Author

Benjamin Kabak

Weekend work affecting 16 subway lines; no word on Montague yet

by Benjamin Kabak September 12, 2014

written by Benjamin Kabak on September 12, 2014

If I have the opportunity to write more on Friday, I will. I haven’t had a chance to chime in on the endless re-blogging of I Quant NY’s claim that $19.05 is the best amount to use to fill a MetroCard. I’m unsurprisingly a bit skeptical that this is some kind of vital New York City lifehack. More on that later.

Meanwhile, the MTA hasn’t given any further word on the early opening of the Montague St. Tunnel, but I’ve heard service could be restored any time between Saturday night and Monday morning. I’ll of course let you know here and via my Twitter account when the opening is officially confirmed. For now, continue to assume BMT Broadway service will run via the Manhattan Bridge. And now onto the service changes for the upcoming weekend.

From 11:30 p.m. Friday, September 12 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 15, 1 trains are suspended in both directions between 96 St and Van Cortlandt Park-242 St. A and C trains, the M3, and free shuttle buses provide alternate service.

From 11:45 p.m. Friday, September 12 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 15, Flatbush Av-Brooklyn College bound 2 trains run express from Atlantic Av-Barclays Ctr to Franklin Av.

From 6:00 a.m. to 11:45 p.m., Saturday, September 13 and Sunday, September 14, New Lots Av-bound 3 trains run express from Atlantic Av-Barclays Ctr to Franklin.

From 11:45 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., Friday, September 12 to Sunday, September 14, and from 11:45 p.m. Sunday, September 14 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 15, New Lots Av-bound 4 trains run express from Atlantic Av-Barclays Ctr to Franklin Av.

From 11:00 p.m. Saturday, September 13 to 6:00 a.m. Sunday, September 14, and from 11:00 p.m. Sunday, September 14 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 15, New Lots Av-bound 4 trains run local from 125 St to Grand Cantral-42 St.

From 11:45 p.m. Friday, September 12 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 15, 5 trains are suspended between Eastchester-Dyre Av and E 180 St. Free shuttle buses operate all weekend between Eastchester-Dyre Av and E 180 St, stopping at Baychester Av, Gun Hill Rd, Pelham Pkwy, and Morris Park.

From 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Saturday, September 13 and from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Sunday, September 14, 6 trains run every 16 minutes between 3 Av-138 St and Pelham Bay Park. The last stop for some 6 trains headed toward Pelham Bay Park is 3 Av-138 St.

From 11:45 p.m. Friday, September 12 to 4:00 a.m. Monday, September 15, Pelham Bay Park-bound 6 trains run express from Parkchester to Pelham Bay Park.

From 11:45 p.m. Friday, September 12 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 15, Times Sq-42 St bound 7 trains run express from Mets-Willets Point to 74 St-Broadway.

From 11:45 p.m. Friday, September 12 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 15, Ozone Park-Lefferts Blvd bound A trains skip 111 St.

From 11:45 p.m. Friday, September 12 to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, September 14, and from 11:45 p.m. Sunday, September 14 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 15, Queens-bound A trains run express from 125 St to 59 St-Columbus Circle.

From 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Saturday, September 13 and Sunday, September 14, Euclid Av-bound C trains run express from 125 St to 59 St-Columbus Circle.

From 11:30 p.m. Friday, September 12 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 15, D trains are suspended between Atlantic Av-Barclays Ctr and 34 St-Herald Sq. Take the FNQR, or special shuttle train instead.

From 12:15 a.m. to 6:30 a.m., Saturday, September 13 and Sunday, September 14, and from 12:15 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 15, Jamaica Center Parsons/Archer-bound E trains run express from Queens Plaza to Forest Hills-71 Av.

From 12:15 a.m. Saturday, September 13 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 15, Jamaica Center- Parsons/Archer bound E trains skip 75 Av.

