The latest work for the week is front & center. As always, I suggest following @TransitBlogger on Twitter for random transit musings, breaking info, etc…

The next entry update will be on Thursday or Friday morning the latest after I receive the official press release from the MTA with weekend diversion information. As always, have a safe & wonderful week.

P.S. If you or anyone you know is into independent music, check out Surge FM which is up & running.

xoxo Transit Blogger

7 line riders, please remember that you are faced with another weekend of no service between Manhattan & Queens due to continuing upgrade & modernization of the line & its stations. Click here for complete details.

If I see or hear anything interesting or noteworthy, I will post it on Twitter so don’t forget to follow @TransitBlogger which can easily be done by clicking the button in the sidebar.

The next service diversions entry update will be Monday at 5:01 AM when all of the weekend work is wrapped up.

As always, stay safe & have a wonderful weekend.

P.S. If you or anyone you know is into independent music, check out Surge FM which is up & running.

xoxo Transit Blogger

To solve the confusion that baffles riders (I have seen it hundreds of times over the years), the agency has released its first ever late night service map. Here are the details via press release:

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today released the first-ever map showing the scheduled overnight service of the subway system, when three subway lines don’t run, three lines become shuttle trains, six express trains run as locals, and a night-only shuttle appears. The map has a gray background color to prevent confusion with the normal subway map.

The New York City Subway is the only large subway or metro system in the world to maintain service to all its stations around the clock. The overnight service shown in the night map runs generally from midnight to 6 a.m., although certain lines’ overnight service patterns depicted in the map may begin or end slightly earlier or later than these times.

The MTA has printed 25,000 copies of the map in tandem with its normal press run of a million copies of the standard subway and railroad map. The night map is available free of charge while supplies last at the New York Transit Museum, at Boerum Place & Schermerhorn Street in Downtown Brooklyn, and at the Transit Museum Annex in Grand Central Terminal. The night map, developed in-house by the MTA, is the same size as the standard map and similarly folds into a handy pocket-sized document. In addition to the folded version, 300 pristine, unfolded press sheets of the night map are available for purchase at the Transit Museum Annex for $20 each. It has also been posted to the MTA’s website as a PDF, and the PDF is attached to this press release.

The reverse side of the map shows a work commissioned for MTA Arts for Transit, “City of Glass,” a faceted glass piece by Romare Bearden installed in the Westchester Square station in the Bronx in 1993. For each subsequent night map in the series, a new artwork will adorn the reverse side. The theme for 2012 is “night.” In “City of Glass,” jewel-like colored glass reveals a train wending its way through the canyons of towers and tenements under a full luminous moon. It is a moving work of art in brilliant color, filled with the vibrancy, excitement, and energy of the city, and is Bearden’s only glass art installation.

“The standard subway map depicts morning to evening weekday service,” said MTA Chairman Joseph J. Lhota. “This companion night map will, for the first time, depict service for a particular portion of the day. This is the latest effort we’ve taken to improve the availability of information and detail we provide to our customers.”

The following details the major differences in service shown on the night map, as compared with the standard subway map:

• Three subway lines (the B, C and Z) and the 42nd Street Shuttle do not operate overnight and are not shown on the map.

• Five subway lines offer shorter service than usual:
o The 3 terminates at Times Square.
o The 5 runs as a shuttle in the Bronx between E. 180 St and Dyre Av
o The M runs as a shuttle between Myrtle Av, Brooklyn, and Metropolitan Av, Queens.
o The Q terminates at 57 St/7 Av in Midtown Manhattan.
o The R runs as a shuttle in Brooklyn between 36 St and 95 St.

•Six lines make additional stops they don’t make during the daytime:

o The 2 makes all local stops in Manhattan.
o The 4 makes all local stops in Manhattan and Brooklyn and is extended to New Lots Av, Brooklyn.
o The A makes all local stops in Manhattan and Brooklyn; it runs to Far Rockaway but not Lefferts Blvd or Rockaway Park, which are served by shuttle trains.
o The D runs local via Fourth Av in Brooklyn.
o The E runs local via Queens Blvd.
o The N runs local via the Financial District.

• There is no skip/stop service on the J, which terminates at Chambers St on weekend overnight periods

• Six subway lines (the 1, 6, 7, F, G, and L) and Franklin Avenue Shuttle run their normal routes as local trains. (There is no 6 or 7 express service.)

