News $210M upgrade for Grand Central's subway unveiled

[realizm]

Three new staircases to the subway platforms, two new street-level entrances and a refurbished mezzanine level, including the opening up a series of enclosed spaces to create new hallways, plus a 4,000-square-foot ground-level "waiting area" for commuters: All that and more is being promised by developer SL Green as part of its planned five-year, $210 million effort to give Grand Central's subway station a significant upgrade. What's more, all of that must be completed before tenants will be allowed to occupy the developer's new 1 Vanderbilt, the 65-story office tower planned for an entire city block just west of Grand Central, north of East 42nd Street. The transit improvements were hammered out with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the de Blasio administration earlier this year as the first piece in the massive midtown east rezoning project.

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[Union Tpke]

This is great news! I'm glad they are trying to add that one more train per hour!

[Quill Depot]

This is great news! I'm glad they are trying to add that one more train per hour!

 

[QM1to6Ave]

On the one hand, GCT and the 42nd street/Lex station is quite famous and symbolic of New York and is extremely heavily used, but on the other hand there are a lot of terribly run-down stations in the other boroughs that are also relatively busy that could use some refurbishing as well. Obviously this particular upgrade is tied to the larger development plan in Midtown East, but it still irritates me when so much attention is paid to a few manhattan stations and not the outer boroughs. 

[realizm]

On the one hand, GCT and the 42nd street/Lex station is quite famous and symbolic of New York and is extremely heavily used, but on the other hand there are a lot of terribly run-down stations in the other boroughs that are also relatively busy that could use some refurbishing as well. Obviously this particular upgrade is tied to the larger development plan in Midtown East, but it still irritates me when so much attention is paid to a few manhattan stations and not the outer boroughs.

I remember that originally the midtown rezoning project with the Lexington Avenue Line reconstruction at GCT was announced by Mayor Bloomberg in late 2012. Will it increase TPH with the addition of staircases on the platforms? It should but not for long as passenger usage will outpace the added ways to access the 4 5 and 6 trains from street level. They better hurry up and get the SAS up and running!

 

Unfortunately the MTA can be very Manhattan-centric in their infrastructure projects. As it is with the exception of the Sea Beach Rehabilitation project, everything else outer-borough for now is on hold as the 2010-14 fiscal budget comes to an end.

 

*Then again the ESA is even delayed by what? Ten years? Interesting though how they finally are building a provision for the LIRR at that station if they were not already.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

On the one hand, GCT and the 42nd street/Lex station is quite famous and symbolic of New York and is extremely heavily used, but on the other hand there are a lot of terribly run-down stations in the other boroughs that are also relatively busy that could use some refurbishing as well. Obviously this particular upgrade is tied to the larger development plan in Midtown East, but it still irritates me when so much attention is paid to a few manhattan stations and not the outer boroughs. 

What's more troubling is how much money they're spending on some station, and some parts of Grand Central look like a third world country. Not only that but it's FILTHY going to the platform.  With all of that money they spend, the area leading to the platform should've been renovated twice now, with appropriate air conditioning, etc.   Meanwhile you go one station away to 59th street, and the station reeks of a sewage smell.

[realizm]

The mezzanine level of GCT certainty looks more like a cave in the wilderness rather than a real mezzanine in a major station. They need to do something about that. I believe that the current setup of GCT on the IRT was from work performed in the 1980's. Yes this would be the second overhaul. Lets hope they can get it right this time.

[biGC323232]

The mezzanine level of GCT certainty looks more like a cave in the wilderness rather than a real mezzanine in a major station. They need to do something about that. I believe that the current setup of GCT on the IRT was from work performed in the 1980's. Yes this would be the second overhaul. Lets hope they can get it right this time.

 

Didn't that station suffered a fire before?

[realizm]

Yes the station did suffer a fire by the Grand Street Shuttle but this was way back in the 1960s.

[biGC323232]

Yes the station did suffer a fire by the Grand Street Shuttle but this was way back in the 1960s.

 

Oh ok...That was way before our time...lol

[T to Dyre Avenue]

This is great news! I'm glad they are trying to add that one more train per hour!

 

 

I remember that originally the midtown rezoning project with the Lexington Avenue Line reconstruction at GCT was announced by Mayor Bloomberg in late 2012. Will it increase TPH with the addition of staircases on the platforms? It should but not for long as passenger usage will outpace the added ways to access the 4 5 and 6 trains from street level. They better hurry up and get the SAS up and running!

 

 

That's what I'd like to know. I guess if the extra staircases can substantially decrease dwell time at GCT, then it might be possible to get in one more train per hour on the and lines. But really, between the moving platform at 14th St downtown side and the slow zone just north of that station, not to mention the limits of the current signalling system, I wonder how they'll be able to swing it.

 

SAS does need to get up and running and fast! If increased passenger usage outpaces the added stairways, they're really going to have to find a way to get at least part of SAS Phase 3 (at least as far south as 34th St) built, with at least two stations between 42nd and 72nd Streets.  The current plan for Phase 3 calls for only one station at 55th St.

[Quill Depot]

The mezzanine is nice when it's empty, like on a holiday weekend.

[Union Tpke]

That's what I'd like to know. I guess if the extra staircases can substantially decrease dwell time at GCT, then it might be possible to get in one more train per hour on the and lines. But really, between the moving platform at 14th St downtown side and the slow zone just north of that station, not to mention the limits of the current signalling system, I wonder how they'll be able to swing it.

