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Second Avenue Subway

Underneath 2nd Ave., a TBM struggles to move forward

by Benjamin Kabak
written by Benjamin Kabak on July 28, 2010

Cutterhead

Nearly three and a half months ago, local politicians and MTA officials came together in the giant pit underneath Second Ave. to celebrate the launch of Adi, the tunnel boring machine for the Second Ave. Subway. While symbolic, the launch was a momentous sign of progress for a project eight decades in the planning and eight decades delayed. Although the current iteration of the Second Ave. Subway had originally been slated for a 2012 opening, with the launch of the TBM, the MTA felt confident it would be ready by the end of 2016.

As with many things concerning the MTA’s capital construction program, though, the best laid plans of mice and men always seem to go awry. Earlier this month, the TBM had gone only 300 feet, far less than the estimated 40-60 feet per day, and officials assured me that the tunnel boring machine was simply going through some growing pains. It would be pick up the pace soon, they said. That reality has not come to pass quite yet.

Ten days ago, the MTA ran into a speed bump when a probe drill surfaced on Second Avenue, just a few away from active gas lines. At that point, the MTA had to investigate the incident, but spokesman Kevin Ortiz said the timeframe would remain the same. “We don’t anticipate this to have an impact on completing of the first run of the TBM before the end of the year,” he told me.

Today, this news is the same, and yet again, MTA officials are promising that the grass is greener on the other side, that the sun will come out tomorrow, and that a few more cliches are applicable here. As the Daily News reports, the TBM is averaging just 14 feet per day due to various mechanical issues, and amNY says the drill has reached only 90th Street.”We have yet to achieve the productivity I was hoping,”Michael Horodniceanu, head of capital construction, said. “We were plagued by a lot of technical problems.”

Pete Donohue says that the machine’s problems have included a broken driveshaft as well as issues with various “electronic components and hydraulics systems.” While Horodniceanu says the problems are in the process of getting resolved and that TBMs often face unforeseen obstacles in the first few months, the MTA’s tale documents tell the tale of another delay. The following chart is from this week’s Transit Committee deck and shows the TBM timeline:

As is plainly obvious, the timeline for the TBM work has already slipped by six months. It is not expected to wrap now until the end of 2011. This is but another delay in the ongoing saga of the Second Ave. Subway.

Publicly, the MTA claims this new TBM timeframe won’t impact the completion date of Phase 1 of the SAS, but even that late 2016 date is in doubt. Although transit officials haven’t gone on record saying so, the agency appears to be heeding the FTA’s timeline. The feds think a mid-2018 completion date is far more realistic. Sitting here today in 2010, I wouldn’t bet on the 2018 with my SAS Futures Fund either.

It’s not easy to build a subway through a densely populated part of town when utilities aren’t mapped and American companies don’t possess the engineering expertise. Still, as the Second Ave. Subway slowly moves toward completion, the timeline is stretched out further and further into the future. Because of the federal investment, Phase 1 will see the light of day, but Phases 2-4 are in doubt. If they make it off the paper, we won’t see the full line until the late 2020s at the earliest, and the Second Ave. Subway continues to be the city’s greatest unrealized promise.

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Subway Cell Service

MTA vows to bring cell, wifi service underground, again

by Benjamin Kabak
written by Benjamin Kabak on July 27, 2010

In September 2007, the MTA chose a little-known company named Transit Wireless to receive a $200 million contract that would allow it to equip all underground subway stations with wireless capabilities. It seemed almost too good to be true, and we quickly learned that, in fact, it was. Just one month later, the agency revealed that Transit Wireless had no financial backing, and as of June 2009, the company was still insolvent.

Yesterday, though, a light — or is that a bar of cell service? — appeared on the horizon as the MTA announced that the deal with Transit Wireless is back on track. Pete Donohue had more in the Daily News:

Transit Wireless will soon start work on wiring stations so riders can make calls and send texts during everyday travels – and during emergencies. Under the original agreement, Transit Wireless was to rig the first batch of Manhattan stations within two years of getting the construction go-ahead. The company would then have four years to wire all other stations.

The MTA board approved the project in September 2007. It didn’t give the “notice to proceed” until last week because the MTA doubted Transit Wireless had solid financing, sources said. MTA brass finally gave the outfit an ultimatum to lock in funding or lose the contract, one source said. Transit Wireless has since brought another company on board, Broadcast Australia, the source said.

