AsidesPANYNJ

Report: Cuomo to remove Ward from PA post

by Benjamin Kabak
written by Benjamin Kabak on June 2, 2011

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is going to remove Christopher Ward as executive director of the Port Authority shortly after the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, The Post reported last week. According to sources, Cuomo and Ward do not have a very strong relationship, and in fact, the Empire State’s new governor, who has likely planned to replace Ward from the state, won’t take the Port Authority head’s phone calls.

Transportation advocates are not happy with this development. The Tri-State Transportation Campaign called Ward an “innovative leader who has started new green freight programs and projects, implemented a bicycle policy, and spoken in favor of increased infrastructure investment.” They fear that Cuomo will appoint a new head who is more willing to dole out ARC dollars for road projects. Streetsblog offered up a full overview and defense of Ward’s time as leader of the Port Authority.

For his part, Ward issued a terse defense. “I have dedicated my life to turning around the World Trade Center and running this place the best I can,” he said. “My record speaks for itself, and I am not going to speculate on the political aspects of the job.” Losing Ward could be a major blow to transit policy, but it appears, sadly, to be a fait accompli.

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Public Transit Policy

A lukewarm reception for East River ferry service

by Benjamin Kabak
written by Benjamin Kabak on June 2, 2011

The Long Island City ferry stop awaits some passengers. (Photo by East River Ferry on flickr)

Pardon me if I don’t immediately jump for joy over the city’s announcement that regular, year-long East River ferry service is set to debut on June 13. We’ve been down this road too many times before to think that this time will be any different from the last. We know what happens when the city starts subsidizing gimmicky transit options in the hopes of “revitalizing” the waterfront or encouraging creative travel. It hasn’t worked then, and for the same reasons, it’s going to face an uphill battle now.

Before I delve into my pessimism, the details: The idea of an East River ferry service has been percolating since last summer, and while the price will be higher than initial proposed, the details remain the same. The ferries will run a seven-stop route on a regular schedule with pick-ups and drop-offs in Midtown, Long Island City, Greenpoint, north and south Williamsburg, Dumbo and Wall Street. Boats will run every 20 minutes during peak hours and every 30 minutes off-peak. On the weekends, the route will include a stop at Governor’s Island and operate every 35 minutes from April to October and once an hour during the winter.

For Midtown-bound passengers, a free bus will provide access into the heart of Manhattan. Check out the map right here. If all goes well, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said, the route will expand to include the Bronx, Roosevelt Island and perhaps the Hudson River side of Manhattan as well.

City officials are excited about the new transportation offering. “It will spur economic development on both sides of the river with literally thousands of residents within walking distance of the neighborhoods in Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan being able to reap the benefits of this new service,” Seth Pinsky, president of the city’s Economic Development Corporation said.

The city, meanwhile, is banking a good amount of money on this project. Fares will be kept relatively low as one ride will cost $4, an unlimited day’s worth of travel $12 and a monthly pass $140 as the city is subsidizing the ferries. New York will pour $9 million into the service over the next three years and has already committed $10 million in upgrades for piers in Queens and Brooklyn. (For a closer look at the newly renovated piers, check out coverage from The L Magazine.)

So what then are the problems? Besides the fact that I’m skeptical of the city’s investment — $19 million could have saved a good number of bus routes — the plan seems to be overly enthusiastic and divorced from reality. We don’t need better service for people close to the waterfront, and this seems to be yet another example of misplaced transportation priorities. Let’s run ’em down.

Regularity and Popularity of Service. Through a combination of design and planning, New York’s waterfronts aren’t very populous. Long the purview of industry, only in recent years have waterfront developments sprung up on the east side of the East River, and those developments have catered to distinctly upper class residents. Condos in Dumbo and Williamsburg do not come cheap, and these areas are relatively transit-accessible already. I question if we truly need ferry service that runs more frequently than some bus routes servicing some relatively lower-density, transit-rich neighborhoods.

All in all, Greenpointers who work in Midtown stand to benefit the most simply because it right now takes a while for them to get there. A direct ferry service would be a big boon for that neighborhood, but the other stops in Queens and Brooklyn likely do not need three ferries an hour for 14 hours a day.

