Category:

Manhattan

A new 34th St. (and the weekend service changes)

by Benjamin Kabak April 23, 2010

written by Benjamin Kabak on April 23, 2010

The latest DOT plans for the 34th St. Select Bus Service call for physically separated lanes. (Click to enlarge. Courtesy of NYC DOT)

The Bloomberg Administration, reports The Times, is moving forward with a radical redesign of 34th St. that focuses on buses and pedestrians at the expense of cars. Non-bus traffic will be barred from the block between 5th and 6th Aves. and will be one way only in the direction of the respective rivers east and west of the shuttered block. Bus traffic will be two ways, and buses will run in dedicated bus lanes physically separated from the auto lanes. Pedestrian plazas and walkways will be greatly expanded.

DOT is going to act quickly on implementing this $30-million project. The city is currently conducting an environmental and design review with final changes ready for the fall of 2011. The street will be ready for its overhaul by the end of 2012.

I’ve covered these plans before (March 2, 2010 and April 17, 2008, and it’s great to see the city moving forward with it. Streetsblog belives it to be a more democratic use of space. The busy thoroughfare does not enjoy crosstown subways and stands to benefit greatly from these plans.

* * *
Meanwhile, the weekend is here, and that means only one thing: service changes. Travel to and from Brooklyn on the IRT lines are disrupted for the next few days due to work in Lower Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn. Leave extra travel time if you rely on those routes. As always, these come to me via Transit and are subject to change without notice. Listen for announcements and check the signs in your local station. Subway Weekender has the map.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, April 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, April 26, 2 trains run between Wakefield-241st Street and Chambers Street, then are rerouted to the 1 line to South Ferry due to a chip out at Borough Hall, dig outs at Wall and Fulton Streets and a cable pull south of Nevins Street. For service between Manhattan and Brooklyn, customers should take the 2 to South Ferry station and use the free out-of-system transfer to the 5 at Bowling Green. Note: During the daytime hours, 5 trains make 2 stops to Flatbush Avenue. During the late night hours, all Manhattan-bound trains skip Eastern Parkway, Grand Army Plaza and Bergen Street.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, April 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, April 26, 2 trains run local between 96th Street and South Ferry due to concrete pours at 50th and 79th Streets and reconstruction work on the track bridge underpass at 96th Street. Note: From 11 p.m. to midnight Friday, April 23, 2 trains run local between 96th Street and Chambers Street.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, April 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, April 26, there are no 3 trains between 14th Street and New Lots Avenue due to a chip out at Borough Hall, dig outs at Wall and Fulton Streets and a cable pull south of Nevins Street. For service between Manhattan and Brooklyn, customers should transfer between the 3 and 2 at 14th Street, take the 2 to the South Ferry station, then use the free out-of-system transfer to the 4 at Bowling Green making 3 stops to New Lots Avenue.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, April 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, April 26, 3 trains run local between 96th Street and Times Square, then express to 14th Street due to concrete pours at 50th and 79th Streets and reconstruction work on the track bridge underpass at 96th Street. Note: From 11 p.m. to midnight Friday, April 23, 3 trains run local between 96th Street and Chambers Street.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, April 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, April 26, 4 train service is extended to/from New Lots Avenue to replace the 3 in Brooklyn due to a chip out at Borough Hall, dig outs at Wall and Fulton Streets and a cable pull south of Nevins Street. Note: Manhattan-bound trains skip Eastern Parkway, Grand Army Plaza and Bergen Street.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, April 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, April 26, during the daytime hours, 5 train service is extended to/from Flatbush Avenue to replace the 2 in Brooklyn. During the late night hours, shuttle trains run between Atlantic Avenue and Flatbush Avenue due to a chip out at Borough Hall, a dig out at Wall and Fulton Streets and a cable pull south of Nevins Street. Note: All Manhattan-bound trains skip Eastern Parkway, Grand Army Plaza and Bergen Street.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, April 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, April 26, the last stop for some 6 trains is 3rd Avenue-138th Street due to station rehabilitation and structural repair at Whitlock Avenue, Morrison-Sound View Aves., and Parkchester.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, April 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, April 26, Pelham Bay Park-bound 6 trains run express from Hunts Point Avenue to Parkchester due to track panel installation between Morrison-Sound View Avenues and St. Lawrence Avenue.