Once complete, riders will have cell-phone service on platforms, mezzanines and other parts of stations. For the most part, there won’t be onboard service between station stops. Under the deal, cell-phone companies would pay Transit Wireless to carry their signals, and the MTA would get half the revenue, sources said. Transit Wireless is expected to cover all construction costs.

As Donohue’s sources note, this push to deliver on a three-year-old contract appears to be coming from Jay Walder himself. The MTA CEO and Chairman has made realizing technological innovation at the MTA a priority during his first year at the helm, and although he mentioned that wireless signals underground would not take precedence over projects easier to implement, if the MTA can exploit an outstanding contract that requires another company to pay for the work, they should do so.

On the other hand, I’m not going to count these wifi chickens before they hatch. Transit Wireless’ website is still stuck in late 2007, and the company originally claimed it would pay out a minimum of $46.8 million to New York City Transit over ten years while footing the cost for building a wireless network underground. The price tag on that was pegged at $150 to $200 million three years ago.

Meanwhile, in a person-on-the-street piece, NBC New York’s Jillian Scharr found that reaction among straphangers was mixed. Some look forward to cell — and more importantly, data — service underground while others view it as loud conversations that should remain private invading the public sphere. At least the tunnels won’t be wired so the conversations will stop when the trains arrive. That is, if this plan comes to fruition in the first place.

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MTA Bridges and Tunnels

A bridge under a bridge over troubled waters

by Benjamin Kabak
written by Benjamin Kabak on July 27, 2010

This excellent photo made the rounds yesterday morning a few hours after the new Willis Ave. Bridge made its way north up the East River. Unfortunately, the old 9-to-5 had me away from the computer for the duration, and I couldn’t get this published until today. No matter; it’s still a great photo.

What we see here is the NYC Department of Transportation’s new Willis Ave. Bridge floating underneath the raised span of the RFK — or Triborough — Bridge. This lift began at 9:57 a.m. and concluded 43 minutes later at 10:36 a.m. as traffic was halted across the bridge.

Despite the clearance on the sides, this maneuver wasn’t as easy it looks. The new 2400-ton bridge is 65 feet high, 350 feet long and 77 feet wide, and the barge carrying it was 300 feet wide, just 10 feet shy of the width of the Harlem Lift Span. “We’re old pros at doing these lifts for normal marine traffic but this was like threading
a needle,” Raymond Bush, the general manager of the RFK Bridge, said. “The captain of the barge was being extremely cautious to make sure they didn’t hit the lift span.”

Photo courtesy of MTA Bridges and Tunnels/Raymond Bush.

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AsidesFare Hikes

For the right price, unlimited cards could stay that way

by Benjamin Kabak
written by Benjamin Kabak on July 27, 2010

For the last few weeks, we’ve heard all about the MTA’s plans to cap the number of rides available on the so-called unlimited MetroCards, and earlier this morning, I discussed how the authority may eliminate the one- and 14-day cards. As more details have emerged today, the MTA may not axe those unlimited cards after all. According to a report in The Post, the authority will consider two proposals: one in which the unlimited ride cards become limited and another in which the cards cost more but stay unlimited.

According to Tom Namako, the two plans will look a little something like this: The weekly card could increase slightly from $27 to $28 but with a 22 ride cap or it could go to $29 with no cap. The 30-day card would increase from $89 to $99 with a 90-ride cap or it could go to $104 with no cap. The MTA also says it will lower the pay-per-ride volume discount from 15 percent to a mere seven percent and will also attempt to negotiate no-raise provisions into its expiring labor contract.

The final fare proposal will emerge after public hearings in September or October, but I would urge the MTA to maintain limitless subway rides on the unlimited cards. Even if most people do not use the cards to a full 90 rides, there’s something to be said for encouraging transit use without requiring customers to keep an eye on their ridership volumes. That said, if a 90-ride cap is met by day 28 and the cap serves to counter MetroCard fraud, it may yet be a worthwhile proposal.

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Fare Hikes

In fare hike plan, more unlimited cards get the axe

by Benjamin Kabak
written by Benjamin Kabak on July 27, 2010

When word of the impending MTA fare hike leaked out earlier this month, the headlines concerned unlimited ride cards. Once responsible for revolutionizing the way New Yorkers use mass transit, these cards are set to become limited in January 2011. Now, we learn that a few unlimited ride options may be on the chopping block.

According to WNYC’s Matthew Schuerman, the MTA is going to propose the elimination of the one-day fun pass and the 14-day card as part of its slate of fare hikes. The one-day card, transit officials say, is most prone to abuse by scammers while the 14-day card just hasn’t seen wide-spread use as the Straphangers Campaign, influential in promoting the idea, had hoped. “I can’t say I feel great,” Gene Russianoff said. “I had hoped that we would be helping people who could do better than a seven-day card and I’m sad that we didn’t convince more New Yorkers to use it.”