 

SAS does need to get up and running and fast! If increased passenger usage outpaces the added stairways, they're really going to have to find a way to get at least part of SAS Phase 3 (at least as far south as 34th St) built, with at least two stations between 42nd and 72nd Streets.  The current plan for Phase 3 calls for only one station at 55th St.

they should have one at 51 St and 63 St or 60 St for spacing and transfers, there would be more of a direct transfer to the 6 at 51 st and a transfer to the Lex/59 St station

[realizm]

That's what I'd like to know. I guess if the extra staircases can substantially decrease dwell time at GCT, then it might be possible to get in one more train per hour on the and lines. But really, between the moving platform at 14th St downtown side and the slow zone just north of that station, not to mention the limits of the current signalling system, I wonder how they'll be able to swing it.

 

SAS does need to get up and running and fast! If increased passenger usage outpaces the added stairways, they're really going to have to find a way to get at least part of SAS Phase 3 (at least as far south as 34th St) built, with at least two stations between 42nd and 72nd Streets.  The current plan for Phase 3 calls for only one station at 55th St.

 

I cant help but say it is pretty amusing to see what the MTA must do to add 1 measly TPH. They better hurry up with phase 1 and get the funding for the FEIS update to build phase 2 at least. No way they can get out of this Lexington Avenue Line dilemma now, no matter where they may think those stairs may lead them too. 

[Wallyhorse]

they should have one at 51 St and 63 St or 60 St for spacing and transfers, there would be more of a direct transfer to the 6 at 51 st and a transfer to the Lex/59 St station

Actually, if they include the transfer as planned to the at 55th Street, there also would be one to/from the .  Conceivably, you would be able to walk from the 50th Street entrance on the on the downtown side to the SAS platform and the 55th Street exit on 2nd Avenue (meaning you would be able to transfer to the from the SAS).

 

On the other hand, I would think a station at 60th Street and 2nd Avenue with a transfer to the Broadway and Lexington Avenue lines there would make more sense.

[bobtehpanda]

Actually, if they include the transfer as planned to the at 55th Street, there also would be one to/from the .  Conceivably, you would be able to walk from the 50th Street entrance on the on the downtown side to the SAS platform and the 55th Street exit on 2nd Avenue (meaning you would be able to transfer to the from the SAS).

 

On the other hand, I would think a station at 60th Street and 2nd Avenue with a transfer to the Broadway and Lexington Avenue lines there would make more sense.

 

The station would probably be way too close to the 63rd St junction for comfort. Modern building standards probably wouldn't have allowed the weird platform/junction layouts we see around the system.

 

In a way, the SAS placement makes sense when looking at the broader area. Astoria and Flushing Line riders get both Express and Local Lex service at 59th. 63rd St has a cross-platform transfer to SAS, and 53rd St riders get to pick either the Lex local or SAS. It's essentially a continuation of the balancing system used on the , where Main St riders go on the express and Roosevelt riders go on the local.

[Wallyhorse]

The station would probably be way too close to the 63rd St junction for comfort. Modern building standards probably wouldn't have allowed the weird platform/junction layouts we see around the system.

 

In a way, the SAS placement makes sense when looking at the broader area. Astoria and Flushing Line riders get both Express and Local Lex service at 59th. 63rd St has a cross-platform transfer to SAS, and 53rd St riders get to pick either the Lex local or SAS. It's essentially a continuation of the balancing system used on the , where Main St riders go on the express and Roosevelt riders go on the local.

Good point.  That's why if I ever got to do a rebuild of the 3rd Avenue El (whatever chance of that ever realistically happened, LOL!), however, I would have 42nd, 50th-53rd and 60th-63rd as major transfer points and express stops (in fact, every transfer point would be an express stop).  60th-63rd would be the major transfer point with transfers to the on the 60th street end and the on the 63rd Street end.  

[Quill Depot]

Good point.  That's why if I ever got to do a rebuild of the 3rd Avenue El (whatever chance of that ever realistically happened, LOL!), however, I would have 42nd, 50th-53rd and 60th-63rd as major transfer points and express stops (in fact, every transfer point would be an express stop).  60th-63rd would be the major transfer point with transfers to the on the 60th street end and the on the 63rd Street end.  

 

No need to put MORE people on the express, not light there are enough already.

[RollOver]

Never mind.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

The mezzanine is nice when it's empty, like on a holiday weekend.

LMAO! It's never empty because there are always bums around...

[realizm]

Good point.  That's why if I ever got to do a rebuild of the 3rd Avenue El (whatever chance of that ever realistically happened, LOL!), however, I would have 42nd, 50th-53rd and 60th-63rd as major transfer points and express stops (in fact, every transfer point would be an express stop).  60th-63rd would be the major transfer point with transfers to the on the 60th street end and the on the 63rd Street end.

Key point here because you are correct, the chances of this ever happening is zero.

[lupojohn]

And the continues to waste money on unnecessary projects like this when some stations are filthy, but no, a station with plenty of exits/entrances needs more. No wonder we're getting another fare hike that can be avoided.

[bobtehpanda]

And the continues to waste money on unnecessary projects like this when some stations are filthy, but no, a station with plenty of exits/entrances needs more. No wonder we're getting another fare hike that can be avoided.

 

The MTA isn't paying for this, the developer is.