Transportology
This section the covers the latest news you need to know about getting around New York City -- walking, taxis, subways, buses and (if you must,) driving.
For some basics, see:
NewYorkology Basics: Riding the subway
NewYorkology Basics: Taxi cabs
NewYorkology Basics: Walking
NewYorkology Basics: From the airport to Manhattan
Manhattan Bridge time capsule date stamp: 2109
NewYorkology contributor Moses Gates is an urban planner, part-time tour guide, and full-time Gothamphile. He reports on the high up, the low down, and the out-of-the-way in New York City.
On the last day of the tenure of Mayor George B. McClellan the Manhattan Bridge opened for the very first time. One hundred years later (give or take a few months,) the bridge is in fantastic shape carrying bikes, pedestrians, four subway lines and almost 100,000 vehicles a day.
 This is due to the efforts of many people, not the least “Gridlock” Sam Schwartz, (pictured at left) former chief engineer/first deputy commissioner of the Department of Transportation. During his tenure in the 1980s, Schwartz and the DOT embarked on a major capital campaign to rehabilitate and stabilize the East River bridges, which were suffering after more than a decade of deferred maintenance. One of the bridges in the worst shape was the Manhattan.
“When I was chief engineer in 1986, I had to shut half the bridge. It was so dire we almost lost the entire bridge,” Schwartz told Streetfilms.
This past Friday, Schwartz joined DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Kahn, along with Ironworkers, Engineers, Painters, Electricians, and other bridge workers and aficionados at the bridge’s Manhattan Colonnade to place a time capsule — to be opened on the 200th anniversary of the bridge - inside a small nook in the grand archway that crowns the entrance.
The time capsule includes newspapers from Dec. 31, 2009; DOT Bridges safety vest, hard hat and ironworker gloves; the NYC Transit Authority Subway Map; the DOT’s annual Bridge Report; present-day electronic devices (flash drive, CD, DVR;) and a program from the Bridge Centennial Commission event Oct. 4, 2009. The contents were compiled by members of the Bridges Division of the NYC DOT.
“We’re here to deliver a message to the people 100 years from now,” Schwartz said.”And that message is that we’re all links - that if we don’t continue to maintain our bridges we’re going to lose them.”
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March 10, 2010 12:57 PM Comments (0)
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Subway archaeology to go on display at Transit Annex
After a renovation, the New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex at Grand Central Terminal will reopen March 18 with a free exhibition of New Amsterdam artifacts discovered while building a subway extension in Lower Manhattan.
“Archeology at the South Ferry Terminal” will include more than 100 of the 65,000 artifacts — ceramic sherds, shells, coins, tobacco pipes, and architectural materials — found at the site before it reopened in February 2009 as the South Ferry subway station.
“Among the most important finds of the excavation were pieces of two 18th century landmarks — the Battery Wall and Whitehall Slip,” museum officials said in announcing the exhibition. “Stones from the Wall are on view, as are photographs of a section of the Wall that was reinstalled in the new South Ferry station. Whitehall Slip was built in stages from the 1730s to 1790s using landfilling and dredging. It allowed boats to dock and spurred the commercial and military use of lower Manhattan. Excavation of the Slip uncovered stone, construction material, 19th century English ceramics, household goods, refuse, and animal bones, furthering our knowledge of the city’s commerce and its residents’ lifestyles.”
The exhibition will be on display through July 5.
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March 8, 2010 11:10 AM Comments (0)
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Limited morning cab share program starts in Manhattan
The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission today launched a limited share-a-cab experiment along three designated routes in Manhattan that will operate weekday mornings from 6 to 10 a.m.
The first three routes are in Midtown, the Upper East Side and Upper West Side only.
The shared-ride fares are $3 or $4 per passenger (depending on the route) and can be paid in cash or by credit card. Passengers may only enter at one of three Group Ride taxi stand locations and then may be dropped off along the routes, which all end at Grand Central Terminal. The yellow cabs may not pick up additional passengers along the route and may not go to any other destination, according to the TLC’s taxi share passenger info card (in pdf).
The location and fares for the three Group Ride stands:
West 57th Street at 8th Avenue - Fare: $3
West 72nd Street at Columbus Avenue - Fare: $4
East 72nd Street at 3rd Avenue - Fare: $4
“It’s both a transportation and a social experiment,” TLC Commisioner Matthew Daus told NY1 this morning.”But it worked in the 2005 transit strike — people loved it. Mayor Bloomberg wanted us to try it as a pilot, or an experiment around the city so we’re starting with the three stands and we’ll see how it goes from there.”
Three more taxi stand locations have been approved for Manhattan plus one for US Air and Marine Air Terminals of LaGuardia Airport, the TLC announced in February (pdf).
Other stand locations planned for Manhattan:
Grand Central Terminal to 59th Street at 6th Avenue - $3
Penn Station to 59th Street at 6th Avenue - $4
Port Authority Bus Terminal to 59th Street at 6th Avenue - $3
Technically, tipping is optional and in addition to the flat-rate fare.