At all times from 12:15 a.m. Saturday, September 13 until 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 22, Jamaica-179 St bound F trains skip Briarwood-Van Wyck Blvd and Sutphin Blvd.

From 12:15 a.m. Saturday, September 13 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 15, Jamaica-179 St bound F trains skip 75 Av.

From 6:45 p.m. Saturday, September 13 to 7:00 p.m. Sunday, September 14, Jamaica-179 St bound F trains run express from Avenue X to Smith-9 Sts.

From 6:45 a.m. Saturday, September 13 to 7:00 p.m. Sunday, September 14, Court Sq-bound G trains skip Fort Hamilton Pkwy, 15 St-Prospect Park and 4 Av-9 St.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, September 13 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 15, N trains run local in Brooklyn, stopping at DeKalb Av.

From 10:30 p.m. Friday, September 12 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 15 Q trains are suspended between Coney Island-Stillwell Av and Prospect Park. DFN trains and free shuttle buses provide alternate service. Free shuttle buses operate along two routes:

Express between Stillwell Av and Prospect Park, stopping at West 8 St, Ocean Pkwy, Brighton Beach, Sheepshead Bay, Neck Rd, Avenue U, Kings Hwy, and Flatbush Av.
Local between Prospect Park and Kings Hwy, stopping at Parkside Av, Church Av, Beverley Rd, Cortelyou Rd, Newkirk Plaza, Avenue H, Avenue J, and Avenue M.

From 6:30 a.m. Saturday, September 13 to 12:15 a.m. Monday, September 14, Bay Ridge-95 St-bound R trains run express from Queens Plaza to Forest Hills-71.

From 11:45 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., Friday, September 12 to Sunday, September 14, and from 11:45 p.m. Sunday, September 14 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 15, R trains are suspended between 59 St and 36 St in Brooklyn. Take the N instead.

September 12, 2014 15 comments

Superstorm Sandy

Report: R train’s Montague St. Tunnel could reopen early

by Benjamin Kabak September 10, 2014

written by Benjamin Kabak on September 10, 2014

The Montague St. Tunnel, shown here in April, may reopen a few weeks sooner than expected. (Photo via Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin)

When it comes to construction work, “early” is not a concept many people associated with the MTA. From staircase replacements and escalator repairs to the work on the Culver Viaduct to the 7 line or East Side Access, rarely is anything high profile finished early. We’re lucky, in fact, if something wraps on time.

When it comes to post-crisis which for which someone else is paying (and that is, more often than not, managed in-house), the MTA seems to shift into gear. The five-week shutdown to the G train’s Greenpoint Tubes wrapped on time over Labor Day weekend, and now reports are circulating that the Sandy recovery work on the R train’s Montague St. Tunnel could finish early.

Although various reports earlier this spring noted work was proceeding quickly, The Brooklyn Paper broke the latest story earlier this week:

The tunnel that carries the R train between Brooklyn and Manhattan — which has been closed for more than a year — may reopen ahead of schedule, according to insiders at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

A staffer working to restore the Montague Street Tunnel said the tube, which was closed in August 2013 for post-Hurricane Sandy repairs, will likely be up and running before October, weeks ahead of its scheduled reopening.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the worker said the Authority has already begun sending track geometry cars — automated track-inspection vehicles loaded with high-tech gizmos — through the tunnel to make sure new construction is up to snuff, which is one of the final steps before returning a route to service.

The MTA denied an early opening to the Brooklyn Paper, but a spokesman was more forthcoming to the Daily News. The project, Adam Lisberg said, could “meet or beat the October deadline.” Meanwhile, I’ve spoken to some MTA sources who say the tunnel opening early isn’t a matter of if but when. If politicians are interested in a photo opp ceremony, the reopening could be delayed a few days, but by some accounts, Montague St. is just about ready for revenue service trains.