Schuerman had more on the demise of these various fare options and the history of the one-day Fun Pass, aimed initially at tourists:

Former Gov. George Pataki included the Fun Pass as part of an array of unlimited MetroCards that the MTA introduced back in 1998. At first, it was only sold at tourist locations. But the MTA quickly expanded Fun Pass distribution so that ordinary New Yorkers could also take advantage of unlimited rides for one day.

But transit sources say the one-day Metrocard never really caught on and now accounts for less than 1 percent of all fares paid. They say the Fun Pass also has a sinister side: scammers stand at turnstiles and sell swipes off of them for $2 as people come through. The scammers buy them in bulk so they don’t have to re-use any of them more than once every 18 minutes—the time lag the cards are programmed for. Over the course of a day, each one could be used dozens of times, at great profit to the scammer, while the MTA only receives the $8.25 face value of the card.

The MTA also wants to get rid of the 14-day MetroCard, first offered in 2008 to provide low-income riders better value than a weekly card without requiring them to shell out as much as a 30-day pass requires. But only 2 percent of straphangers use the card, and transit sources say that the other fare changes that will be proposed this week will make the 7-day card a relatively good deal. (The cost of the 7-day card will go up a dollar or two, while the price of a monthly will go up $10 or $11.)

For the Fun Pass to work, those riders who use pay-per-ride cards with the discount must take five or more trips per day, and most New Yorkers simply do not ride the subways that often. According to the MetroCard market share table from May 2010, only 0.9 percent of MetroCard trips were made with a one-day pass. That low figure also seems to contradict the MTA’s claims of widespread fraud.

The 14-day cards were, by and large, useless. Currently priced at $51.50, they’re cost-efficient only when compared with the $27 seven-day cards, and they pro-rate to over $110 for 30 days. By making the week-long cards a better deal, the MTA can hope to target lower-income users as the Straphangers originally wished to do. As Schuerman notes, only two percent of riders used the two-week cards anyway, and that figure had been static since they were first introduced.

By 2011, the fare hikes will have outstripped inflation by nearly 25 percent since Unlimited MetroCards made their entrance into the subway scene in 1998, and now, New Yorkers will have fewer options as well. Two percent may seem insignificant but nearly 150,000 commuters just found out that their preferred method of fare payment will no longer be an option come January. When flexibility is king, fewer choices is not the way to go.

The MTA will debate the contours of these proposals at its board meeting tomorrow morning. Due to my work schedule, I won’t be able to attend, but you can watch live right here beginning at 9:30 a.m. The presentation on the MTA’s finances and the fare hikes proposal is currently the last item on the meeting’s agenda.

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LIRRMetro-North

Raising parking fares to raise revenue

by Benjamin Kabak
written by Benjamin Kabak on July 26, 2010

If the MTA has its way, commuters will soon have to pay more to park at garages such as the one in Mineola. (Photo by flickr user Kramchang)

Beyond the cozy confines of the New York City subway system, most commuters must drive to reach a rail station that can feed them into the city. In general, transit agencies own the parking lots surrounding their train stations and are able to exact a double fare from passengers in the form of parking rates. The MTA has such bonus babies in place along the Metro-North and LIRR routes.

As nothing is sacred in the MTA’s hunt to close an $800 million budget gap, the rates the authority charges at these parking centers could be on the rise. The Wall Street Journal’s Andrew Grossman reports:

Commuter railroad passengers will likely pay more to park at 32 train stations starting in December.

Metro-North Railroad is asking the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s board to approve a plan to raise parking fees by an average of 14.5% at the lots and garages it owns north of New York City. Long Island Rail Road is also seeking to raise parking fees by more than 20% at garages in Mineola and Ronkonkoma.

The increases would raise a combined $840,000 in revenue for the two railroads, according to the proposal. The railroads say the increases are needed to raise revenue and cover operating costs.

Currently, at Mineola, it costs $5 to park per 20-hour period and $10 a day for long-term parking. Those who do not take advantage of drop-off service will soon find themselves paying higher commuter rail fares and higher parking rates. Service, of course, has just been cut as well.

