Second Ave. Sagas

Great Moments in MTA Typos: The Hugh Grant Tunnel

Written by

Benjamin Kabak

in

When the state of New York forced the MTA to rename the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel after one-time Governor Hugh Carey, I derided the move. It replaced a useful geographical name with the moniker of someone who served the state over 30 years ago. He had a long and distinguished career, but did we truly have to name a piece of infrastructure after him?

This week the move came back to bite the MTA in a rather hilarious way. As the Advance of Staten Island noticed, while programming in a service alert earlier this week, a hapless MTA employee accidentally termed it the Hugh Grant Tunnel. A screenshot of the error is below.

The Brooklyn Battery Tunnel was not, sadly, renamed for an actor once named sexiest man alive.

The MTA rushed to correct the error, but it will go down in the annals of the Internet as a classic one and a prime example of the errors that can happen when bold-faced names end up on tunnels. In related news, are you ready for the closure of the R train’s Montalban Tunnel this weekend?

Comments

17 responses to “Great Moments in MTA Typos: The Hugh Grant Tunnel”

  1. Chet

    As part of the shut down of the Montalban Tunnel, the MTA will be lining with rich Corinthian leather.

    Reply
    1. lawhawk

      Only we can’t blame this on Janette Sadik Khaaaaaaannnnnn!!!

      She’s head of DOT, not MTA.

      Reply
  2. Eric Brasure

    It’s okay–R passengers can take the FIIIIIIIIIIVE!!! train.

    Reply
    1. Stephen – NYC

      Eric,
      I get all the other jokes about this, but I don’t get the ‘FIIIIIIVE!! train’ joke.
      What movie or tv ad or other item did I miss while growing up?
      Thanks.

      Reply
      1. Eric Brasure

        It wasn’t a very good joke.

        Reply
  3. Abbieprime

    Marooned, for all eternity, at the Court Street Station… buried aliiiiiive.

    Reply
  4. Stu Sutcliffe

    If they wanted to make an excuse, someone could also say that they were thinking of Hugh J. Grant, Mayor of New York from 1889 to 1892, the youngest Mayor in the history of the city.

    Reply
  5. llqbtt

    This piece begs the question: Who will we name the newly reconstructed R tunnel after, and all the other under water subway tunnels for that matter?

    “This a Manhattan-bound R train via the Leona Helmsley tunnel, next stop, Whitehall St-South Ferry. Stand clear of the closing doors please. Bling Blong.”

    Reply
  6. John Paul N.

    Maybe the employee’s a fan of the great John Oliver.

    While we’re at it, we could also mistakenly call it the Drew Carey Tunnel.

    Reply
    1. SEAN

      Naah, the tunnel is to narrow for that.

      Reply
  7. Alek

    I was checking the MTA site and this queens blvd fastrack is different than prior fastracks:

    The (M) ends early.

    The (E)(R) runs express in both directions.

    (F) remains normal service.

    Shuttle bus service for the skipped local stations between 74th street and Queens Plaza making a connection at Queensboro Plaza.

    Reply
  8. SEAN

    The Hugh Grant Tunnel? Forgetaboutit!

    Reply
  9. SEAN

    Come to think of it, we could make a movie about this. It could be entitled… wait for it… “Four Weddings & an Escort!”

    Reply
  10. Nyland8

    Which reminds me. Whatever they wind up doing to Penn Station, it hasn’t had any connection to the PennCentral, or the Pennsylvania RailRoad, in generations – and unlike the bridges and tunnels, its name doesn’t depict its location.

    We should have a contest to rename it – quick – before someone decides to call it the Michael Bloomberg Station.

    Reply
  11. Ethan Rauch

    When they reopen the Montague tunnel, shouldn’t the MTA name something Capulet?

    Reply
  12. BruceNY

    Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel
    Queensborough Bridge
    Triboro Bridge
    West Side Highway

    I’ll never refer to these by any other name.

    Reply
  13. Kevin Walsh

    There’s a Hugh Grant Square in the Bronx, at the Cross Bronx Expressway and Westchester Avenue, named for a 19th Century mayor, the youngest in NYC history

    Reply

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