At all times until September 2010, the Whitlock Avenue and Morrison-Sound View Avenue stations are closed for rehabilitation. Customers should use the Elder Avenue 6 station or the Simpson Street 25 station instead. The Bx4 bus provides alternate connecting service between stations.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, April 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, April 26, Brooklyn-bound A trains run local from 59th Street to West 4th Street, then are rerouted on the F line to Jay Street due to the Chambers Street Signal Modernization project.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, April 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, April 26, A trains run local between Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts. and Euclid Avenue due to the Chambers Street Signal Modernization project.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, April 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, April 26, there are no C trains between Canal Street and Euclid Avenue due to the Chambers Street Signal Modernization project. Customers should take the A instead.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, April 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, April 26, Coney Island-bound D trains run on the N line from 36th Street to Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue due to structural repair and station rehabilitations, track panel installation at 20th Avenue and fence replacement between Bay 50th Street and Stillwell Avenue.

From 11 p.m. Friday, April 23 to 5 a.m. Monday, April 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, April 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, April 26, D trains run local between 34th Street-Herald Square and West 4th Street due to the 5th Avenue Interlocking Signal System Modernization.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, April 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, April 26, E trains run local between Forest Hills-71st Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue due to a substation rehabilitation north of Roosevelt Avenue.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, April 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, April 26, E trains are rerouted on the F in Manhattan and Queens: 1.) No E service between 34th Street and World Trade Center. 2.) After leaving 5th Avenue, Manhattan-bound E trains run on the F line from 47th -50th Sts. to 34th Street-6th Avenue. 3.) Jamaica-bound E trains run on the F line from 34th Street-6th Avenue to 21st Street-Queensbridge; trains resume service on the E line to Jamaica Center. These changes are due to the 5th Avenue Interlocking Signal System Modernization.

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

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, April 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, April 26, Manhattan-bound F trains run on the A line from Jay Street to West 4th Street due to work on tunnel lighting.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, April 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, April 26, F trains run local between Forest Hills-71st Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue due to a substation rehabilitation north of Roosevelt Avenue.

From 3:30 a.m. Saturday, April 24 to 10 p.m. Sunday, April 25, there are no J trains between Crescent Street and Jamaica Center due to track panel installation north of Woodhaven Boulevard.
E trains and free shuttle buses provide alternate service.

From 11 p.m. Friday, April 23 to 7 a.m. Saturday, April 24, from 11 p.m. Saturday, April 24 to 8 a.m. Sunday, April 25, and from 11 p.m. Sunday, April 25 to 5 a.m. Monday, April 26, uptown Q trains run local from Times Square-42nd Street to 57th Street-7th Avenue due to a track dig out at Times Square.

From 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, April 25, Q trains run in two sections due to rail repairs:

Between 57th Street-7th Avenue and Brighton Beach and
Between Brighton Beach and Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue.

From 10:30 p.m. Friday, April 23 to 5 a.m. Monday, April 26, shuttle buses replace the Rockaway Park Shuttle S train between Rockaway Park and Beach 67th Street due to station rehabilitations at Beach 36th and Beach 60th Streets.

April 23, 2010 15 comments

Asides Manhattan

Quiz: Name the subway stations in Manhattan

by Benjamin Kabak October 23, 2009

written by Benjamin Kabak on October 23, 2009

Try this one on for size if you’re looking to kill some time on Friday afternoon. Someone has written an online quiz at Sporcle challenging users to name all 127 Manhattan subway stops in 15 minutes or less. It took me seven minutes, and the last one was a C-only stop that I’ve probably been to twice in my life. If you take the quiz, let me know how you do in the comments. [Sporcle: Can you name the subway stations of Manhattan?]

