Take the A Train past Howard Beach to the Rockaways. Journeying over the vast expanse of Jamaica Bay, the A train arrives in the Rockaways where the subway stations there are in a serious state of disrepair. If all goes according to plan, however, the MTA will begin work on a $190-million renovation project this fall that would see all nine of the peninsula stations receiving much-needed overhauls. The state legislature must approve the plans, and only after that can the Rockaways finally get modern stations with canopies and public address systems. [The Daily News]
Inside the circumferential subway route plans
During his State of the MTA speech on Monday, Elliot Sander, MTA CEO and executive director, gave a nod to an idea whose time has come. “We need to take a close look at the Regional Plan Association’s circumferential subway line, which would convert the lightly used Bay Ridge freight line into a subway service that would run in an arc from southern Brooklyn to Queens to the Bronx,” he said.
As the population in the City’s outer boroughs continues to explode, the Manhattan-centric limitations of the New York City Subway system are exposed for all to see. Work at LaGuardia but live in the Bronx? The commute involves packed buses or a subway trip into Manhattan and a bus to the airport. Live in Flatbush with family in the Bronx? Take a 75-minute, three-borough subway ride just to get there.
Of course, most of these travelers eschew the subway for the relative convenience of an automobile ride. With the City’s preparing to crack down on auto use, circumstances are ripe for a circumferential subway route to connect Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx while leaving Manhattan to its wiles. For those in the know, this plan — referred to as the Triboro RX — is not new. In fact, the Regional Plan Association has been discussing it since its Third Regional Plan published in 1996.
Last summer, Michael Frumin fleshed out the idea and his work — available in this detailed Frumination post — shows how the city could usher in this rail line by using pre-existing rail rights of way and freight lines that don’t see much traffic. The route would swing through heavily underserved section of the city and connect with up to 20 other subway lines. As Frumin models it, at least 76,000 riders a day would use this line with nearly 45 percent of that total coming from people who do not currently use the subway. In other words, in this conservative model, this circumferential line could get a lot of cars off the road.
While the nitty gritty — the Bay Ridge freight line, existing rights of way through Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx — are important (and viewable here in picture form), the fun stuff is of course a map detailing the potential station stops and reach of what Frumin and the RPA have termed the X train. The train would start in Bay Ridge tracking west with the N line to 62nd St. Next, the line would head WNW, providing connections with the F, Q, 2 and 5 before making stops in Marine Park and Mill Basin East Flatbush and Brownsville, two areas sorely in need of a subway.
In Canarsie, the X would meet up with the L to Broadway Junction. The train would then track the M to Metropolitan Ave. and head north through the underserved areas between Metropolitan Ave. and Jackson Heights in Queens. Heading northeast, the train would run through Astoria, across Randall’s Island and into the Bronx where it would cross the 6 and terminate with the 4, D and B at Yankee Stadium.
For more of the technical challenges this route poses, you can check out Frumin’s overview and the alignment details. But engineering demands aside, this line could be a reality with less of a headache than anyone in New York would believe.
Sure, there are challenges, and the MTA’s track record on recent construction projects is fairly terrible right now. But this line, more than the 7 extension, more than the Fulton Hub, more than just about any other capital construction project, would do wonders for the reach of the New York City Subway system.
Right now, it’s a dream, but with a little initiative, this project could easily become a reality and a much-needed one at that.
NY Post: Show us the progress
In a rather scathing editor, the New York Post rails on Elliot Sander’s State of the MTA address today. Citing the Fulton St. Hub, the delay in the Second Ave. subway and the whole flap over the 7 line extension, they note the MTA’s recent string of broken promises and wonder if it makes sense to look 40 years into the future if the MTA can’t even deliver one Lower Manhattan station on time and close to budget.”MTA brass will have to prioritize – and, more important, do a better job of managing projects and estimating costs,” the editorial says. “If the agency hopes to spend such vast sums, it first ought to show that it can deliver something for the money.”
