149th Street and Longwood Avenue stations.
From 4 a.m. Saturday, May 23 to 10 p.m. Sunday, May 24, Manhattan-bound 7 trains run express from Willets Point to Queensboro Plaza due to track panel installation.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, May 23 to 5 a.m. Tuesday, May 26, A trains run local between 168th Street and Euclid Avenue due to switch renewal south of West 4th Street.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, May 23, to 5 a.m. Tuesday, May 26, there are no C trains running due to switch renewal south of West 4th Street. Customers should take the A instead.
From 4 a.m. Saturday, May 23 to 10 p.m. Sunday, May 24, Manhattan-bound D trains run on the N line from Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue to 36th Street (Brooklyn) due to work at the 38th Street Yard.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, May 23, to 5 a.m. Tuesday, May 26, Brooklyn-bound D trains run local from 34th Street-Herald Square to West 4th Street due to switch renewal south of West 4th Street.
From 11:30 p.m. Friday, May 22, to 5 a.m. Monday, May 25, free shuttle buses replace trains between Norwood-205th Street and Bedford Park Blvd. due to a track chip out north of Bedford Park Boulevard.
From 11:30 p.m. Friday, May 22 to 5 a.m. Tuesday, May 26, Manhattan-bound EF trains run local from Forest Hills-71st Avenue to Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue to due to a track chip out north of Grand Avenue.
From 12:30 a.m. Saturday, May 23 to 5 a.m. Tuesday, May 26, Jamaica-bound EF trains run local from Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue to Forest Hills-71st Avenue due to a track chip out north of Grand Avenue.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, May 23 to 5 a.m. Tuesday, May 26, Brooklyn-bound F trains run on the E line from Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue to 42nd Street-8th Avenue, then on the A line to Jay Street. This is due to switch renewal south of West 4th Street and the Broadway-Lafayette to Bleecker Street transfer connection.
From 8:30 p.m. Friday, May 22 to 5 a.m. Tuesday, May 26, there is no G train service between Forest Hills-71st Avenue and Court Square. Trains run every 20 minutes between Court Square and Smith-9th Streets. Customers should take the E or R instead.
From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 23 and Sunday, May 24, Manhattan-bound J trains skip Flushing Avenue, Lorimer and Hewes Streets due to rail replacement at Gates Avenue.
From 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, May 24, uptown N trains skip 49th Street (Manhattan) due to track cleaning. – It’s like a trip to the dentist!
From 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. Saturday, May 23, uptown N trains skip Prince, 8th, 23rd, and 28th Streets due to track cleaning.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, May 23 to 5 a.m. Monday, May 25, N trains run local between Pacific Street and 59th Street (Brooklyn) due to subway tunnel rehabilitation.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, May 23 to 5 a.m. Monday, May 25, Brooklyn-bound NR trains are rerouted over the Manhattan Bridge between Canal Street and DeKalb Avenue due to subway tunnel rehabilitation. Customers may take the 4 at nearby stations.
From 12:30 a.m. Saturday, May 23 to 5 a.m. Tuesday, May 26, R trains are extended to the Jamaica-179th Street F station due to a track chip out north of Grand Avenue.
From 6:30 a.m. Saturday, May 23 to 7 p.m. Sunday, May 24, there is no Franklin Avenue Shuttle service between Franklin Avenue and Prospect Park due to rail repair. Free shuttle buses provide alternate service.