With Albany’s inaction on revenue-generating schemes, the MTA has little choice but to raise rates where it can, and parking lots are no exception. However, as the fares go up, as the price of parking goes up, some commuters will think twice about driving to the train station. Even though it’s more time-consuming and costly to drive to the city and park there, those sick of paying more will opt for the convenience of their own car instead as everything gets a little more expensive.

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AsidesService Cuts

MetroCard turnstile readers as the next labor battle ground

by Benjamin Kabak
written by Benjamin Kabak on July 26, 2010

As part of the collateral damage from the MTA’s decision to shutter station booths and axe station agents, MetroCard readers in the subway turnstiles are getting cleaned less often, says The Post, and labor officials are making it a point of contention with the MTA. According to Janet Roth’s brief report, station agents used to clean the readers daily with an alcohol-based cleaning solution on a dummy card, but with fewer agents to clean the slots, straphangers might notice more reader errors. The MTA told The Post that station chiefs and cleaners are to do these daily cleanings, but union officials are telling the cleaners that cleaning isn’t part of their job.

This sort of funny, sort of predictable story leads me to two conclusions: First, the riding public yet again comes out the losers in this battle between a cost-cutting agency and its employee unions. Second, when the MTA finally implements a contact-less fare payment system, this petty argument won’t matter any longer.

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New York City TransitService Cuts

Before the service cuts, ridership on the rise

by Benjamin Kabak
written by Benjamin Kabak on July 26, 2010

Over the weekend, the MTA published its Board committee materials for this morning’s meetings. As part of the Transit Committee deck — available here as a PDF — the authority unveiled the May 2010 ridership figures, and after months of an economy-related decline in ridership, subway usage had finally started to creep up again. The service cuts, in other words, came at a very bad time.

Based on figures released by the MTA, ridership in May averaged 5.327 million per weekday and a combined 5.524 million per weekend. Those figures represent significant increases over the May 2009 ridership totals, and although the 12-month rolling averages are showing negative changes, as the city’s economy has recovered, so too has transit ridership. In fact, ridership for the year has been approximately 1.2 percent above expected for the MTA.

Despite this popularity, straphangers weren’t getting better service. In fact, by May, the MTA’s absolute on-time performance numbers were abysmal. Take a look at another chart from the same PDF:

As this chart clearly shows, the MTA’s absolute on-time performance hit a three-year low in May 2010. Only 59.8 percent of all weekday trains were on time, and these numbers were nearly identical across both A and B Division lines. The MTA says that scheduling changes, right of way delays and overcrowding represented 89.2 percent of the total delays. In this instance, a train is considered on time if it arrives at its terminal within five minutes of the scheduled time.

On a line-by-line basis, the results may warrant addition investigation. The 1 train, for instance, saw 81.3 percent of its trains arrive on time, while a reported 0.2 percent of all 6 trains were on time and 0 percent of all Q trains were on time. That seems a bit fishy to me. Controllable on-time performance — a measure that excludes sick customers, police activity and power outages — came in at 87.3 percent, slightly below the 12-month average but in line with the May 2009 figures. Weekend performance actually improved in May.

By and large, the ridership numbers should represent a high-water mark for the MTA. As the economy improves, the authority will have to deal with declining ridership brought about by fewer bus routes and the overall slate of service cuts. Furthermore, with the economy rebounding and subway service needed more so than before, the state has picked a bad time to let the MTA wither in its fiscal crisis.

With the service cuts on the one hand, looming news of a fare hike on the other should stifle this ridership growth as well. Commuters will simply grow to be fed up with the way the MTA is forcing them to pay higher fares for less service. It’s not part of the MTA’s agenda, per se, to cut service, but the state isn’t adhering to its responsibilities toward mass transit.

As the MTA’s economic woes deepen, we’ll see the impact of poor transit funding in New York City. We’ll see how the city’s economy is so closely intertwined with a vibrant public transit network that can efficiently deliver commuters, students and anyone else from Point A to Point B for a relatively cheap fare. We’ll see how less frequent off-peak service will drive down the MTA’s ridership and revenue totals, and we’ll see what happens when transit becomes an afterthought. It won’t be a pretty conclusion.

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Service Advisories

Weekend reading and service advisories

by Benjamin Kabak
written by Benjamin Kabak on July 23, 2010

After weeks of service cuts and fare hikes, I have a few pieces on which I’ve been sitting that warrant posting. Let’s bullet-point ’em.