Customers using trains at night should use Trip Planner+ at MTA.info and MTA.info mobile, which also takes into account all planned work diversions.

For starters, click here to view the map.

This is long overdue in my opinion. Over the years, I have literally had to help hundreds of riders who were standing around waiting for trains that would either not show up for a few hours or a couple of days. Some of this could be solved by paying more attention to signs. However not all could be solved by that as a lot of the people I ended up helping were either new to the city or visiting.

The late night service map would sure have helped such riders who look at a map showing a line being available but not an accurate reflection of when that line was actually running. If diversions were in place, that was just another mess to deal with.

Will the map be the end all solution? No, as when diversions are in place, the map will only do so much. However it will give a more accurate view of what lines are most likely to be available. My initial question outside of why this was not done earlier, is why the agency is only making limited quantities available? This definitely deserves a high print run.

xoxo Transit Blogger

7 line riders, please remember that you are faced with another weekend of no service between Manhattan & Queens due to continuing upgrade & modernization of the line & its stations. Click here for complete details.

If I see or hear anything interesting or noteworthy, I will post it on Twitter so don’t forget to follow @TransitBlogger which can easily be done by clicking the button in the sidebar.

The next service diversions entry update will be Monday at 5:01 AM when all of the weekend work is wrapped up.

As always, stay safe & have a wonderful weekend.

P.S. If you or anyone you know is into independent music, check out Surge FM which is up & running.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced that MTA Bus Time® will expand to the Bronx, and then a third borough still to be announced, both before the end of the year. MTA Bus Time is a popular digital system that currently allows Staten Island customers to track the real-time location of their buses via the Internet, smart phone or text message. The final two boroughs will be brought online in 2013.

The 1,025 buses serving the Bronx will now receive GPS units and other hardware needed for MTA Bus Time, adding to the 900 buses on Staten Island that have the technology. MTA Bus Time uses technology components from two New York City-based tech startups, research support provided by a team of graduate students, and an innovative open standards technology platform that gives the MTA flexibility in management and expansion of the service.

The technology supplies a 21st century answer to the question bus riders have been asking since motorized bus service was first introduced in New York City more than a century ago.

“Knowing how far away your next bus is means you can spend more time with your family or more time at a coffee shop instead of waiting at a bus stop in a state of uncertainty,” said MTA Chairman Joseph J. Lhota. “About 90% of our customers carry text-message enabled cell phones, so this is a big step forward to help make the lives of our customers a lot easier.”

“I am happy to hear that the MTA is expanding this service to the Bronx. Now bus riders in our borough will not have to rely on guesswork and a look into the distance to see when their bus is going to arrive. This service is very convenient and will provide commuters in our borough with up to the minute information. That information will surely come in handy all year round, especially during the cold winter months,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

“MTA Bus Time has been a huge hit on Staten Island,” said Darryl Irick President of the MTA Bus Company and Senior Vice President of NYC Transit’s Department of Buses. “It means a lot to a bus rider to be able to use the technology that they have in their pocket or on their desktop to determine how many stops away the next bus is.”

This is fantastic news for the Bronx which has high bus ridership. As I noted recently, this technology is long overdue for the millions of riders who use buses in NYC. I look forward to its implementation in the Bronx.

xoxo Transit Blogger

However one of the major issues with their shuttle bus plan was the roundabout way riders would have to go through to get to Grand Central. This prompted City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer to propose paying for a free shuttle bus service that would take riders from Long Island City to Grand Central throughout the weekend outage. Much to his surprise, the MTA rejected the idea. Jennifer Fermino of the New York Post has more in this exclusive report:

MTA officials have proven again that they excel — at taking service away from desperate riders.

Brass at the cash-strapped agency have incredibly rejected an offer of a free shuttle bus — financed in full by a local lawmaker — for 7-train riders slammed by 11 straight weekends of service outages.

City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer offered to pay for the $250,000 direct, no-transfer bus from Long Island City to Grand Central while the MTA worked on the signal system under the East River. The money would have come out of his own discretionary funds.

But the agency wasn’t interested and opted for its own three-transfer plan.

“The commute that used to take 10 minutes now takes an hour at least,” the pol fumed.