Admittedly, the Post makes some good points. As I’ve noted numerous times, the MTA cannot seem to finish projects on time or at budget. But right now, the City needs big dreamers, and Sander offered up a Big Dream on Monday. While the MTA should shoulder the blame for faulty projections and endless construction, our government should be investing more in the City’s infrastructure. When the future depends on it, there’s certainly enough blame to go around.
With the fare hike, the subway is still a good deal
On the first weekday after the fare hike, Metro, one of New York’s free dailies, ran an article on the rider reaction to the fare hike. As anyone could imagine, most straphangers were complaining about the increase in fares. Of course, they were; no one likes it when prices go up.
But the article wasn’t that outlandish; Metro saved that for the survey — shown above — they included with the piece. In this survey, Metro asked 193 members of their Metro Life Panel their thoughts on the fare hike, and the results are stunningly ignorant.
First, 70 percent of respondents didn’t feel that the subways were still a good deal. To which I say, “Are you kidding me?” The maximum amount anyone pays per ride for the subway is $2, and only about 11 percent of all subway riders pay the full fare. That number didn’t go up.
So for less than $2.00, New Yorkers can get anywhere via the MTA’s public transit system. Want to go from Coney Island to Inwood? Less than $2.00 on the subway. The same trip would cost someone around $60 in a cab. Want to go from South Ferry to 14th St.? Less than $2.00. It ain’t that cheap in a taxi. Meanwhile, the subways are still running 24 hours a day, and we will even get added service because of the fare hike. How is this remotely close to a bad deal? It’s a fantastic deal.
But the fun doesn’t stop there. Over 80 percent of the respondents felt that the revenues generated from the fare hike would not go to a good use. If funding the MTA isn’t a good use of the revenue the agency draws in, I’d love to hear what these people think a better use of the money would be. As I said, we’re getting more bang for our buck through the planned service upgrades. That is indeed a good use of the fare hike.
We move next to the left column. Eight percent of respondents — a relatively small number, I know — believe the subway is no longer the cheapest option. You got that? A fare hike that, at most, is a 6.5 percent increase prices the subway out of the realm of the cheap. That cab, by the way, from South Ferry to 14th St.? A cool $10.60 before the tip. The only cheaper option is walking.
Finally, the kicker: Metro Life Panel respondents would like the average subway ride to cost $1.70. Now, seemingly, that’s a far cry from the current $2.00 fare. Right? Not even close.
As I mentioned, approximately 89 percent of subway riders use some form of discounted MetroCard. Whether those are pay-per-ride cards with free rides or Unlimited Ride cards where, as I showed, the cost per ride could drop to nearly $1.00 per ride, people aren’t paying a full fare. As I’ve written in the past, the average cost per ride comes out to approximately $1.31. Even with a 6.5 percent increase, the average cost per ride would creep up to a shade under $1.40 or 30 cents less than what Metro Life Panel respondents believe they should pay. Geniuses, the lot of ’em.
Now, I know that most subway riders don’t pay obsessive attention to MTA detail as I and many of my readers do, and I know that Metro is trying to, well, not exactly sell free newspapers but draw eyes. Still, the paper shouldn’t run things so blatantly wrong and potentially inflammatory.
While I’m a proponent of the fare hike, I know people are going to complain and moan about it. But the subways are still a good deal. In fact, at $1.40 a ride, the subways are a better deal than nearly everyone thinks they are. Don’t tell the MTA; they may raise fares even more.