Waterfront Access. Again, it’s worth reflecting on the city’s waterfront access. It isn’t great right now, and not that many people live close to the edge of the water. If my choice is between a 10-minute walk to the F in Dumbo or a 10-minute walk to a Ferry that still has to make five more stops before landing at 34th St. and the East River, it’s not a tough decision for any commuter in a hurry. The free bus on the Manhattan side is a welcome perk, but it creates a two-seat ride through some heavily congested areas of the city.

Targeted Underserved Areas. If the city has only a limited amount of money to invest on transit right now, it should spend it with an eye toward the underserved. Here, only Greenpoint kinda, sorta fits the bill as Long Island City, Williamsburg and Dumbo enjoy subway coverage. The money would be better spent improving transit for those who live far away from the city’s central business district or on improving access to non-Manhattan job hubs in the other boroughs.

Acknowledging King MetroCard. When it comes to travel in New York City, the MetroCard is king, and the sooner the city realizes that fact, the better. With the ferry service’s fare structure, riders will have to pay a $4 one-way fare (or a bulk ride option) to take the boat. If they have to go to or from the ferry stops, they’ll have to pay another fare for the connecting subway or bus. The city should figure out a way to provide free transfers between the ferry and MTA-operated transit routes, but stubbornness and territorialism rule the day when it comes to inter-agency cooperation.

Ultimately, East River ferry service isn’t doomed to fail. It is, after all, one of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s transportation goals, but it seems to be a misguided one at a time when we desperately need true leadership on real issues surrounding mass transit in New York City.

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MTA Economics

An anti-payroll tax website but no better ideas

by Benjamin Kabak
written by Benjamin Kabak on June 1, 2011

Lee Zeldin has made it his singular goal to eliminate the MTA payroll tax. He won his election as state senator representing the Third District on Long Island by campaigning on the issue and has spent a lot of time working toward a repeal. Despite the fact that the state GOP may wait until 2012 to throw its weight behind a repeal, Zeldin isn’t letting up.

Yesterday, Zeldin unveiled the latest in populist rage: a website. His new effort is online at DumpTheMTATax.com, and it features the typical petition and volunteer network that has become so popular with anti-tax, anti-service politicians. “I campaigned for office with an important purpose and promise,” Zeldin said in a press release. “My commitment has been to hold the MTA’s feet to the fire on behalf of the taxpayers of the 3rd Senate District. I will continue to shine a light on all of the ways the MTA can do more with less. My promise is not to rest until the legislature takes action to repeal the payroll tax.”

The new online initiative — actually a part of Zeldin’s own campaign website complete with a “donate” button — won’t gain much traction before the State Senate splits for the summer. So those of us who are fighting for mass transit dollars won’t need to worry too much about the MTA’s bottom line. We know the authority can’t afford to see $1.3 billion in state subsidies simply dry up, but Zeldin thinks he’s found the magic unicorn to solve this problem.

Take a look at how Zeldin thinks the MTA can save the money they currently take in from the payroll tax. He has a list:

  • Eliminate overtime abuse – well over $400 million is spent on overtime annually;
  • MTA should share in enforcement camera fines in MTA bus lanes;
  • Competitive bidding/ privatization of NYC bus system;
  • Public/private partnerships;
  • Reduce outside litigation costs by increasing utilization of in-house attorneys or the NYS Attorney General’s office;
  • Sell some of the MTA’s capital assets currently valued at over $50 billion;
  • Reduce the cash and investment float, which amounts to billions;
  • Reduce the amount of managers and supervisors, which is currently over 10,000 of the MTA’s 66,000 employees;
  • Crack down on pension padding where possible;
  • Cashless tolls throughout the system;
  • Reduced “vacancy/absentee” coverage of MTA Bridges and Tunnels; and
  • Improve process for approving personal and miscellaneous services contracts.

Now, on paper, these initiatives sound well and good, but the problem is that they aren’t new ideas. The MTA, for instance, has trimmed $150 million in overtime spending annually, and at some point, they can’t cut more overtime without incurring significantly more costs through more full-time hires. Overtime, in other words, can save money even as it sounds like a taboo expenditure that politicians exploit for populist points.

Outside of the overtime expenses, Zeldin’s suggestions either generate ones or millions of dollars or are one-off solutions that do not address the MTA’s long-term funding problems. Selling capital assets allows for an infusion of cash now, but once those assets are gone, they can’t be sold again. Cashless tolling will save some money initially, but the authority needs to find billions of savings, not millions.