Now, again, it shouldn’t be newsworthy that the MTA is opening something two or three weeks early or even on time, but because of the way construction projects are handled, it is. We can applaud the reopening of tunnels shut due to damage from Sandy, but we should eye skeptically other work that can’t be completed on time. What takes weeks to fix an escalator? What takes over a year to wrap up new build work? Why are emergency repairs so much quicker? I can’t answer those questions, but someone — or multiple someones — should be looking into it before that ribbon-cutting for the Montague tube, whenever that may be.

September 10, 2014 21 comments

Manhattan

One Vanderbilt Renderings: Before and After

by Benjamin Kabak September 9, 2014

written by Benjamin Kabak on September 9, 2014

I’ve tinkered with the site a little today to bring some before and after images of the planned transit upgrades for the One Vanderbilt development. For background on the $200 million in expansion word SL Green is prepared to spend, make sure you check out my morning post first, and then come back here for some good ol’ before-and-after fun. All images in this post are courtesy of Kohn Pedersen Fox.

These new street entrances will bring straphangers to and from the Shuttle platform along East 42nd Street.

By narrowing columns and staircases as well as installing a new fare control area, developers and the MTA hope to improve passenger circulation in the cramped IRT mezzanine above the 4, 5 and 6 platforms at Grand Central.

Narrowing columns will also create more space for subway riders waiting on the IRT platforms and computer renderings that look like Robert de Niro alike.

Opening up unused mezzanine space will improve congested conditions.

A new entrance from the Shuttle platform will provide direct access to One Vanderbilt for those entering the building.

September 9, 2014 14 comments

Manhattan

A glimpse at the $200M transit plans for One Vanderbilt

by Benjamin Kabak September 9, 2014

written by Benjamin Kabak on September 9, 2014

A diagram showing planned transit improvements for One Vanderbilt and Grand Central. (Photo via KPF)

Toward the end of his third term, Mayor Michael Bloomberg unveiled an ambitious plan to rezone Midtown East for density. As part of the plans, the Mayor, consulting with the MTA, unveiled a few hundred million dollars worth of transit upgrades. These upgrades were Key in securing then-Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer’s sign off and when the lame-duck mayor saw his rezoning dreams falter, I bemoaned the end of the transit upgrades.

Less than a year later, though, the rezoning plans are provisionally back on the table, albeit in a different form that doesn’t concern us. The transit upgrades too have survived the transition to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration, and yesterday, SL Green in conjunction with the MTA and Kohn Pedersen Fox unveiled their $200 million plan for transit access in and around Grand Central. Their goals — to be completed by 2020 — will streamline passenger flow and expand space in a constrained area, and, most importantly, the costs will be borne by the developers.

The project that developers and the MTA showed off yesterday is One Vanderbilt, a 65-story office building that will be open before East Side Access is scheduled to wrap. It will be directly to the west of Grand Central with multiple access points to the transit infrastructure below, and plans include closing Vanderbilt between 42nd and 43rd Sts. to vehicular traffic.

As far as transit improvements, the renderings are extensive and necessary. Plans include:

new ground-level entrances directly to the Shuttle platform along 42nd St.;
a below-grade corridor and escalators connecting directly into East Side Access;
a 4000-square-foot transit hall in One Vanderbilt;
a new entrance to the Lexington Ave. IRT from the Pershing Building;
narrower stairs and columns to provide more platform space and better pedestrian flow; and
the reopening of enclosed spaces to improve passenger flow on the IRT mezzanine.

All in all, the improvements are a significant part of the $400 million the MTA and City had said they needed to spend when the rezoning efforts were first announced in early 2013.

Although the MTA and SL Green recognize that community boards will still need to weigh in on this plan, transit advocacy groups and other interests are aligning in favor of the plan. “As a transit rider group, the Straphangers Campaign believes the proposed deal between SL Green, the City and the MTA holds much promise for improving the lives of millions of riders who use Grand Central Terminal. In October, the official land use process kicks in, with community boards, elected officials and the public getting a chance to have their say. We will be listening,” Gene Russianoff said.