Calculating the MTA’s new math
With the latest fare hike, the MTA whittled away the once-simply 20 percent pay-per-ride benefit to a 15 percent bonus. Gone are the days of getting two free rides for every $20 spent. Now, straphangers get three free rides for every $40, and that Ninth Grade algebra just became a lot more relevant than anyone ever expected it would. Enter the New York City MetroCard Calculator. With the press of a button, this new Website will do complicated MTA math for you. Never again wind up with odd amounts of money left on your pay-per-ride MetroCards. [MetroCardCalculator.com]
Shooting yourself in the foot, Mayor Bloomberg style
By donating $500,000 to New York State Republicans, Mayor Bloomberg may have just cost himself and the City the congestion price support of State Democrats. “You don’t want to stick your thumb in the eye of people that you want to help you,” Assemblyman Carl E. Heastie, a Bronx Democrat, said to The Times. While an idealist would hope that the legislature does what is best for the City and passes the congestion pricing plan, a realist knows that politics is more important in New York State than policy. So for that, I give a loud Bronx cheer to Mayor Mike. Why not now just give $450 million of your own money to the MTA? You can afford it, and now the agency will need it. [The New York Times]
Sander unveils ambitious 40-year plan during State of the MTA
The Regional Plan Association loves this idea. (Image from the MTA)
Toward the end of Elliot Sander’s State of the MTA speech yesterday morning, one of the MTA Capital Construction employees sitting near me turned to his friend and laughed off Sander’s “Network Expansion Options” presentation. “It’s good to be a planner,” he said, with a chuckle, of the MTA CEO and Executive Director’s proposed 40-year expansion plan.
It was a very knowing chuckle. The suits at MTA Capital Construction understand reality. They know what it takes to attempt to build three stops on a new subway line, let alone an entire branch that cuts through three densely-populated boroughs. They know that in the MTA’s first 40 years, the agency hasn’t added much in the way of subway lines to a city that badly needs them. What would make the next 40 years any different?
For the better part of an hour, Sander spoke about the MTA’s last 40 years, its current state and the next 40 years. He put the future on display. “Today, we stand at a crossroads,” he said. “We can take a business-as-usual approach to how we run the MTA, completing the projects that are currently underway and continuing the State of Good Repair program. Or we can set our sights higher. We can complete the projects underway, continue the State of Good Repair program and press on to give the region the network of mobility it needs to be competitive with its global peers.”
For the most part, though, the speech held few surprises. Sander talked about the latest $29.5-billion, five-year capital plan; the fare hike and planned service upgrades; and the potential impact the congestion fee may have on transit.
He routinely stressed using the city’s vast public transit network to remain a competitive 21st Century city. “Today’s MTA is positioned to…become the best in class of large public transportation agencies in the world,” he said. “New York is locked in a competition for brainpower and capital with places like London, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Paris. We cannot settle for a second-rate transportation network.”
Sander also called upon the government to invest in mass transit in New York and throughout the country. “Next year, we will have four tunnel-boring machines operating to expand the subway and regional rail systems. Sounds impressive?” he said. “Right now, Shanghai has 90 such machines at work on rail and other projects…Our biggest global competitor, China, spends 9 percent of its gross domestic product on infrastructure.Meanwhile, the United States spends less than 1% of its GDP. That is unacceptable.”
But the real Holy Grail of his speech came as he started speculating on the MTA’s 40-year future. As the illustration up top shows, Sander did not hold back imaging a vastly different and improved subway system:
The Second Avenue Subway can act as a trunk line for new service to West Harlem, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx…Consistent with the vision for a Lower Manhattan rail link, imagine the Second Avenue Subway running south to Lower Manhattan, then going under the East River to downtown Brooklyn and on to Jamaica, Queens, via the Long Island Rail Road’s Atlantic Avenue Branch, with a connection to the AirTrain to JFK.
Second Avenue can also provide a Manhattan route for a new service in Queens, running through the 63rd Street tunnel relieve overcrowding on the Queens Boulevard line.
After completion of East Side Access and Second Avenue, the wave of investments that need to be made in the next 25 to 40 years should rely heavily on the MTA’s diamonds in the rough: underutilized or dormant freight and commuter rail rights-of-way that can be transformed into subway lines; and lightly used middle tracks on subway lines that can be used for new express services…
In one scenario, the extension of the Second Avenue Subway I described could connect to new tracks within the right of way of the LIRR Main Line between Jamaica and Port Washington Junction. We can also utilize the Rockaway Beach right-of-way to provide new transit access from the Main Line corridor to southern Queens and the Rockaway Peninsula.