I’m no fan of the payroll tax. If businesses find it to be a problematic barrier to expansion, the state should do away with it, and I wanted to see Ravitch’s proposals put in place. But what’s done is done. The Senate cannot overturn the payroll tax without offering a better solution, and so far, Zeldin has failed to do so. Reform and repeal will come with a price as money simply does not materialize on its own.

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AsidesMTA Absurdity

MTA Bus manager faces disciplinary action for family contracts

by Benjamin Kabak
written by Benjamin Kabak on June 1, 2011

An MTA Bus manager is facing disciplinary charges for steering nearing $2 million worth of bus supplies contracts to businesses owned by his family, The New York Post reported this weekend. Dean Carbonaro, a bus manager who The Post says chews on cigars and watches “Jerry Springer” while at work at a Bronx bus depot, has approved parts contracts for well above market value so that his family could benefit, an investigation revealed. “Obviously, this kind of behavior cannot be tolerated. Employees can’t seek to benefit family or friends from any of their work activities,” Barry Kluger, inspector general, said.

According to those who work at Carbonaro’s Zarega Maintenance Facility, the boss would instruct his workers to replace bus panels even if the vehicles were in working order. “Shop foremen would say they didn’t need the panels, but Carbonaro told them to put them on. They couldn’t believe it,” one mechanic said to The Post. For its part, the MTA simply said Carbonaro has been “served with disciplinary charges.” I wonder what he would have to do to lose his job.

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WMATA

Dispatches from DC: What’s in a name?

by Benjamin Kabak
written by Benjamin Kabak on June 1, 2011

Lengthy station names can make a map tough to read. (Photo by flickr user Mieko Yamaguchi)

When I lived in DC way back in 2005, my nearest subway stop had, by any account, a ludicrous name. I lived a five- or six-minute walk away from the Woodley Park/Zoo-Adams Morgan station and always had a hard time coming to grips with its name. It was far longer than anything we have in New York, and it’s not particularly accurate. The Zoo is equidistant from the Cleveland Park station, and the walk from there is all downhill. Meanwhile, the red line services Adams Morgan in name only as that neighborhood is a good ten minutes away from the Metro stop.

This ungainly naming convention wasn’t unique to my station. The U Street/African-Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo stop leads the system, and others such as Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter or Mt Vernon Sq 7th St-Convention Center try to cram in as much as they can in 19 characters. It certainly makes “23rd Street” on the West Side IRT seem runty in comparison, and if our worst station name is Sutphin Boulevard/Archer Ave./JFK Airport, we’re probably doing OK.

Over the years, those concerned with the usability of the Metro have raised the issue now and then. Back in 2009, Dan Malouff on Greater Greater Washington called for an overhaul of WMATA names. “Do we really need to know,” he asked, “that students attending George Mason University sometimes use the Vienna station? GMU’s campus is over 5 miles from Vienna. The station does not directly serve the university. The name doesn’t have to be there.”

Now, the WMATA is gearing up to redesign the map, and I have to wonder if they should take a gander at station names as well. The impetus behind the redesigned map is a simple one: With new routes coming online over the next few days, the WMATA has to better represent its service patterns. Here’s how Dr. Gridlock explained it in March:

To plan for the proposed split in the Blue Line and the later addition of the Dulles rail extension, Metro is studying how people pick up visual clues about which train to take. Barbara Richardson, Metro’s assistant general manager for customer service, communication and marketing, announced last Thursday that the transit authority also is bringing back its original mapmaker, Lance Wyman, to revise the well-known map.

How often do riders use the map, and what do they use it for? On the trains, there are big maps at the ends of the cars and smaller ones near the center doors. In a crowded car, some riders will stand on tiptoes and peer at it. Others need to get real close and study the text. Most commuters are taking the same trip every day, and they ignore it, unless a tourist asks for directions. There’s likely to be a lot of map-gazing during the upcoming Cherry Blossom Festival.

Meanwhile, Greater Greater Washington has been hosting a contest this spring. They asked readers and cartographers to redesign the map, and a panel of judges selected the best. Readers have now been asked to vote on their favorites. The new maps had to show upcoming system expansions — an idea my readers have proposed for New York’s map — and must delineate between off-peak and peak service offerings, a key description now missing from our map.