Image source: NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission.
Earlier: New 50-cent taxi tax jacks up JFK flat-rate to $45.50
MetroCard fare rises to $2.25 today for subway, bus
NY considers share-a-taxi experiment with lower fares
Taxis switch to zone fares during transit strike (2005)
March 3, 2010 8:09 AM Comments (2)
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Roosevelt Island Tram on track for March 1 suspension
Roosevelt Island Tram — famous for its “Spider-Man” movie cameo as well as stranding real-life riders over the East River in 2006 — is on schedule to shut down March 1 through Aug. 31 for a major modernization project.
This past weekend, the Roosevelt Islander blog reported the oft-delayed project is almost ready to begin. The tram is “on schedule for March 1 shutdown,” Roosevelt Island Operating Corporaton President Steve Shane states in a report to island residents reprinted on the blog.
Buses, subways and the Roosevelt Island Bridge will still offer access to the island, which is home to businesses, residences, an abandoned small pox hospital, a lighthouse that dates to 1872, and was the site of a jail that once housed Mae West as well as New York City Mayor William “Boss” Tweed.
The tram runs between Roosevelt Island and Manhattan adjacent to the 59th Street/Queensboro Bridge. The fare is the same as regular ride on an MTA bus or subway, currently $2.25. MetroCards are accepted.
Picture credit: Amy Langfield/NewYorkology.
Earlier: Roosevelt Island tram overhaul delayed by months
All 69 people rescued from Roosevelt Island trams
Roosevelt Island Tram rescue effort underway
February 16, 2010 2:35 PM Comments (0)
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Pedestrian areas get final OK for Times, Herald squares
The temporary car-free swaths of Times and Herald squares are now permanent, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced today.
Removing the car from major choke points has actually led to faster traffic in Midtown West, measured both in studies and by examining GPS data of over one million taxi trips between fall 2008 to fall 2009, Bloomberg said. The average taxi was moving 7 percent faster by the end of the study.
The New York Times, however, points out the traffic improvements fall short of the city’s own hoped-for goals.
 Safety improved for pedestrians and cars, while numerous surveys yielded positive reactions from workers in the neighborhood, theater goers and business groups, the mayor said.
The extra pedestrian space also means there is less reason to walk in traffic. Tim Tompkins, the president of the Times Square Alliance his group did a study in 2007, in which 96 percent of the people who work in the neighborhood said they walked in the bed of street at some point.
“There’s sort of this dialogue about New Yorkers vs. tourists and who this is for,” he said. “Tourists love Times Square when it’s crowded. It’s a big crowd, it’s a big city, they love it. It’s the New Yorkers, and the people who work here and the people who go to the theater who haven’t enjoyed the experience in Times Square.”
The Green Light for Manhattan project — on Broadway from 47th to 42nd Streets and from 35th to 33rd Streets — will now go through some modifications as the surveys also determined that while people like the idea, they don’t like the way it looks. It’s also possible the program, or something like it, might be tried in other neighborhoods, Bloomberg said.
Picture credits: Amy Langfield/NewYorkology.
February 11, 2010 10:04 PM Comments (0)
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Snow Day closings: schools, Statue of Liberty, museums
Editor’s note: the story below was for the Feb. 9/10, 2010 storm. Please see NewYorkology on Twitter for today’s news.
Note: This list was accurate when published, though as the afternoon weather worsens, some places are changing their plans and closing early.
As New York City is expected to get upwards of a foot of heavy, wet snow Wednesday, a number of govenment and cultural institutions have already announced planned closings.
All public schools have canceled classes for Wednesday and Mayor Michael Bloomberg has urged everyone to refrain from driving unless it’s an emergency.
The following places have announced weather-related closings for Wednesday:
Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
National Parks of NY Harbor: Gateway National Recreation Area, Castle Clinton National Monument, Federal Hall National Memorial, Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace, African Burial Ground National Monument, General Grant National Memorial, and Saint Paul’s Church in Mount Vernon
Museum of American Finance
National Museum of the American Indian
Queens Museum
Jewish Museum
Prospect Park’s Wollman Ice Rink
Manhattan School of Music
New York Public Library said “all units of the New York Public Library will be CLOSED today, Wednesday February 10, 2010.”
Most courts in NYC
Queens Library - all locations closed on Wednesday
Brooklyn Public Library - all locations closed on Wednesday
92Y - many (but not all) programs canceled on Wednesday
Issue Project Room
Fashion Week - Adrienne Landau runway show has been postponed, according to the Racked blog.
The New School
Brooklyn Childrens Museum
New York Hall of Science
On Location Tours
Artek Midtown Concerts
3 Lives & Company canceled its Amy Bloom reading
Bell House
J&R stores on Park Row
Studio Museum in Harlem
Asia Society
Museum of the City of NY
Columbia and Barnard closing at 3 p.m.
NYU closing at 1 p.m.