Others echoed these sentiments. “The public access points, escalators, and waiting area will be a tremendous improvement for Grand Central and East Side Aces and this private investment will ensure the public reaps the full benefit of this world class transit hub,” Jennifer Hensley, Executive Director of the Association for a Better New York, said.

For now, we have promises and renderings. The streamlining of the columns alone are nearly worth the cost of the project, and the rest is just gravy. We’ll see when, if and how long this takes to come to fruition.

After the jump, a gallery of renderings of One Vanderbilt’s transit improvements, all via KPF.

September 9, 2014 42 comments

SEPTA

For SEPTA, a regional rail naming rights deal takes shape

by Benjamin Kabak September 8, 2014

written by Benjamin Kabak on September 8, 2014

SEPTA and Jefferson Hospitals officials salute Market East’s new name. (Photo via SEPTA)

Over the years, I’ve taken an interest in the push, more often fruitless than not, for transit agencies to sell naming rights for their train stations. Generally, the desire for operators to realize more revenue has far outpaced the willingness of businesses to pony up the dough, and even in New York, with ridership numbers far outpacing the rest of the nation, the MTA hasn’t found success. The agency a naming rights policy in place but have so far sold the rights to only one station and only for $200,000 a year. Philadelphia though seems to have found the magic touch.

In 2010, SEPTA became one of the first U.S. transit agencies to see real money in a naming rights deal. For $5.4 million over five years — $2 million of which went to SEPTA’s advertising agency — AT&T bought the rights to the Pattison Station near the city’s sports complex. The new name removed any geographical signifier from the station name, and I was skeptical of this approach. It’s hard to argue too much with essentially free money, and SEPTA managed to pocket $3.4 million out of the deal.

Last week, the agency again found a partner for a naming rights deal. This time, Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals will pay $4 million for a five-year naming rights deal for the regional rail’s popular Market East station in Center City. As of last week, the stop is now called Jefferson Station, and SEPTA will again earn $3.4 million — or 85 percent — of the total outlay. Jefferson holds an option for an additional four years at $3.4 million.

SEPTA officials patted themselves on the back over the deal. “It speaks volumes about SEPTA’s reputation and role as a driver of the economy that one of the region’s most respected organizations is partnering with SEPTA in such a prominent way,” SEPTA Chairman Pat Deon said.

Jefferson Hospital higher-ups meanwhile were more transparent regarding the benefits of the deal. “We’re transforming ourselves and we’re creating bold new partnerships that deliver a very exciting and different future for Jefferson, for our patients and students. We want everyone to know it and see it every day when they pass through this station,” Jefferson CEO Stephen Klasko said.

This deal for Market East is a much better one for the riders. As a key stop for suburban access to Center City, the Station Formerly Known As Market East sees 26,000 riders per day and offers connection to Philadelphia’s subway and buses. A good portion of those riders are heading to Jefferson as employees, students, patients or visitors. Unlike AT&T, which is a brand name and not a location, Jefferson Station signals to riders a potential destination, and the utility of Market East as a name was unsettled at best.

On another level though, we should question these deals. SEPTA is pocketing $680,000 per year for these naming rights against an annual operating budget of over $1.3 billion. The agency claims the money will allow them to invest in Jefferson Station, but 700 grand only goes so far. Is it worth the effort, the public reeducation campaign and everything in between? I’m still not quite convinced. But when it comes to transit in the United States, a dollar earned is indeed a dollar earned.

September 8, 2014 29 comments

Service Advisories

Weekend work affecting 13 subway lines

by Benjamin Kabak September 6, 2014

written by Benjamin Kabak on September 6, 2014

It may feel like summer out there but the service advisories look like fall. Catch you on Monday.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, September 6 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 8, 2 trains run local in both directions between 96 St and Times Sq-42 St due to CPM cable work at 72 St.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, September 6 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 8, 3 trains run local in both directions between 96 St and Times Sq-42 St due to CPM cable work at 72 St.