For now, those in DC aren’t concerned with the station names, but they have recognized in the past that it makes maps particularly tough to design. With lengthy station names, squeezing in that much typography leads to areas of the map that are tough to read and station names that do not adequately pinpoint their location.

Should transit authorities label their maps based on the station location or the areas and neighborhoods within walking distance from that station? That seems to be the question with which DC must grapple, and the WMATA is leaning toward a new philosophy: The shorter, the better, says Barbara Richardson, the agency’s customer service officer. A map that’s easier to read may trump information overload. After all, it’s not too hard to tell someone to get off at Woodley Park to get to Adams Morgan. The station name needn’t be so inclusive and spare words may soon be getting the axe.

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AsidesPublic Transit Policy

Policy Idea of the Day: Privatizing the Northeast Corridor

by Benjamin Kabak
written by Benjamin Kabak on May 31, 2011

As Amtrak moves forward with plans to bring high-speed rail to the Northeast Corridor, House Transportation Committee Chair John Mica would prefer to see someone other than the federal government oversee the nation’s most profitable rail line. As the Associated Press reported last week, Mica has called for the privatization of the Northeast Corridor. “I believe that we have great potential in the Northeast corridor,” Mica said. “The only thing standing in the way is Amtrak or the federal government or Congress.”

Essentially, Mica wants the government to sell its only profitable rail line while Amtrak itself would prefer to see private investment help fund the high-speed rail network. At a time when many believe the federal government should focus its high-speed rail resources solely on the Northeast Corridor, Mica’s announcement is a peculiar one. For now, at least, the Northeast Corridor helps offset the losses the federal government suffers by supporting the rest of Amtrak’s national rail network. Severing it isn’t an economically sound policy proposal.

In the House, Mica and John Duncan say they have enough votes to pass the plan, but the Senate wouldn’t usher this move through. New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg warned that ticket prices, already high, would immediately increase under a privatized plan, but those are the least of our worries. Yonah Freemark believes that privatization would spell the end of the competition currently fueling the Northeast Corridor’s profitability while Alon Levy says that FRA regulations are to blame for any inefficiencies in Amtrak’s operations.

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AsidesMTA Absurdity

Lawsuit of the Day: On the G train…

by Benjamin Kabak
written by Benjamin Kabak on May 31, 2011

Today’s injured passenger lawsuit is brought to you by the letter G. Meet Jonathan Lynn. Last August, he attempted to board a G train at Classon Ave. only to find that the doors were shutting. He made that mad dash down the platform, stuck his arm into an open door and found himself being dragged by the train. After suffering a series of horrific injuries, including multiple arm fractures, he is suing the MTA and the train’s operators.

In the Daily News article, Lynn at first claims the train’s operator waved him along, but he later seems to contradict that statement. “I didn’t think it was real. [I thought] the door’s going to open, he’s going to stop, he’s going to hear me,” Lynn said. “I bounced off one of the pillars, hit my head and that’s the extent of my memory.”

If it sounds fishy to you, it certainly does to me. I’m guessing Lynn tried to board a train right as it was closing, the conductor failed to see him in time and the driver started the train. As a poll attached to The Daily News article shows, already people are overreacting to an injury that is likely partially the fault of the victim as well. People will rabble for more safety precautions; politicians will wring their hands; and the case will settle. The lesson here: Just wait for the next train. It’s never that far away.

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BusesPublic Transit Policy

The not-so-lofty goals of tomorrow’s transportation

by Benjamin Kabak
written by Benjamin Kabak on May 31, 2011

As we survey the New York City transportation landscape, nothing very big is happening. The MTA has its so-called megaprojects churning as the Second Ave. Subway, 7 line extension and East Side Access Project all inch toward completion dates later this decade, but there is nothing in the works that will reshape or revolutionize transit in the area. Instead, we have clogged roads in desperate need of repair, traffic that needs mitigating and a subway system that needs significant investment.

Meanwhile, the Transportation of the Future is on the minds of a few folks lately, and the topics are less than exciting. In a multi-story package last week, The Wall Street Journal delved into Tomorrow’s Transportation and determined that monorails and, uh, buses are the future of transportation. Pardon me if neither of those modalities make me jump for joy. The price tags may be more alluring that deep-bore subway construction; the offerings may be greener than massive road expansion plans; but somewhere along the way, we forgot to think big.

