Second Ave. Sagas

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  • G train activists await an F grade

    It’s nearly time for the G train’s moment in the sun, and the line’s riders couldn’t be happier.

    Last week, the MTA passed out the Rider Report Cards at the stations along the much-maligned and neglected G train, and, as The Times wrote in the City Section yesterday, G train advocates are gearing up for the line to receive an F when the grades are released next month.

    The G train has long been regarded by those who rely on it as the MTA’s neglected stepchild. The train, the only non-Shuttle train never to reach Manhattan, can’t quite fulfill the promise of reaching all the way to 71st St-Continental Ave. in Queens, and service is spotty at best. During peak hours, trains — four cars instead of the MTA’s usual eight- or ten-car affairs — are supposed to show up every 7-9 minutes, and only about three or four off-peak trains run per hour. No wonder the people who love to hate the G train affectionately term it the Ghost train.

    The Times details how those riders — among them Teresa Toro who runs Save the G Train! and the organization’s accompanying blog — are getting ready for the worst:

    “Everybody knows what the rider report card on the G is going to be,” said Teresa Toro…

    Ms. Toro, for her part, has urged riders to candidly respond to the transportation authority on her blog Save the G, which takes its name from a coalition of community advocates in Brooklyn and Queens. For each line, the agency distributes paper report cards to riders at train stations for one week, and riders have additional time to fill out identical report cards online. The deadline for the G train was Thursday; Marisa Baldeo, an M.T.A. spokeswoman, said the results would be announced in December.

    But this fatalistic attitude is not without its upside. Riders are hoping that the report card results will catapult the problems of the G onto the plates of MTA officials. When the complaints come in about infrequent service, could those riders who need or want better G service be in for more frequent service and longer trains?

    Maybe the tide really is turning on the G train. The service extension to Church Ave. in Kensington, once thought to be temporary, will remain in place permanently once work on the Culver Viaduct is completed. With, as The Brooklyn Paper reported last week, the population and ridership exploding along the G line, maybe its day in the sun will finally come. Who needs Manhattan anyway?

    The map of the permanent G extension comes to us via The Brooklyn Paper.

  • NYCT plans years of ‘F’-ing construction on Culver Viaduct

    fourthaveviaduct.jpg

    The designs for the Culver Viaduct work at 4th Ave. are a huge improvement over the current bombed-out shell of a subway station. (Source: New York City Transit)

    The Culver Viaduct sure has been on our minds for the better part of 2007. A key component to the dreams of Brooklynites to enjoy the F as an express train, the Viaduct is in terrible shape and living seemingly on borrowed time.

    Earlier this month, the MTA announced the details of their viaduct rehabilitation plans which will turn the Viaduct stations — one at Smith-9th Sts. and one at 4th Avenue — into crown jewels of the subway system. Recently, at a Community Board 6 meeting in Brooklyn, New York City Transit unveiled the architectural renderings and track work plans for the extensive renovations. There is, of course, good news and bad news.

    4thavecurrentsmall.jpg The good news first: The renderings of the stations look fantastic. On top of this post is what the station at 4th Ave. will look like in a four years. At left is what the station looks like now. (Click to enlarge.) The difference is night and day. Gone are the boarded-up windows and grungy outside.

    fourthplatsmall.jpg With views up and down Brooklyn’s admittedly less-than-scenic 4th Ave., the station will no longer be an isolated island in the subway system. Meanwhile, the stations will look just as nice on the inside (see left). Looks good. Too bad we have to wait so long for the finished product.

    Finally, in the good news department, comes news of the G train. Beginning next year, the MTA will run the G out to Church Ave., and that service addition will be permanent. In an effort to alleviate F train overcrowding, Manhattan-bound passengers in Kensington and Park Slope can now take the G to Hoyt-Schermerhorn and transfer to the A or C. Otherwise, the G will now allow riders to take a one-seat ride from Greenpoint to Kensington. The good folks at Kensington (Brooklyn) are quite pleased with his news.

    But — and this is a rather big but — the project comes with its fair share of bad news, both centered around things we already knew. As I’ve reported in the past, the F Express Plan won’t come to fruition until this viaduct work is completed, but that’s bad news only in the abstract. Worse is the news that the Smith-9th St. stop will be closed for the better part of 2010 with service changes (details available here in PDF form and below) affecting the line for the better part of four years.

    This project will be divided into four phases, each with varying degrees of impact. Take a look:

    Phase 1 – Set to kick off next fall, the first phase, lasting 15 months, will have only a minimal impact on the line. The center express tracks will be closed as crews will be conducting structural work on the viaduct. At this point, the G will begin running to Church Ave., and the F will run normally.

    Phase 2A – During the second stage of work, things get dicey. For four months, the northbound local tracks will be out of service. The F and the G will run express from Church Ave. to Smith-9th Sts. with southbound trains providing service to 15th St.-Prospect Park and Ft. Hamilton Parkway. Northbound trains will service 4th Ave. via a temporary platform, and Smith-9th Sts. will be closed completely with shuttle bus service running along the path the train currently takes. Good thing that’s only four months in MTA time.