MTA chiefs balked at his idea, Van Bramer said, because they worried that if they offered it to 7 riders, they’d have to do the same for other communities that deal with serial service outages, like those along the L line.

An MTA spokesman said the agency looked into the plan but found its own meandering route faster.

“It would not save customers time and could actually make their commute longer depending on traffic conditions,” the spokesman said.

Click here for the complete report.

The MTA dropped the ball big time on this. For starters, their long winded way of getting to Grand Central is not faster. The only way it would be is if the Queens Midtown Tunnel had extreme traffic backups. Secondly, their reason of saying it would lead to them having to do the same for other areas is so asinine, it boggles my mind.

The councilman was offering to pay for it so the MTA is not exactly “offering” it to riders. If other areas complained, they should direct them towards their local officials & not the transit agency. Also if they really wanted to make that argument, why not let us take it to the extreme. Since some stations are getting rehabilitated, why not cancel those since they would have to do the same for others even if it was not needed or possible at that time. I am sure you can see how asinine that sounds after reading it.

The MTA should be ashamed of itself for not taking advantage of a rare time when local officials are actually looking to legitimately help their transit constituents. Also for an agency now being run by a CEO who wants to focus on positive press, they sure did miss a golden opportunity for a rare showing of it.

xoxo Transit Blogger

One week after the expiration of a labor contract between the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Transport Workers Union Local 100, there is no shortage of evidence that the two sides are far apart on a new deal.

Talks in Manhattan were halted on Thursday, after the union accused the authority of bad-faith negotiations by revealing its proposals in the news media; neither side seemed hopeful that a new deal was imminent.

But the atmosphere seems far less charged than in past negotiations; there is certainly no suggestion that the union could go on strike, as it did in 2005. The current economic climate is making it hard for most unions to reach agreements without accepting huge concessions, so both sides appear to be taking their time.

The biggest negotiations seem to involve how the authority can balance its budget while agreeing to any raises. On Jan. 9, shortly after Mr. Lhota was confirmed by the Senate, the agency sent the union a 19-point list of proposed cuts: it included slashing vacation time for workers who had been on the job less than 10 years and offering overtime only after employees had completed a 40-hour work week, not an 8-hour workday.

Union officials have said they do not want to bear the brunt of the agency’s cost-cutting measures and suggested a three-year contract with cost-of-living increases that keep pace with inflation. Over the past week, union officials have come back with a range of suggestions to meet its goal.

“The M.T.A. has taken a position that any raises in the life of a contract, whether it’s three years or five years, would have to be paid solely by productivity concessions, which I reject,” Mr. Samuelsen said. “We need to have more money in this contract than the state has thus far allotted.”

Click here for the complete report.

I expect the posturing between the two parties to go on for awhile at the rate they are going. Hopefully it does not lead to a prolonged arbitration process which is sure to get nasty as it has in the past. I will continue to follow this as time goes on.

xoxo Transit Blogger

The MTA is preparing for this weekend’s anticipated snow storm, forecast to bring up to six inches of snow to parts of the metropolitan area. Personnel are being deployed, snow-fighting equipment is being prepared to keep rails free of ice and snow, and chains are being put on bus tires. All preparations are being made to ensure safe travel across the region.

We expect to run normal Saturday service on all MTA services tomorrow morning, but please monitor www.mta.info as well as media reports for the latest service update. Customers are also urged to utilize the MTA’s new Winter Weather Guide that explains possible service adjustments for all MTA agencies during inclement weather. This service poster is available for viewing online and posted in subway and rail stations.

“Our goal is to provide service as long as it is safe for our customers, employees and equipment,” said MTA Chairman and CEO Joseph J. Lhota. “Our dedicated employees are set to work hard throughout the weekend in order to minimize service disruptions, but customers should utilize our website and media to learn about any potential impacts on service.”

NYC Transit Subways and Buses:

Additional personnel will be brought in for snow fighting duty, the Incident Command Center will be up and running, and Local Storm Fighting Centers will be manned and activated.

Some weekend work has been canceled, however, the critical capital work being performed in the Steinway Tube will continue as planned, so 7 line riders should be mindful that planned service diversions remain in effect, meaning that N and Q line service is the best way to travel from Queens Plaza to Manhattan and shuttle bus service will be making the connection between Vernon-Jackson and Hunters Point Ave. stations and Queens Plaza.