From 12:01 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, September 6, and 7, and from 12:01 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 8, 3 service is extended to 34 St-Penn Station due to CPM cable work at 72 St.

From 11:45 p.m. Friday, September 5 to 6:00 a.m. Sunday, September 7, and from 11:45 p.m. Sunday, September 7 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 8, New Lots Av-bound 4 trains run express from Grand Cantral-42 St to 14 St-Union Sq due to CPM ADA work at 23 St.

From 11:00 p.m. Saturday, September 6 to 6:00 a.m. Sunday, September 7, and from 11:00 p.m. Sunday, September 7 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 8, New Lots Av-bound 4 trains run local from 125 St to Grand Cantral-42 St due to CPM cable work south of 125 St.

From 11:45 p.m. Friday, September 5 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 8, 5 trains are suspended between Eastchester-Dyre Av and E 180 St due to CPM signal modernization on the Dyre Avenue Line. Free shuttle buses operate all weekend between Eastchester-Dyre Av and E 180 St, stopping at Baychester Av, Gun Hill Rd, Pelham Pkwy, and Morris Park.

From 11:45 p.m. Friday, September 5 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 8, Brooklyn Bridge-bound 6 trains run express from Grand Cantral-42 St to 14 St-Union Sq due CPM ADA work at 23 St .

From 11:45 p.m. Friday, September 5 to Monday, September 8, Pelham Bay Park-bound 6 trains run express from Hunts Point Av to Parkchester due to MOW track tie block renewal south of Whitlock Av and track panel installation north of Elder Av.

From 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Saturday, September 6 and from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Sunday, September 7, 6 trains run every 16 minutes between 3 Av-138 St and Pelham Bay Park due to MOW track tie block renewal south of Whitlock Av and track panel installation north of Elder Av. The last stop for some 6 trains headed toward Pelham Bay Park is 3 Av-138 St.

From 11:30 p.m. Friday, September 5 to Monday, September 8, Jamaica Center-bound E trains are rerouted on the F line from W 4 St-Wash Sq to 21 St-Queensbridge due to MOW rail and tie installation at Court Sq-23 St. Free shuttle buses run between Court Sq-23 St and 21 St-Queensbridge, stopping at Queens Plaza.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, September 6 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 8, Jamaica Center-bound E trains run local in Queens due to rail and tie installation north of Queens Plaza.

From 11:45 p.m. Friday, September 5 to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, September 7, and from 11:45 p.m. Sunday, September 7 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 8, World Trade Center-bound E trains run express from Jamaica-Van Wyck to Queens Plaza (stopping at Union Tpke, 71 Ave, & Roosevelt Ave) due to CPM Queens Boulevard Signals tunnel lighting north of 65 St, and rail installation at Briarwood-Van Wyck Blvd.

From 11:15 p.m. Friday, September 5 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 8, Coney Island-Stillwell Av-bound F trains are rerouted on the M line from Roosevelt Av to 47-50 Sts-Rock Ctr due to CPM Second Avenue Subway related work.

From 11:45 p.m. Friday, September 5 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 8, Coney Island-Stillwell Av-bound F trains skip Sutphin Blvd, Van Wyck Blvd, and 75 Av due to CPM Queens Boulevard Signals and rail installation at Briarwood-Van Wyck Blvd.

From 11:45 p.m. Friday, September 5 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 8, Coney Island-Stillwell Av-bound F trains skip 4 Av-9 St, 15 St-Prospect Park, and Fort Hamilton Pkwy due to CPM Church Avenue Interlocking.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, September 6 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 8, 179 St-bound F trains run local in Queens due to MOW rail and tie installation north of Queens Plaza.