The Journal’s article about buses focuses on tried-and-true BRT with pre-board fare payment, dedicated lanes and the works. It’s not really about the sub-par BRT imitation New York is laying down because our transit policy folks are brow-beaten by a bunch of NIMBYs. It is full of the typical over-the-top love of bus lanes as the article calls BRT a “modern transit system that combines the flexibility of buses with the speed, comfort and reliability of rail.”

The article reads as something out of the Walter Hook Manual for BRT, and a recent release from the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy sounds familiar themes. BRT, says the release, “combines the flexibility of buses with the speed and priority of light rail, but at a fraction of the cost of rail.”

There is no denying that bus rapid transit is the popular modality these days. “BRT projects can be put in place quickly, and integrate well with other transportation modes, from subways to cycling and walking, while fitting today’s often constrained budgets,” Rep. Earl Blumenauer, an Oregon Democrat, said. “Now more than ever it is important to find creative solutions to provide affordable transportation options that meet the needs of our communities and residents and keep our economy moving forward.”

And yet, BRT can’t approximate rail. For a BRT lane to deliver the capacity a subway can — and particularly in New York — the operator would have to run something on the order of 40 buses an hour. BRT may be cheaper than building out a subway line or light rail, but you get what you pay for. As Yonah Freemark noted, there’s nothing wrong with that.

In dispensing with the Rail vs. BRT fight, Freemark noted that the two modalities should not be pitted against each other. Rather, they should be used in concert to form a better overall transit network experience. He writes:

The real divisions between bus and rail are political: For those who would fight for improved transit systems in their cities, the truth is that rail projects do certainly have more appeal among members of the public. Thus a billion-dollar rail project may be easier to stomach for a taxpaying and voting member of the citizenry than a quarter-billion BRT line. While the former is qualitatively different than what most car drivers are used to, the latter mode is too easily lumped in with the city bus, which car users have already paid to avoid.

Better transit can come in many forms, but in a country in which the vast majority of people have no contact with public transportation this side of Disney World, making the argument for investments in more buses is difficult, to say the least. BRT is just not sexy until you’ve experienced it. Which is why the considerable success of BRT in South America has not convinced many U.S. cities to abandon their ambitions for more rail.

Articles like those in the Journal and the Globe and Mail, despite their positive assessments of the potential for BRT, nonetheless reinforce the sense that BRT is inferior to rail by putting the two in contrast to one another, rather than focusing on the relative benefits of each. By continuously describing BRT as an economical way to get something like light rail, all that comes across is that it’s cheap.

What do we do then in an area in which our politicians aren’t willing to do anything for any form of transportation? City officials haven’t stood up for their modified Select Bus Service — or BRT Lite — plans, and rail expansion is a non-starter because of the price tags. The status quo can’t keep up with demand under or above ground. So let’s just throw everything out and start building monorails instead. If it works in China and Mumbai, it can work here, right?

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Service Advisories

Memorial Day weekend service changes

by Benjamin Kabak
written by Benjamin Kabak on May 27, 2011

I’m off for the long weekend. Enjoy.


From 11:30 p.m. Friday, May 27 to 5 a.m. Monday, May 30, there are no 1 trains between 14th Street and South Ferry due to Port Authority work at the WTC site. 2, 3 trains and free shuttle buses provide alternate service. 1 trains operate express between 34th Street and 14th Street. 2 and 3 trains run local in both directions between Chambers and 96th Streets. Free shuttle buses replace 1 trains between Chambers Street and South Ferry. Overnight notes: 3 trains run express between 148th and 42nd Streets. 1 trains run local between 168th and 14th Streets.


From 4 a.m. Saturday, May 28 to 10 p.m. Monday, May 30, Bronx-bound 2 trains skip Jackson Avenue, Prospect Avenue, Intervale Avenue, Simpson Street, Freeman Street, 174th Street and East Tremont Avenue due to track panel installation at Freeman Street and 174th Street.


From 12:01 a.m. to 6:30 a.m., Saturday, May 28, Sunday, May 29, and Monday, May 30 and from 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. Tuesday, May 31, downtown 4 trains skip 33rd, 28th, 23rd Streets, Astor Place, Bleecker, Spring and Canal Streets due to gap filler replacement at 14th Street-Union Square. Customers traveling to these stations may take the 4 to 14th Street-Union Square or Brooklyn Bridge and transfer to an uptown 4.