The subway system’s fleet of snow fighting equipment has been fueled, prepped and deployed near outdoor locations historically vulnerable to heavy snowfall. In order to minimize the number of cars that will have to be stored over the weekend, full-length trains will operate on all lines. To the extent possible, out of service subway cars will be stored in underground locations throughout the system which may impact express service on certain lines.

Personnel will be putting chains on bus tires on overnight service, and tomorrow, deploy a combination of chained standard and articulated buses while substituting articulated with standard buses where appropriate. The Department of Buses will also be deploying snow crews and snow fighting equipment, and opening our situation room and satellite desks. We will be monitoring conditions as the storm progresses, to make ongoing route-by-route assessments about service.

Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad:

The railroads will activate switch heaters, treat switches and third rails with anti-freeze agents and will have personnel stationed at key locations. Snow fighting material is dispatched to stations and crews will be positioned to be ready to clear platforms and stairways.

The railroads will also operate electric trains equipped with special scraper shoes to help reduce icing on the third rail and ensure that electric trains can draw their power properly. Employees are also spraying door panels with anti-freeze and purging air brake lines of moisture to prevent them from freezing. LIRR station waiting rooms will be kept open around-the-clock to provide shelter for customers waiting for trains.

Bridges and Tunnels:

MTA Bridges and Tunnels has prepared and put into position its fleet of 102 snow-fighting trucks and other pieces of heavy equipment. In addition, MTA Bridges and Tunnels uses a system of technologically-advanced weather sensors to help keep motorists safe. All seven MTA bridges use small, rocket-like atmospheric weather sensors that deliver highly-accurate weather information, including wind velocity, wind direction, humidity and precipitation, via wireless communication. Other sensors are embedded in the roadway and on the snow-fighting trucks to monitor icing conditions on the roadways.

We urge all of our customers to take extra care when traveling during the storm. Stay clear of the platform edges, use handrails on staircases and walk carefully when entering or exiting stations and boarding or leaving trains and buses. Please allow extra time for travel during and immediately after the storm.

Something tells me that too much of a big deal is being made about this storm, mainly stemming from the fact it is the first one of the 2011-2012 winter season.

xoxo Transit Blogger

At all times until summer 2012, 1 trains bypass the downtown platform at Dyckman Street due to station rehabilitation. Customers wishing to travel downtown are advised to take the uptown 1 train from Dyckman Street to 207th Street and use a free MetroCard transfer to the downtown side.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, January 21 to 5 a.m. Monday, January 23, there are no 7 trains between Times Square-42nd Street and Queensboro Plaza due to track panel installation and CBTC work south of Queensboro Plaza, ADA work at Court Square and station renewal at Hunters Point Avenue.

&

At all times until spring 2012, F and G trains skip Smith-9th Sts. in both directions due to station rehabilitation. Customers may use the B61 for connections between Smith-9th Sts. station and 4th Avenue-9th Street station, where F, G and R trains are available. Customers may also use the B57 bus for connections between Smith-9th Sts. station and Carroll Street station, where F and G trains are available.

At all times until spring 2012, Brooklyn-bound F and Church Avenue-bound G trains skip 15th Street-Prospect Park and Fort Hamilton Parkway due to Culver Viaduct rehabilitation. To get to these stations take the Brooklyn-bound F to Church Avenue and transfer to a Manhattan-bound F or Queens-bound G. Leaving these stations, customer should take a Manhattan-bound F or a Queens-bound G to 7th Avenue and transfer to a Brooklyn-bound F.

Please pass on this information to everyone you know, thanks!

xoxo Transit Blogger

7 line riders, please remember that this Saturday marks the beginning of 11 consecutive weekends with no service between Manhattan & Queens due to continuing upgrade & modernization of the line & its stations. Click here for complete details.

If I see or hear anything interesting or noteworthy, I will post it on Twitter so don’t forget to follow @TransitBlogger which can easily be done by clicking the button in the sidebar.

The next service diversions entry update will be Monday at 5:01 AM when all of the weekend work is wrapped up.

As always, stay safe & have a wonderful weekend.

P.S. If you or anyone you know is into independent music, check out Surge FM which is up & running.

xoxo Transit Blogger