From 11:45 p.m. Friday, September 5 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 8, Church Av-bound G trains skip 4 Av-9 St, 15 St-Prospect Park, and Fort Hamilton Pkwy due to CPM Church Avenue Interlocking work.

From 6:45a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Saturday, September 6, and from 8:45 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Sunday, September 7, Chambers St-bound J trains skip Flushing Av, Lorimer St, and Hewes St due to track cleaning and maintenance south of Lorimer St, and Hewes St.

From 5:45a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday, September 6, Chambers St-bound J trains skip Chauncey Street, Halsey Street, Gates Avenue, and Kosciusko Street due to rail replacement work.

From 6:45 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Saturday, September 6 and from 8:45 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Sunday, September 7, Broad St-bound M trains skip Flushing Av, Lorimer St, and Hewes St due to track cleaning and maintenance south of Lorimer St, and Hewes St.

From 5:45 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Saturday, September 6, Coney Island-bound N trains are rerouted via the D line from 36 St to Coney Island-Stillwell Av due to installation of contact rail heaters south of 59 St.

From 11:45 p.m. Friday, September 5 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 8, Coney Island-bound Q trains run express from Kings Hwy to Sheepshead Bay due to MOW track work at Sheepshead Bay.

From 5:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Saturday, September 6, and Sunday, September 7, Bay Ridge-bound R trains run express from Forest Hills-71 Av to Queens Plaza due to CPM Queens Boulevard Signals and tunnel lighting north of 65 St.

September 6, 2014 3 comments

PANYNJ

Once more unto the WTC PATH Hub

by Benjamin Kabak September 4, 2014

written by Benjamin Kabak on September 4, 2014

A staircase most grand. (Via @WTCProgress)

It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of the World Trade Center PATH Hub. Due to a variety of factors, the Port Authority is spending an absurd amount of money to design what has repeatedly been called an iconic train station — which happens to be across the street from another supposedly iconic train station — and serves only a subway stop for PATH. The WTC Hub isn’t akin to Grand Central; there is no connection north, south or east, and it serves 35,000 passengers per day, fewer than Jay St.-Metrotech or the 8th Ave. 14th St. station. And, at a time when the need to expand trans-Hudson capacity has never been more evident, the price tag for a station that does nothing to address the region’s needs has ballooned toward $4 billion. It is, in a word, a boondoggle.

Eventually, when the station finally opens and passengers traverse the underground mall, the rebuilt World Trade Center area, and the marble-covered halls of Santiago Calatrava’s station, the focus on this project’s flaws may recede. It may even become that iconic image of Lower Manhattan its promoters had hoped it would become oh so many years ago. But we will still feel its impact every time we try to get to Laguardia Airport or sigh in frustration at another New Jersey Transit or Amtrak delay caused by congestion in the one rail tunnel connecting Manhattan to the rest of the world. Priorities will shift, and the specter of the stegosaurus will loom large.

Elliot Brown of The Wall Street Journal has penned what is, to date, the definitive work on the issues plaguing the transit hub. It includes honest assessments on the costs and construction problems and portends a future of cautious design (and perhaps capacity-focused projects rather than buildings more akin to vanity affairs). “Did you need to build the $3.7 billion transportation hub to achieve the meaningfulness of the World Trade Center redevelopment?” Scott Rechler, the Port Authority’s vice chair, wondered. “In hindsight, I don’t know if I would have come to that conclusion.”

I’d urge you to read Brown’s full story. He delves into every aspect of the project — including the Port Authority’s wish, overruled by then-Gov. George Pataki, to save around $500 million by shutting down the 1 line south of Chambers St. for indeterminate length of time to effect repairs and rebuild the Cortlandt St. station. I’ll excerpt some key parts as Brown traces the history of a hub that was once to cost $1.5-$2 billion and open nearly seven years ago:

An analysis of federal oversight reports viewed by The Wall Street Journal and interviews with current and former officials show a project sunk in a morass of politics and government. Those redesigning the World Trade Center—destroyed by terrorists in 2001—were besieged by demands from various agencies and officials, and “the answer was never, ‘No,’ ” said Christopher Ward, executive director from 2008 to 2011 of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the project’s builder.