Transit
MTA will be operating under a Cold Weather Plan
MTA’s limited-stop buses now making all stops
LIRR Winter Storm Plan
Recent airport alerts from the Port Authority of NY & NJ
PATH plans to operate on a normal weekday schedule
Staten Island Ferry is operating on a modified three-boat schedule
NY Water Taxi making all regular commuter runs The 6:15 p.m. Pier 11 departure has been canceled, but the 4:15 and 5:15 p.m. departures will serve all stops.
IKEA Water Taxi canceled
Metro-North adding “extra outbound service between noon and 4 PM, and significantly reduced service after 5 PM.”
Downtown Connection free bus service is operational
Amtrak limited service
Hampton Luxury Liner has canceled service for Wednesday
BoltBus all schedules canceled Wednesday through noon Thursday.
Peter Pan bus has canceled “until further notice” all service between NYC and Washington, DC, Wilmington, Baltimore, New Carrolton and Silver Springs.
MegaBus canceled all service Wednesday between New York and Baltimore, Washington, Boston, Philadelphia, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, Toronto, and Albany.
Roosevelt Island Tram canceled for evening commute
Expected delays
The High Line Park will have a delayed opening.
Central Park ” drives, playgrounds closed due to snow. Meadows to open when there is 6 inches or more of snow on the ground,” the Conservancy announced via Twitter this morning.
Very partial list of places that are not closed:
Cirque du Soleil’s free open house will take place rain or shine.
Prospect Park Tennis Center
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February 9, 2010 3:55 PM Comments (0)
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New York Transit Museum Annex closes for renovations
The New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex and Store at Grand Central Terminal today closed its doors to begin a renovation that will preserve the exhibition space and allow for bettter display of its unique subway, bus and train-memorablia.
When it reopens sometime in March, admission to the gallery will remain free, Roxanne Robertson, director of Special Projects for the New York Transit Museum, told NewYorkology.
Renovations will include new fixtures and lighting. The Transit Museum has been unable to provide a cost estimate for the project, as requested by NewYorkology.
When the annex reopens, it will debut a new exhibition: “Where New York Began: Archeology And The South Ferry Terminal.”
The main New York Transit Museum is located in Brooklyn Heights, where regular adult admisison is $5.
The online Transit Museum Store will also remain open during the annex’s renovations.
Picture credit: Holiday Train Show at the Transit Museum Annex. Amy Langfield/NewYorkology.
Earlier: NYC subway in film history at Transit Museum Annex
Killing time in Grand Central’s bad old days
January 19, 2010 7:04 AM Comments (0)
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MTA OKs wide-ranging cuts to bus and subway service
 Far-reaching subway and bus service cuts — including the elimination of the W and Z trains — today were approved by the board of the Metropoltan Transportation Authority to close a projected budget shortfall near $350 million.
The 12-0 vote only initiates the public hearing process for the changes; it does not put them in place immediately, Jay Walder, the board’s new chairman said.
The NY1 report says the doomsday budget will “affect nearly every transit rider in some way.” The plan adopted by the board would end free MetroCards for school children as well as massively cut back weekend and overnight service on buses and subways. Members of the public, city council members and others criticized the board for a pattern of dishonesty.
“I think it’s fair to say that New Yorkers are simply tired of this MTA budget dance that is quickly being known as the hustle,” Manhattan borough president Scott Stringer told the MTA board ahead of the vote.
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December 16, 2009 12:17 PM Comments (2)
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1930s subway cars, 1950s buses in service for holidays
Starting Sunday, subway cars from the 1930s-era will return to service on the New York City rails, shuttling shoppers on the V line for the holiday season, the MTA announced Thursday.
“With a little bit of luck and good timing, riders will be able to catch a ride on this classic subway train at stations along the V line between Queens Plaza and Second Avenue,” Steven Feil, New York City Transit’s Senior Vice President of the Department of Subways, said in and MTA news release. (Which coincidentally, is exactly what he said last year.)
Highlights of the 2009 Nostalgia Train:
Car No. 100 – Manufactured by American Car and Foundry, this R1-type car was the first car in the initial order of 300 cars placed in service for the opening of the IND subway.
Car No. 484 – Part of a 500-car order of R4 cars manufactured by American Car & Foundry. In 1946, this car received a retrofit of bulls-eye lighting and a public address system.
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December 4, 2009 8:46 AM Comments (0)
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NYC sets gridlock alert days for 2009 holiday season
The most wonderful time of the year means something special to the New York City Department of Transportation: gridlock alert days.
The first red-alert traffic day was this past Friday, but there are eight more on the way before Christmas. The DOT “strongly advises commuters and visitors to use mass transit options” on the following days:
Wednesday, November 25
Wednesday, December 2
Friday, December 4
Friday December 11
Wednesday, December 16
Thursday, December 17
Friday, December 18
Wednesday, December 23
See the DOT’s 2009 holiday transportation guide (in pdf format) for public transport options including ferries, buses and subways.
November 23, 2009 7:43 AM Comments (0)
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