New tri-borough rail line proposed

From CBS New York:

Transportation advocates hope New York City’s next mayor will take a fresh look at a bold idea — creating an inter-borough train that would link Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx.

The proposal calls for the train to come out of the Bronx over the Hell’s Gate Bridge, tower over parts of Queens and run below street level through the heart of Brooklyn – a little-used freight line that could have a very busy future, CBS 2’s Tony Aiello reported Thursday.

The Regional Plan Association calls it “Tri-Boro RX.”

“Makes it easier for people to interconnect among all these neighborhoods in the city,” said the association’s Jeff Zupan.

The existing freight line that runs from Hunts Point to Bay Ridge would be used for new commuter rail service. One estimate has it carrying 80,000 passengers a day.

“What this does is create a rail line, a transit service that has transfer points with bus lines and with subway lines throughout the three boroughs,” Zupan said.

Zupan said the line could easily connect major transit hubs, including Astoria-Ditmars, Broadway Junction and Kings Highway.

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It's a shame we need an upzoning to get better subways

From DNA Info:

More rush-hour subway trains, wider stairways, new escalators and a pedestrian connection to regional rail lines are all part of the MTA's planned upgrades for Grand Central Terminal under a proposed rezoning of the area, the Department of City Planning said Monday.

The projects, estimated to cost $465 million, were presented to the City Planning Commission, which is reviewing the Bloomberg administration's application to rezone an aging 73-block area around Grand Central with newer and larger skyscrapers.

"This may not be the sexiest thing," city planner Frank Ruchala acknowledged during his presentation, but "it's a significant improvement to the system."

An accompanying slideshow touted "less congestion, improved sight lines, and additional Lexington Avenue express-track capacity."

The upgrades would be funded, at least in part, by a District Improvement Fund, an account paid into by developers planning to construct high-density buildings in the East Midtown rezoning area. The money would be overseen by a five-member, mayor-appointed committee, and would be earmarked for transit projects and other infrastructure upgrades.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has also promised to allocate city funds for East Midtown infrastructure projects, but he and the city have yet to offer any firm commitments.

The measures presented to the City Planning Commission at Monday's meeting included adding an underground walkway between the Lexington Avenue subway lines and the Long Island Railroad, which is being extended to Grand Central Terminal as part of the MTA's East Side Access program.

Other plans include widening stairways and adding escalators at Grand Central and subway stations at Lexington Avenue and 51st Street, Lexington Avenue and 53rd Street, and Madison Avenue and 53rd Street.

All told, these improvements and others would allow one more northbound 4 or 5 train to pass through Grand Central during the evening rush-hour, and another southbound train during the morning rush.

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Don't stay out too late this week!

From DNA Info:

There will be no overnight train service at five subway stations in Queens this week as the MTA makes repairs on the E, M and R train lines, part of the agency's FASTRACK program.

Starting Monday night and running through Friday morning, service will halt from 10 p.m. through 5 a.m. at the 36th Street, Steinway Street, 46th Street, Northern Boulevard and 65th Street stations in Astoria and Woodside, according to the MTA.

The E and R trains will be running express between Queens Plaza and Roosevelt Avenue, and M service will end early each night between 71st Street in Forest Hills and Essex Street in Manhattan.

Straphangers can instead take a free shuttle bus that will make local stops between Queens Plaza and Roosevelt Avenue-74th Street, the MTA said.

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Take subway to Resorts World 24/7

From the Daily News:

The city’s only part-time subway station is now open for business 24-hours a day for gamblers.

The Aqueduct Racetrack stop on the A line in Queens used to be a seasonal operation. Trains only went there on race days when the horses were running.

But the MTA last week quietly put into effect a schedule everyone expects from the NYC subway system: trains coming at all hours, 365 days a year.

Subway service has been boosted because of the popularity of the Resorts World Casino New York City, which opened in 2011, MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz said.

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Will it actually happen this time?

From the Queens Courier:

Sunnyside and Woodside residents and commuters will soon be able to walk under the No. 7 train without having to dodge pigeon poop.

After hearing concerns from residents, Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer announced he has allocated $250,000 in funding to install “state-of-the-art pigeon mitigation systems” along the No. 7 line at 46th Street-Bliss in Sunnyside, 52nd Street-Lincoln Avenue in Woodside and 61st Street-Woodside.

“Pigeon poop isn’t a joke,” said Van Bramer. “It is something that is terribly disgusting. It makes our neighborhood look unattractive and it is also a health hazard.”

The new alleviation systems, which will take three months to be fully installed, will include the addition of thin wiring and netting in nearby areas to the subway entrances, and installment of nylon spikes and angled edges on the ledges. New ultrasonic devices will also be installed releasing hawks’ and other predatory birds’ sounds that keep pigeons away but are silent to humans.

Hey, did anyone else catch that this was already announced last year?

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Be on the lookout for a masturbator

From the Times Ledger:

Cops are looking for a man who allegedly masturbated on the No. 7 train last month.

A 64-year-old woman observed the man’s alleged lewd behavior just before noon May 13 on a Queens-bound train, according to the NYPD.

It was unclear at what point the woman became privy to the actions of the suspect, described as 5 feet 9 inches tall,weighing 160 pounds and in his early 30s, but he got off the train at the Main Street stop.

Police released an image of the man.

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Leroy dreams big

From the Daily News:

Councilman Leroy Comrie re-launched his bid for borough president this week by dropping a stunning bombshell: he wants a new subway line in Queens.

“The E and the F lines are more congested — we could build another line in that tunnel,” said Comrie (D-St. Albans). “Those are the most congested lines in the city.”

The J and Z lines that connect Brooklyn to Queens also could use an overhaul, he said.

The cost of additional service makes Comrie’s proposal as likely as a Mets World Series victory this year. After all, the long delayed Second Avenue subway, which will run from 63rd to 96th Sts. in Manhattan, will cost $4.5 billion by the time it is finished in 2016.

Of course, reality will set in. Beyond the astronomical cost, expanding the E or F lines would be virtually impossible because the areas further east are prone to flooding, Comrie noted.

So for now, he admits his top priority would be bolstering the current bus service, which helps connect the rail-starved sections of Queens.

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If there's another hurricane, we're screwed

From NY Magazine:

There was a time, not so long ago, when hurricane season had little to do with New York City. Then Hurricane Irene hit in 2011, as did Hurricane Sandy in 2012, with devastating consequences. It's impossible to know if New York will find itself staring down another major storm this summer, but NOAA has already predicted that hurricane season — which officiallly began Saturday — will be unusually strong this year. "The outlook calls for a 70% chance of an above-normal season, a 25% chance of a near-normal season, and only a 5% chance of a below-normal season," a recent NOAA report warned.

So here's the $19 billion question: Are we ready for the next Sandy?

And here's the answer: It depends, obviously, on what aspect of storm preparedness you focus on. But in general? No. Not really.

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