Why that happened is more difficult to untangle. The Port Authority, run jointly by the two states, has long been known for political infighting. City, state and federal agencies, as well as real-estate developer Larry Silverstein, also joined in. In public and private clashes, they each pushed to include their own ideas, making the site’s design ever more complex, former project officials said. These disputes added significant delays and costs to the transit station, which serves as a backbone to the bigger 16-acre redevelopment site, connecting the World Trade Center’s four planned office towers, underground retail space and the 9/11 museum, the officials said and oversight reports show…

The high cost has been attributed by many public officials to its ornate and complex design by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. His plans proved far more difficult to build than anticipated, the Port Authority has said, requiring, for example, the manufacture of enormous steel spans overseas. Even daily maintenance will be costly. A recently opened hallway has white marble floors where workers remove scuff marks with sponges on sticks. Mr. Calatrava, through a spokesman, declined to comment.

But current and former officials who worked on the project, a terminal for the PATH commuter rail system, said in interviews they believed demands, disagreements and poor coordination among the many parties working on the World Trade Center site spurred hundreds of millions of dollars in overruns.

The special requests and demands break down as follows:

Michael Bloomberg wanted the memorial plaza open by the 10th Anniversary of the attacks. Doing so added at least $100 million to the budget as “a large swath of the underground terminal below the plaza had to be built without use of cranes or other large equipment. Workers had to move materials by hand.”
The decision to maintain 1 train service through the site and build a supported box added another $300-$500 million.
Complex underground connections added another $140 million to the price tag.

We don’t know how much Calatrava himself is getting for his design and engineering work. The Port Authority has, so far, yet to respond to Freedom of Information requests I’ve filed regarding these amounts. But it’s not an insubstantial amount, and, as Brown notes, upkeep costs for this fanciful subway stop will be plentiful.

So ultimately, we have a monument to Lower Manhattan for $4 billion and 35,000 passengers. We don’t have modernized airports or convenient ways to get there. We have transit capacity needs that go unfulfilled, and we have recognition that the WTC PATH Hub became more unmanageable than it should have. Let’s not repeat these mistakes in the future.

September 4, 2014 104 comments

Asides View from Underground

Bedbugs on a train

by Benjamin Kabak September 3, 2014

written by Benjamin Kabak on September 3, 2014

New Yorkers are long accustomed to sharing their subway rides with all sorts of wild life. Cockroach sightings underground are, sadly, not rare, and rats scurry along train tracks searching for food. At outdoor stations, pigeons are known to amble into a train car or two in search of an errant french fry. The latest hangers-on though we could all do without.

Over the past few weeks, even though the larger epidemic was supposedly on the wane, numerous reports of bed bugs on subway trains — in particular the N line — have emerged, and in a column earlier this week, Pete Donohue of the Daily News reported at least 21 sightings in August. According to the columnist, the N train leads the way with nine sightings while the Q had three and the 6 two. Bugs were also spotted on the 3, 4, 5 and L trains and in crew rooms in Astoria, East New York and Coney Island.

As far as the extent of the problem, the MTA has worked to downplay the sightings. The agency says it has found “no bedbug infestations on any trains,” and crews inspect and fumigate train cars nearly immediately. “This is an interesting story but not a big problem,” spokesman Adam Lisberg said to the News. Still, it’s clear from rapid response times that the MTA is treating these reports very seriously, as they should.