    Phase 2B – The second part of Phase 2 will last 8 months, but service will slowly return to some semblance of normality. The F and G will run local on the northbound tracks except the trains will bypass Smith-9th Sts. for the first five months of this phase. Smith-9th Sts. will reopen after nine months of repairs and renovations in the middle of phase 2B, but at that point, northbound, only the G will stop there while southbound both the F and the G will service that station.

    Phase 3A – This is, in effect, the opposite of Phase 2A. Southbound trains will run express from Smith-9th Sts. to Church Ave. with northbound service only to 15th St.-Prospect Park and Fort Hamilton Parkway. Temporary platforms will service southbound F and G riders at 4th Ave. and southbound G riders only at Smith-9th Sts. This phase will take around five months.

    Phase 3B – The last ten months before things get back to normal constitute phase 3B. Here, F and G trains return to local service south of Smith-9th Sts., but Smith-9th Sts. will be service southbound by G trains on a temporary platform. Northbound service will be normal.

    Phase 4 – For the last three months of work, riders along the newly-extended G line and F line won’t notice a thing. NYCT is installing new switches on the express tracks just north of 4th Ave. that should allow for that long-awaited F express service.

    So there you have it. That is a 45-month project to completely renovate the Culver Viaduct. When all is said and done, the G train will be vastly improved, and if NYCT holds to its word, express service will start along the F line. But for now, as residents in Brooklyn face around four years of service delays and shuttle buses, it’s no wonder that many residents are not too happy.

  • Thanksgiving weekend service advisories

    Not much doing this weekend, folks. Enjoy it will it lasts.


    Downtown 1 trains skip 238, 231, and 225 Sts
    Nov 24 – 25, 7 AM to 6 PM Sat and Sun


    Manhattan-bound 4 trains skip Bedford Pk Blvd, Kingsbridge, Fordham Rds, and 183 St
    Nov 24 – 25, 7 AM to 7 PM Sat and Sun


    Bronx-bound 6 trains run express from 3 Av to Hunts Point Av
    Nov 24 – 26, 12:01 AM Sat to 5 AM Mon

    Brooklyn-bound A trains run on the F line from West 4 to Jay Sts

    • For Spring, Canal, and Chambers Sts take the E instead.
    • From High St and Broadway-Nassau take an uptown A to West 4 St and transfer to a Brooklyn-bound A.

    Nov 25 – 26, 12:01 AM Sun to 5 AM Mon

    Manhattan-bound A trains run local from Euclid Av to 168 St

    Brooklyn-bound A trains which run local from

    • 168 to West 4 Sts
    • Jay St to Euclid Av

    Nov 25 – 26, 12:01 AM Sun to 5 AM Mon


    No C trains running – take the A or E train instead
    Nov 25 – 26, 12:01 AM Sun to 5 AM Mon


    Uptown F trains skip 14 and 23 Sts
    Nov 24 – 26, 12:01 AM Sat to 5 AM Mon

    Queens-bound F trains run on the V line from 47-50 Sts to Roosevelt Av
    Nov 24 – 26, 12:01 AM Sat to 5 AM Mon

  • Something doing on the L line?

    According to a recent Subchat post, all of the L line stations in Brooklyn are getting a facelift. All painted surfaces are getting a fresh coat, and all wooden benches are getting striped and recoated. Supposedly, something is going on next month along those tops. I wonder what it is. [Subchat]

  • Remembering the subways on Thanksgiving

    On Thanksgiving, it’s always nice to recognize those things for which we are thankful. As an regular reader of this site knows, I am at all times thanksful for New York City’s subway system. But why?

    Presented below are a few of the reasons why I’m thanking the MTA and New York City Transit today. Feel free to add you own.

    I’m thankful for…

    • 24-hour subway service. The ability to take the train at 4 p.m. and 4 a.m. makes this subway system great and is the prime reason why New York is the City that Never Sleeps.
    • The MTA’s efforts at reaching out to the public. While I think we should question the recent changes to the fare increase proposals, I certainly appreciate the way the MTA is trying to engage its riders in discussing long-term planning.
    • The Shuttle. The various shuttle trains in New York are the unsung heroes of our subway system. Whether they’re connecting Times Square to Grand Central or the C stop at Franklin Ave. to the 2 and the 3 further south on Franklin Ave. or the Q and the B at Prospect Park, these shuttles help integrate the system and make daunting walks or crosstown trips manageable. If only we had some more in northern Manhattan.
    • The 18th St. stop on the West Side IRT. Because people along 7th Ave. couldn’t walk five blocks north to 23rd St. or four blocks south to 14th St. Gotta save those legs. (Hint: I’m being sarcastic with this one.)
    • The view of the city from the Manhattan Bridge. Except for the brief glimpse of the Statue of Liberty from the F train on the cursed Culver Viaduct, nothing rivals that journey over Manhattan Bridge with Brooklyn to the east, the Manhattan skyline to the west, the East River snaking north and the harbor to the south. It’s sightseeing from a subway.
    • The Transit Museum. If you’ve never been there, check it out. It’s a must-see for fans of the subway.