  • Is the American iteration of BRT all it’s cracked up to be? In Cleveland, BRT’s performance has not been as effective as hoped. The city plans to try signal prioritization soon, but as Railway Age says, BRT has yet to be “just like light rail, only cheaper,” as some supporters claim. Without a full suite of options — physically separated lanes, dedicated ROW, signal prioritization and pre-board fare payment — BRT won’t be markedly better than local bus service.
  • Over at Meetup’s blog, Nathan, the company’s API/Platform Engineer, wrote about working with Transit to secure more open data. The TA has been very forthcoming with its data over the last few months and recently released longitude/latitude coordinates for all station entrances. In a sense, the MTA is outsourcing its software development to people with more skills than the authority possesses.
  • In Japan, a 60-year-old woman was arrested for beating a high school student who would not move from a priority seat. That’s certainly an, um, interesting take on solving a problem of subway etiquette.

And now the service advisories. As always, these changes come to me via New York City Transit and are subject to change with no notice. Listen to on-board announcement and check the signs at your local station. Subway Weekender has the map.


From 4 a.m. Saturday, July 24 to 10 p.m. Sunday, July 25, downtown 1 trains run express from 137th Street to 96th Street due to track panel installation north of 125th Street.


From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, July 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 26, downtown 1 trains run express from 96th Street to 72nd Street due to the 96th Street station rehabilitation.


From 11:30 p.m. Friday, July 23 to 5 a.m. Saturday, July 24, from 11:30 p.m. Saturday, July 24 to 7 a.m. Sunday, July 25, and from 11:30 p.m. Sunday, July 25 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 26, free shuttle buses replace 2 trains between 96th Street and 149th Street-Grand Concourse due to track switch renewal north of 135th Street. During this time, 2 trains run in two sections:

  • Between Brooklyn College-Flatbush Avenue and 96th Street, then rerouted to the 1 line to 137th Street
  • Between 149th Street-Grand Concourse and Wakefield-241st Street.

Customers may transfer between the 2 and free shuttle buses at 96th Street or 149th Street-Grand Concourse.


From 12:01 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. Saturday, July 24 and Sunday, July 25, and from 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, July 26, downtown 2 trains run express from 96th Street to 72nd Street due to the 96th Street station rehabilitation.


From 11:30 p.m. Friday, July 23 to 5 a.m. Saturday, July 24, from 11:30 p.m. Saturday, July 24 to 7 a.m. Sunday, July 25, and from 11:30 p.m. Sunday, July 25 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 26, free shuttle buses replace 3 trains between 148th Street and 96th Street. 1 and 2 trains replace the 3 between 96th Street and Times Square-42nd Street due to track switch renewal north of 135th Street.


From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, July 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 26, there are no 5 trains between East 180th Street and Bowling Green due to a track chip out at Brooklyn Bridge. Customers should take the 2 4 or 6 instead.


From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, July 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 26, 6 trains service is extended to/from Bowling Green due to a track chip out at Brooklyn Bridge.


From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, July 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 26, Manhattan-bound 6 trains run express from Parkchester to Hunts Point Avenue due to station rehabilitation and structural repair at Whitlock Avenue, Morrison-Soundview Avenues and Parkchester. Note: At all times until October 2010, the Manhattan-bound 6 platform at Parkchester is closed for rehabilitation. Manhattan-bound 6 trains stopping at Parkchester will use the Pelham Bay Park-bound platform.


From 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, July 24 and Sunday, July 25, Manhattan-bound 7 trains run express from Mets-Willets Point to 74th Street due to painting of elevated structure.


From 12:01 a.m. to midnight, Saturday, July 24, uptown A trains run express from Canal Street to 59th Street-Columbus Circle due to the installation of a track drain pipe at 59th Street and track work at West 4th Street.


From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, July 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 26, Brooklyn-bound A trains run local from 59th Street-Columbus Circle to West 4th Street, then on the F to Jay Street due to work at the Fulton Street Transit Center.


From 6:30 a.m. to midnight, Saturday, July 24 and Sunday, July 25, Brooklyn-bound C trains run on the F line from West 4th Street to Jay Street due to work on the Fulton Street Transit Center.


From 6:30 a.m. to midnight, Saturday, July 24, uptown C trains run express from Canal Street to 59th Street-Columbus Circle due to the installation of a track drain pipe at 59th Street and track work at West 4th Street.


From 11 p.m. Friday, July 23 to 6 a.m. Saturday, July 24, from 11 p.m. Saturday, July 24 to 7 a.m. Sunday, July 25, and from 11 p.m. Sunday, July 25 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 26, Manhattan-bound D trains skip 174th-175th Sts. and 170th Street due to a track chip out north of 170th Street.