September 3, 2014 10 comments

Superstorm Sandy

Reconnected: Full G train service resumes today

by Benjamin Kabak September 2, 2014

written by Benjamin Kabak on September 2, 2014

MTA crews seen here in late August worked throughout the summer to repair the G train’s Greenpoint Tubes. (Photo: Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit)

Greenpoint’s and Long Island City’s summer of their discontent came to end this morning as Transit restored G train service between Brooklyn and Queens. After shutting down the Greenpoint Tubes for Hurricane Sandy-related repairs in late July, the MTA celebrated wrapping the work on time this morning, and G trains will operate as they always do, sometimes more reliably than others, for the foreseeable future.

“Superstorm Sandy’s devastating impact on our Subway network posed a challenge never before faced by our organization,” NYC Transit President Carmen Bianco said in a statement. “However we rose to this challenge and are rebuilding our system better and stronger than before. The dedication of Transit personnel in rebuilding the Greenpoint Tubes and ensuring safe, reliable G train service for our customers is part of our continuing efforts to reinforce the system’s infrastructure and safeguard the most vulnerable areas of our subway system for decades to come.”

As the MTA has repeatedly noted, the Greenpoint Tubes suffered a considerable amount of damage during Sandy when three million gallons of salt water (and who knows what else from Newtown Creek) filled the tunnels that connect Brooklyn and Queens. Power cables corroded from the inside while rails and fasteners suffered significant damage. Ventilation, lighting and communications systems were all destroyed and still have not been fully restored. Still, service could resume today.

The shutdown, of course, was not without controversy or questionable conclusions by regular riders of the G train who bemoan service many view as unsatisfactory. In an amusing piece of person-on-the-street journalism, DNA Info reported that some G riders preferred shuttle buses to the subway. The shuttle buses, after all, ran far more frequently, albeit at significantly lower capacities, than the G train did. Business though in Northern Brooklyn and Long Island City are happy to see the subway connection restored even if the G will be undergoing a FASTRACK treatment next week.

Meanwhile, further south, the MTA is pushing to wrap up work on the Montague St. Tunnel by the end of October and will turn its attention to other East River tubes that suffered damage but will not require full shutdowns. As now, the MTA has simply said they will “will also address issues in other under river tubes to make the system more resilient.” Details should be forthcoming soon.

September 2, 2014 33 comments

Service Advisories Subway Movies

BAMcinématek brings classic subway films to the big screen (and weekend service changes)

by Benjamin Kabak August 29, 2014

written by Benjamin Kabak on August 29, 2014

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It’s been a while since a classic movie about, or even with scenes in, the New York City subway hit theaters. The 2009 version of The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 is something everyone would rather ignore, and 1995’s Money Train drew headlines more for alleged copycats than for the quality of the film. Still, the classics remain the classics with the 1970s a particularly iconic decade for subway movies, and in a few weeks, you’ll be able to catch the big names on the silver screen.

As part of an early fall retrospective, BAMcinématek will be hosting Retro Metro, what they’re calling a 16-film ride through the history of the New York City subway. The Big 3 — The French Connection, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, and opening night’s The Warriors — get top billing, and joining them will be a rare showing of The Incident as well as a dozen other films inspired by or filmed on the subways. There will be no Ghost, but you can catch Saturday Night Fever, Midnight Cowboy, and Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. along with Vincente Minnelli’s The Clock and the Gene Kelly classic On The Town.

The films run from Friday, September 26 through Sunday, October 5, and the full schedule is available in BAM’s press release. I’m aiming to catch The Incident on October 3, The Warriors on September 26, and perhaps The French Connection on October 5. If there’s interest, I may arrange a quasi-official Second Ave. Sagas outing to see the original Taking of Pelham One Two Three at 7 p.m. on Sunday, September 28. If you haven’t seen any of these movies, or even if you have, check them out. This will be a great festival.

Meanwhile, we have more pressing matters to attend to. I’m out of town for the Labor Day weekend, but the work doesn’t stop. Your service advisories after the jump, and remember to pay attention to travel patterns on Sunday as the West Indian-American Day Parade always causes some localized changes.

August 29, 2014 9 comments

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