October 23, 2009 30 comments

Manhattan

An auto-less vision for 42nd St. takes shape

by Benjamin Kabak October 14, 2009

written by Benjamin Kabak on October 14, 2009

Vision42

Imagine a Times Square unencumbered with cars. Imagine walking around 42nd St. in front of Grand Central without a steady stream of traffic passing by just inches from throngs of harried commuters. For years, that’s what Vision42 has desired.

Since Day One of Second Ave. Sagas, Vision42’s website has been on my blogroll, but I’ve never taken the time to explore the group’s initiative. With an article in The Times and an extensive post on The Transport Politic, today is definitely Vision42 day.

So we start with the organization’s mission statement. Vision42 is “a citizens’ initiative to re-imagine and upgrade surface transit in Midtown Manhattan, with a low-floor light rail line running river-to-river along 42nd Street within a landscaped pedestrian boulevard.” No longer would cars, trucks or buses of any kind be allowed on one of Manhattan’s most famous streets. Instead, sidewalks would be significantly widened and a fuel-cell powered light rail system would run from the 35 St. Ferry Terminal on the East Side, north toward the UN building and then along 42nd St. to the 39th St. Ferry Terminal on the West Side. The trams would stop at every avenue block from river to river.

According to the group’s report, a crosstown trip would take just 21 minutes, and trains would run every 3.5 minutes during peak times and every 4 minutes during off-peak hours. The trams would connect to every major north-south subway in Manhattan.

As far as its economic impact goes, the new tram would provide $700 million in economic benefits a year with an additional fiscal benefits in the form of property valuation increases of $175 million. Businesses along 42nd St. would see estimated economic increases of $430 million. (For more on the benefits of the project, check out page 30 of this pdf presentation.)

At the same time, Vision42 estimates that the full project would cost approximately $380-$580 million to install and could be ready to go in two years from the start date. Although utility relocation would be a concern, the group notes that heavy streetcars ran over utilities for decades with no problems. Utility relocation, though, remains the lion’s share of this project’s cost.

The article in today’s Times talks about the group’s make-up and the city’s unwillingness to support the project. Writes Alison Gregor:

While three large owners of real estate on 42nd Street and a real estate company that manages office buildings there have signed on to support the proposal, advocates for Vision 42 said they had not been able to engage the city in a discussion.

“We think the mayor considers this competitive with his No. 7 subway line extension,” said Roxanne Warren, an architect who is co-chairwoman of Vision 42.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s office said it was not inclined to support the proposal and deferred to the city’s Department of Transportation for comment. Scott Gastel, a spokesman for the department, said in an e-mail message, “While there are no plans for a project like this at this time, we are working closely with the M.T.A./N.Y.C. Transit to extend the 7 line, which will greatly improve commuter access throughout the corridor.”

The 7 line extension is a real estate-driven project whose wisdom has been questioned. It wouldn’t benefit people moving into and out of the 42nd St. businesses corridors and shouldn’t be equated with a proposal to radically reconceptualize an urban thoroughfare.

At TTP, Yonah Freemark talks about the costs of the project and who would foot the bill. He notes that the MTA won’t be paying for this project any time soon and urges the high-powered and deep-pocketed real estate ventures support the project to come forward with private investment. “Vision42 should be not working to change the Mayor’s mind,” he writes, “but rather to deliver a check to City Hall covering the line’s entire costs upfront. The administration might then find it easier to support the project.”

Drivers would protest the closure of this street, but in the end, the city would be better off for it. Unfortunately, both the political will and capital are lacking to push through a project of this scope. With it, though, you could truly meet those dances on the avenue streetcars are taking you to.

October 14, 2009 37 comments

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