From 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., Saturday, May 28, from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., Sunday, May 29 and Monday, May 30, Bronx-bound 5 trains skip Jackson Avenue, Prospect Avenue, Intervale Avenue, Simpson Street, Freeman Street, 174th Street and East Tremont Avenue due to track panel installation at Freeman Street and 174th Street. Note: During this time, trains run every 20 minutes between Dyre Avenue and Bowling Green.


From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, May 28 to 5 a.m. Tuesday, May 31, downtown 6 trains skip 33rd, 28th, 23rd Streets, Astor Place, Bleecker, Spring and Canal Streets due to gap filler replacement at 14th Street-Union Square. Customers traveling to these stations may take the 6 to 14th Street-Union Square and transfer to an uptown 6.


From 12:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. Sunday, May 29, Flushing-bound trains stop at the Manhattan-bound platforms at Hunters Point Avenue and Vernon Blvd.-Jackson Avenue due to track and signal inspection in the under river tunnel.


During the overnight hours, from 11 p.m. Friday, May 27 to 6:30 a.m. Saturday, May 28, from 11 p.m. Saturday, May 28 to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, May 29, and from 11 p.m. Sunday, May 29 to 5 a.m. Monday, May 30, uptown A trains skip 72nd, 81st, 86th, 96th, 103rd, 110th, and 116th Streets due track work south of 110th Street.


From 6:30 a.m. to midnight, Saturday, May 28 and Sunday, May 29, uptown C trains skip 72nd, 81st, 86th, 96th, 103rd, 110th and 116th Streets due to track work south of 110th Street.


During the overnight hours, from 11:30 p.m. Friday, May 27 to 5 a.m. Saturday, May 28, from 11:30 p.m. Saturday, May 28 to 6 a.m. Sunday, May 29, and from 11:30 p.m. Sunday, May 29 to 5 a.m. Monday, May 30, Manhattan-bound E trains skip 65th Street, Northern Blvd., 46th Street, Steinway Street and 36th Street due to track work north of 36th Street.


From 11 p.m. Friday, May 27 to 5 a.m. Tuesday, May 31, Queens-bound F trains skip 14th Street and 23rd Street due to platform edge and track work at 34th Street. Customers traveling to these stations may take the F to West 4th Street and transfer to a downtown F.


From 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, May 29, Queens-bound F trains skip Avenue U due to rubbing board and platform edge repair.


From 11:30 p.m. Friday, May 27 to 5 a.m. Monday, May 30, free shuttle buses replace L trains between Lorimer Street and Broadway Junction due to yard fence work and track work at Myrtle Avenue and Halsey Avenue.


From 4 a.m. Saturday, May 28 to 10 p.m. Monday, May 30, Brooklyn-bound N trains skip 30th Avenue, Broadway, 36th Avenue and 39th Avenue due to structure painting.


From 6:30 a.m. Saturday, May 28 to 5 a.m. Tuesday, May 31, N trains run local in Brooklyn between DeKalb Avenue and 59th Street in both directions due to structure painting.


From 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m., Saturday, May 28, Manhattan-bound Q trains run on the R line from DeKalb Avenue to Canal Street due to rail repairs. Trains stop at Jay Street-MetroTech, Court, Whitehall, Rector and Cortlandt Streets and City Hall.


From 5 a.m. to 6 a.m., Sunday, May 29, Brooklyn-bound R trains skip 65th Street, Northern Blvd, 46th Street, Steinway Street and 36th Street due to track work north of 36th Street. Customers traveling to these stations may take the E or R to Queens Plaza and transfer to a Forest Hills/71st Avenue-bound E or R.

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Queens

Photo of the Day: Court Square to open on June 3

by Benjamin Kabak
written by Benjamin Kabak on May 27, 2011

The never–ending Court Square saga appears to be coming to an end. A SAS tipster sent in the following photo yesterday, and it features good news for Queens commuters who have been dying for the new station complex to open.

So there you have it. Incontrovertible photo proof that after years of wrangling between the MTA and Citi, the station complex and its new entrance will finally open, countless months late. It’s about time, eh?

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