From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, July 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 26, D trains run local between West 4th Street and 34th Street-Herald Square due to work on the 5th Avenue Interlocking Signal System.


From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, July 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 26, Manhattan-bound D trains run express from 36th Street to Pacific Street, then skip DeKalb Avenue due to track work at DeKalb Avenue.


From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, July 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 26, Coney Island-bound D trains run on the N from 36th Street to Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue due to structural repair and station rehabilitations from 71st Street to Bay 50th Street and ADA work at Bay Parkway.


From 11:30 a.m. Friday, July 23 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 26, Manhattan-bound E trains run express from Forest Hills-71st Avenue to Roosevelt Avenue due to a concrete pour north of Elmhurst Avenue.


From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, July 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 26, there is no E service between 34th Street and World Trade Center due to work on the 5th Avenue Interlocking Signal System. E trains run on the F line between Roosevelt Avenue and 34th Street-6th Avenue.


From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, July 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 26, the platforms at 5th Avenue, Lexington Avenue-53rd Street, and 23rd Street-Ely Avenue stations are closed due to work on the 5th Avenue Interlocking Signal System. Customers should take the R 6 or free shuttle bus instead. Note: Free shuttle buses connect Court Square/23 Street-Ely Avenue, Queens Plaza, and 21st Street-Queensbridge stations.


From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, July 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 26, Manhattan-bound F trains run on the A line from Jay Street to West 4th Street due to work on the Broadway-Lafayette to Bleecker Street transfer construction.


From 10:30 p.m. Friday, July 23 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 26, free shuttle buses replace G trains between Court Square and Bedford-Nostrand Avenues due to a concrete pour north of Metropolitan Avenue.


From 3:30 a.m. Saturday, July 24 to 10 p.m. Sunday, July 25, there are no J trains between Broadway Junction and Jamaica Center due to track panel work at Crescent Street. E trains and free shuttle buses provide alternate service.


From 11:30 p.m. Friday, July 23 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 26, there are no M trains running due to platform edge rehabilitation between Central Avenue and Metropolitan Avenue. Customers should use the free shuttle bus instead.


From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, July 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 26, Brooklyn-bound N trains are rerouted over the Manhattan Bridge from Canal Street to DeKalb Avenue due to grouting and track work near Cortlandt Street.


From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, July 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 26, Manhattan-bound Q trains run on the R line from DeKalb Avenue to Canal Street due to track work at DeKalb Avenue.


From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, July 24 and Sunday, July 25, uptown Q trains run local from Times Square-42nd Street to 57th Street-7th Avenue due to track valve and drain inspections north of 49th Street.


From 12:01 a.m. to 6:30 a.m., Saturday, July 24 and Sunday, July 25, and from 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m., Monday, July 26, there is no R shuttle service in Brooklyn between 59th Street and 36th Street due to track work at DeKalb Avenue. Customers should take the N instead.


From 6:30 a.m. to midnight, Saturday, July 24 and Sunday, July 25, Brooklyn-bound R trains are rerouted over the Manhattan Bridge from Canal Street to DeKalb Avenue due to grouting and track work near Cortlandt Street.


From 6:30 a.m. to midnight, Saturday, July 24 and Sunday, July 25, Manhattan-bound R trains run express from Forest Hills-71st Avenue to Roosevelt Avenue due to a concrete pour north of Elmhurst Avenue.

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AsidesRolling Stock

Transit accepts final R160 units

by Benjamin Kabak
written by Benjamin Kabak on July 23, 2010

The era of the new R160s is officially over as New York City Transit announced that they have received the final units of the 1662-car order. The new cars are in use on the E, F, N and Q lines, and the technology behind the R160s — including the underutilized FIND signs — should keep this series of rolling stock on the rails for the next four decades.

Transit officials have spoken glowingly of the new cars as they now average approximately 370,000 miles between mechanical failures. “A lot of work went into the development of the R160 fleet and these cars have allowed us to retire hundreds of subway cars that first entered service in the mid to late 1960s, Carmen Bianco, senior vice president of the Department of Subways, said. “These cars are state-of-the-art, and designed to provide customers with far more information and comfort than older models and they are designed to last at least through mid century.”

The R160 order wraps up the MTA’s rolling stock expenditures under the 2005-2009 capital plan, and the next order — the so-called R179s — will come under the next five-year plan. Current plans for the R179s include a 290-car order for 60-footers that will replace the remaining R32 and R42 sets. The R188 order for the 7 line will start arriving in 2012, and the R211s are slated to arrive in 2015 to replace the R46s.

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