We need to take a close look at the Regional Plan Association’s circumferential subway line, which would convert the lightly used Bay Ridge freight line into a subway service that would run in an arc from southern Brooklyn to Queens to the Bronx.
In the Bronx, we have at least two opportunities to give customers faster, more direct connections – something planners call “right-routing.” We can extend the D train north and east to connect with the 2 and 5 trains at Gun Hill Road for more direct connections between the central Bronx and Manhattan’s West Side…
The MTA network’s 55 miles of underused middle track on elevated subway lines also represent a tremendous opportunity that we must exploit. These lines, primarily in Brooklyn and the Bronx, might enable additional express services to be operated, shortening travel times between these boroughs and the Manhattan core.
In the end, Sander’s plan is ambitious, and as the builders noted, it sure does make the planners sound pretty good. But will it be a reality? Can it be a reality? The answer to the second question is yes; the answer to the first question is maybe.
The City needs the projects Sander is selling here, and someone needs to step up and take the reins. It’s one thing to talk vaguely about subway expansion and the need for more lines. It’s another thing entirely to do what Sander is doing and putting forward plans that could revolutionize and modernize New York’s subway and public transit system.
For too long have the city and state leaders allowed the MTA to eke by on next to nothing. While Sander’s plan may be unrealistic, it takes a visionary to move things forward, and as the MTA sits on the precipice of its next 40 years, today’s speech made me think that Sander is the right man for the MTA at the right time.
As he said near the end of his speech, “As the MTA goes, so goes the region.” Now, let’s see what he can do.
At State of the MTA, Sander calls for ambitious expansion
I’ll have a full post write-up of the State of the MTA this evening. For now, head on over to Sewell Chan’s recap. Chan picked up on the most newsworthy — and some may say, least realistic — aspects of the plan: Sander’s calls for a 40-year plan that includes a Brooklyn-Queens-Bronx arc line. More later. [City Room]
After a fare hike, grading the subways
With the fare hike upon us, a lot of New Yorkers are digging into their thoughts on the subway system. While I’ve been in favor of the fare hike on the basis that the MTA needs the money and the fare hike isn’t that much of a financial onus, as Metro and the Daily News both noted, straphangers are none too pleased about the hike.
For all of our love about the subways, a lot of the critiques leveled anecdotally in the press recently are accurate. Subway service in New York could be better; subway service in New York should be better. Later today, during the State of the MTA speech — which I will cover — MTA CEO and Executive Director Lee Sander will push a lot of service upgrades. But for now, the subways need work.
With that in mind and with commuters shelling out more money to ride the subway, today is a good day to revisit the Rider Report Cards. I’ve never issued my rider report card. Allow me to correct that oversight. I’m not going to grade individual lines; rather, I’m going to grade the system overall with my comments on a few choice topics.
Reasonable wait times for trains — If the MTA deserves to be judged harshly on another topic, this should be at the top of that list. Tonight, for instance, I had to wait 10 minutes at 8:30 p.m. for a downtown express train at 96th St. and Broadway. Then, two showed up. Routinely, during morning rush hour, I wait up to eight minutes for Manhattan-bound trains at 7th Ave. in Brooklyn and up to five minutes for downtown-bound express or local trains at 14th St. and 8th Ave.
In Washington, DC, the WMATA manages to run rush hour service every three to four minutes. In London, the Tubes run even more frequently. Rush hour service should be better. Grade: D
Adequate room on board at rush hour — While some people might define adequate room as “getting a seat,” I think just having enough room to stand is good enough. That said, now and then, I find myself cramming into over-stuffed trains at rush hour because there aren’t enough rush hour trains. For the most part, though, I have enough room to get home at rush hour on crowded lines. That’s good enough for me even if it could be better. Grade: C
Minimal delays during trips — Generally, most “delays” are simply slower speeds due to track configurations. West Side IRT trains can’t speed through the Chambers St.-Park Place curve, and the Manhattan Bridge-De Kalb Ave. bottleneck isn’t nearly as bad as it once was. Unavoidable delays are just that, and usually alternate routes are available. Grade: B
Station announcements that are easy to hear and Station announcements that are informative — Let me set the scene: Fade in on a commuter waiting for the train on the lower level platforms at West 4th St. The loud speaker crackles, and the commuter strains to hear the announcement: “There is a Brooklyn-bound express train approaching West 4th St. on the lower level.” That is not a helpful announcement. The B and D trains make two more stops together before heading in widely different directions.