    Happy Thanksgiving, folks. Remember: Trains are running on a Sunday schedule, and enjoy that turkey.

  • Thanksgiving service that makes no sense

    The MTA has announced special travel plans for Thanksgiving day, but when you put the pieces together, it doesn’t add up. First, New York City Transit will be operating on a Sunday schedule. That means less frequent service and no trains on the weekday, peak-hour lines (B, V, W, etc.).

    But on the other hand, the MTA has announced that they will run more Metro-North and LIRR trains than usual in an effort to get people to the parade, to their Thanksgiving destinations and to their homes afterwards. That doesn’t make sense.

    If the Authority is going to run more commuter rail trains to allow for higher-than-normal travel volumes, why not do the same for NYCT subways and buses? Cutting back subway and bus service in the city to Sunday levels seems a bit excessive. Maybe we don’t need subway service every three to five minutes as we supposedly enjoy at rush hour, but something more frequent than Sunday service should be in place.

    I’m taking the subway to my Thanksgiving, and I’m sure millions of other New Yorkers will be doing the same thing. While I’m all for encouraging potential drivers to use the commuter rail options, subway riders and folks staying within the five boroughs shouldn’t lose out on Thanksgiving.

  • Fun with Google

    Last night, someone using Google came across Second Ave. Sagas by searching for “how to take the r train from the bronx.” Considering that the R runs from Queens into Manhattan, south along Broadway and then into Brooklyn, you’re going to be waiting an awfully long time if you’re trying to get the R in in the Bronx. [Google]

  • Specter of the 5¢ fare haunts the current fare hike debate

    The news flew fast and furious yesterday following the Spitzer press conference and the MTA’s announcement that they would be scaling back the fare hike. When the dust settled, Elizabeth Benjamin at The Daily News’ Daily Politics blog came away with steller coverage. She had three posts — here, here and here — with reaction from, respectively, those praising Sptizer, those who think he didn’t go far enough and Mayor Bloomberg.

    With all of this information flowing our way, it’s easy to lose sight of what mattered in the day’s news. The bottom line is that the public came away with something of a victory as the MTA announced it would keep the base fare at $2; scale back increases on Unlimited Ride Metrocards and toll increases; and probably throw out plans to implement peak and off-peak fares on New York City Transit-controlled buses and subways. I see three things wrong with this outcome, and the last culminates in an analogy to the five-cent fare, a historical era in New York transit that still reverberates today.

    Who benefits from this decreased fare hike proposal?

    Click here to keep reading. It’s well worth it

  • MTA officials announce reduction in fare increases

    In a surprising turn of events, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has announced plans to scale back the proposed fare hike. The announcement, coming on the heals of a call from New York State Gov. Eliot Spitzer, lessens the fare burden carried by the millions of New Yorkers who rely on the subway each day.

    The decision by MTA CEO and Executive Director Elliot “Lee” Sander and MTA Board Chair Dale Hemmerdinger, announced in a press release, follow a month of fare hike hearings in which the public spoke out against the planned increases and an updated budget which included an unexpected end-of-the-year windfall of $220 million.

    The MTA plans to return this $220 million to the riders over the next two years by reducing the propsed 6.5 percent fare and toll increases. The base fare for subway and bus riders will hold steady at $2.00 a ride, a point Gov. Spitzer stressed this morning. It is anticipated that Unlimited Ride Metorcards will still see a slight price increase.

    “I believe this is a compromise that helps our customers without compromising our fiduciary responsibility,” Hemmerdinger said, “and I look forward to discussing it further with my fellow Board members.”

    With the extra money, the MTA can hold that base fare steady and still cover their costs. While the details won’t emerge on the compromise for a few weeks, I anticipate that many of the provisions in the current fare hike proposal – notably a reduction in the pay-per-ride discounts – will still go into effect. But the base will remain at its current levels for now.

    Both Sander and Hemmerdinger stressed the role the public played in achieving this end result. I’m sure some back-room arm-twisting by a governor in need of a public win had something to do with it as well. Additionally, the two MTA officials seemed to suggest that more state money would flow their way in order to close their projected deficits. Sounds good to me.

    “The MTA is grateful to Governor Spitzer for his commitment to funding public transit and our four-year financial plan,” Sander said. “We are glad that revenues came in high enough to allow us to limit the fare increase and still address $6 billion in deficits over the next four years.”

  • Breaking: MTA to reduce fare hike

    In the wake of Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s comments against the fare hike, the MTA has announced a plan to reduce the fare hike from its current proposal. The Authority will put together a fare-hike restructuring plan in advance of next month’s MTA Board meeting. More on this breaking story shortly. [MTA Press Release]