Passengers know that a train is coming; they want to know what train is coming. This shortcoming isn’t limited to one stop either. On lines across the city, trains are routinely identified as “Queens-bound locals” or “Manhattan-bound trains.” Tell us what trains are coming. That’s what we want to know. And enough already with the “important message from the NYPD.” We know. Grade: D
Train announcements that are easy to hear and Train announcements that are informative — Short answer: It depends on the train. The R42s that run on the B often feature loud speakers that hum at painful volumes and announcements that are inaudible. The announcement on the R142s come through loud and clear. Grade: C
Sense of security in stations and Sense of security on trains — Much better than it once was. Grade: B
Working elevators and escalators in stations — Staircases never break. Grade: B
Signs in stations that help riders find their way — This category routinely pulled down a C-range grade. I never understood that. The signs are pretty clear; they tell you what intersection you’re near. Those neighborhood maps are pretty nifty too. Grade: B+
Signs in subway cars that help riders find their way — Kick Map, London-style Subway map, Vignelli map or the current incarnation? You decide. I like what we have. Grade: B
Cleanliness of stations and Cleanliness of subway cars — The subways always seem dirty, and riders are more than happy to contribute. Maybe New York should take a cue from DC and start handing out more tickets for minor littering infractions. It’s amazing how quickly people got the point in the WMATA Metro. Get the bums out too. Grade: D
Lack of graffiti in stations, Lack of graffiti in subway cars and Lack of scratchitti in subway cars — Better than it was; far from perfect. Grade: C-
Courtesy and helpfulness of station personnel — Let’s just say that “courteous” and “helpful” are not two adjectives I often use to describe MTA station employees. Sometimes, the red-vested booth worker knows what’s around their station but not usually. Grade: C
Comfortable temperature in subway cars — Warm in the winter; cool in the subway. The platforms are a different matter all together, but this question asks about subway cars. Grade: B
Ease of use of subway turnstiles and Availability of MetroCard Vending Machines — This I could not understand. Routinely, straphangers gave these two topics bad grades. Maybe it’s just the stations I frequent, but I never see fewer than two or three MetroCard Vending Machines, and the more crowded stations have tons of MVMs. Meanwhile, sure, better turnstile technology is out there, but if you can’t use the turnstiles, I don’t think it’s the MTA’s fault. Grade: A-
Overall Grade — Despite some serious rush hour deficiencies and some systematic problems with station announcement, the New York City Subways are a pretty sweet deal. For less than $2 a ride — and sometimes for as little as $1.10 if you use a monthly card enough times — the subways will take a New Yorker from one end of the city to the other in a fairly timely manner. Not bad. Grade: B-
As the fare goes up, service changes abound
Needless to say, it is a big weekend for the MTA. At 12:01 a.m. on Sunday morning, the fares go up for the first time in five years. On Monday, MTA CEO Elliot Sander will present the first-ever State of the MTA address. And in between, subway service will be all kinds of screwy.
First, the fare hikes. As I detailed earlier, the Unlimited Ride MetorCards are still good, and the MTA is instituting a grace period of at least eight days to use the ones you have stockpiled away. If riders are judicious in their hoarding, the agency will probably extend that grace period. But that’s not at all set in stone.
Otherwise, how are the fares going up? Take a look:
- Base fare remains $2.00.
- Base express bus fare remains $5.00.
- On Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard, an additional 15% is added to card with the purchase or addition of $7 or more. (Cost per ride would increase from $1.67 to $1.74.)
- Initial Pay-Per-Ride minimum purchase remains $4.00.
- Unlimited ride cards will increase to:
- 1-Day Fun Pass: $7.50.
- 7-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard: $25.
- 30-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard: $81.
- Introduce a 14-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard that will cost $47.
- Cost of 7-Day Express Bus Plus MetroCard remains $41.
There will be a quiz, but luckily for you, the MTA is providing a cheat sheet. Signs in the station – available here as a PDF – will guide riders through the awkward process of the MTA’s crazy math. Other signs – which you can view here as a PDF – will present the fare structure. Good luck.
Meanwhile, as the new fares are enacted, trains are running in weird ways all over town. For Brooklynites, pay very close attention the special announcement concerning F and G service south of Jay Street on the F and Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts. on the G. It’s a real mess.
On with the service changes:
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 1 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 3, uptown 1 and 2 trains skip 50th, 59th, and 66th Streets due to station rehab work at 59th Street-Columbus Circle.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 1 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 3, downtown 1 and 2 trains skip 86th and 79th Streets due to station rehab work at 96th Street.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 1 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 3, 4 trains run in two sections due to a track concrete pour at 149th Street-Grand Concourse:
- Between Woodlawn and 125th Street and
- Between 125th Street and New Lots Avenue
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 1 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 3, there are no 5 trains between East 180th Street and Bowling Green stations due to track panel installation north of Jackson Avenue. Customers may transfer between the 2 and 4 at 149th Street-Grand Concourse.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 1 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 3, Manhattan-bound 7 trains skip 69th, 52nd, 46th, 40th, and 33rd Streets due to track work at 69th Street.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 1 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 3, there is no C train service. Customers should take the A in Manhattan and the F in Brooklyn. A trains will run local between 168th Street and Canal Street stations. This is due to Bergen Street signal work.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 1 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 3, uptown A trains skip Spring, 23rd and 50th Streets due to station rehab at 59th Street-Columbus-Circle.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 1 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 3, there are no E trains between West 4th Street and World Trade Center due to Chambers Street signal modernization. Customers should take the A instead.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 1 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 3, Manhattan-bound F trains run on the V line from Roosevelt Avenue to 47th-50th Streets-Rockefeller Center due to communications equipment installation between 36th Street and 47th-50th Streets-Rockefeller Center stations.
From 12:01 a.m. to noon, Saturday, March 1, Manhattan-bound F trains skip 169th Street and Sutphin Blvd. due to track work between 169th Street and Van Wyck Blvd. stations.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 1 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 3, free shuttle buses replace F and G trains between Jay St. and Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts., respectively, and 7th Avenue (Brooklyn) due to Bergen Street signal work.
From 8:30 p.m. Friday, February 29 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 3 (and weekends until further notice), there are no G trains between Forest Hills-71st Avenue and Court Square due to Bergen Street signal work. Customers should take the E or R instead.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 1 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 3, there are no G trains between Hoyt-Schermerhorn and Smith-9th Sts. due to Bergen Street signal work. Customers should take the free shuttle bus instead.
From12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 1 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 3, G trains run in two sections due to Bergen Street signal work:
- Between Court Square and Bedford-Nostrand Avs and
- Between Bedford-Nostrand Avs and Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts
From 4 a.m. Saturday, March 1 to 10 p.m. Sunday, March 2, Queens-bound J trains run express from Myrtle Avenue to Broadway Junction due to track panel work between Myrtle Avenue and Broadway Junction.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 1 to 5 a.m. Monday. March 3, Manhattan-bound N and R trains are rerouted over the Manhattan Bridge from DeKalb Avenue to Canal Street due to tunnel rehabilitation between Prince Street and Whitehall Street stations.
From 11 p.m. Friday, February 29 to 5 a.m., Monday, March 3, the last stop for some Brooklyn-bound Q trains is Brighton Beach due to Transit facility repair work at Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue.