Bolts from above: Elevated subway tracks dropping parts in Jamaica

[Harry]

Chips of peeling paint aren't the only things that fall from the subway tracks that run over Jamaica Ave.

 

Steel bolts from the structure have come loose and dropped to the ground, alarmed local leaders said.

 

"People walk into my office all the time with these bolts," said Maria Thompson of the Greater Woodhaven Development Corp., as a train rumbled above her head.

 

Thompson gathered with a group of local officials this week and called on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to dip into its capital funds and pay for an extensive rehabilitation of the elevated tracks, which currently carry the and train lines.

 

City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) said she doesn't know how much a renovation would cost, but argued it's a more worthy project than the multibillion-dollar Second Ave. subway construction in Manhattan.

 

"They should fix what is currently being used before they start a new project," she said.

 

The long stretch of overhead tracks that runs through Jamaica, Richmond Hill and Woodhaven to the Brooklyn-Queens border is marred by peeling paint, rusted metal and cracked cement.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/queens/2009/08/27/2009-08-27_what_the_el_parts_of_track_fall.html#ixzz0Sdl3ScSv

[mass production]

I live in that area, and it's true!!!

[R44 5278]

Wasn't the Jamaica EL never repainted from its original scheme? I mean, it's the only EL in the city I could think of with a brown scheme. I know that the Flushing EL is the only one with a red scheme, but I remember it being repainted from brown in the 90s-early 2000s.

[RokuSix]

Well this is an urgent problem... I mean, if bolts are slipping, isn't the structure losing support?

[Aqueduct]

The subway system will always be behind on reapair their infrastructure. Once a project is finished, another problem occurs. I find that complaint empty at its best. Yeah, they should fix whatever problems that pop up, the thing I find amusing about this is that once they start work people will complain of the noise and other inconveniences that would occur.

[jfkdepot09]

.............yawn.....she must be up for re election she said or claims that people are comming to her everday....why are we just hearing this now.....

[LRG]

Looking at the picture, the el needs repainting.

[7LineFan]

the thing I find amusing about this is that once they start work people will complain of the noise and other inconveniences that would occur.

 

Yeah... like a certain fan in LIC.

[SubwayGuy]

The subway system will always be behind on reapair their infrastructure. Once a project is finished, another problem occurs. I find that complaint empty at its best. Yeah, they should fix whatever problems that pop up, the thing I find amusing about this is that once they start work people will complain of the noise and other inconveniences that would occur.

 

Hey that's what I say. Look at 181st :

 

"OMG the station the station is falling apart!"

MTA start fixing it.

 

"OMG I Can't get train service!"

MTA finishes it.

 

(Now in the future)

 

MTA is done

"OMG they didn't upgrade it!"

 

100 years from now MTA upgrades the station to then modern standards

"OMG the station is nice but the trains are old!"

 

New trains on the

"OMG how come the OTHER stations are so old looking?"

 

People love to whine and complain. It's pathetic. America used to be a nation of backboned workers with resolve. Now it's just a bunch of spineless self entitled whiners, which is why this country is not living up to its potential. It's as if the god damned PTA is running the country, so people just complain like they do at PTA meetings. But no one does anything, they just cry to the principal and he's supposed to fix everything.

 

And SAS is WAY more important, and way more of a significant cost than el maintenance. The el will need to be rehabilitated at some point but for now maintenance will do. It's amazing how in the middle of a recession people want to spend all this money on everything and yet when Obama suggests to do just that they all whine and moan about how the government is getting too big and the taxpayers are getting screwed. Well here's news: who do they think is paying for these el rehabs they suggest? the fairy godmother?

[nel070]

Hey that's what I say. Look at 181st :

 

"OMG the station the station is falling apart!"

MTA start fixing it.

 

"OMG I Can't get train service!"

MTA finishes it.

 

(Now in the future)

 

MTA is done

"OMG they didn't upgrade it!"

 

100 years from now MTA upgrades the station to then modern standards

"OMG the station is nice but the trains are old!"

 

New trains on the

"OMG how come the OTHER stations are so old looking?"

 

People love to whine and complain. It's pathetic. America used to be a nation of backboned workers with resolve. Now it's just a bunch of spineless self entitled whiners, which is why this country is not living up to its potential. It's as if the god damned PTA is running the country, so people just complain like they do at PTA meetings. But no one does anything, they just cry to the principal and he's supposed to fix everything.

 

And SAS is WAY more important, and way more of a significant cost than el maintenance. The el will need to be rehabilitated at some point but for now maintenance will do. It's amazing how in the middle of a recession people want to spend all this money on everything and yet when Obama suggests to do just that they all whine and moan about how the government is getting too big and the taxpayers are getting screwed. Well here's news: who do they think is paying for these el rehabs they suggest? the fairy godmother?

 

amen

[R44 5278]

The Jamaica EL is presently the 90s West End EL.

[metsfan]

Reminds me of the Fourth rail bridge in UK. Some pieces of it were falling here and there because they had not properly maintained it. They fixed it all though!

 

 

- A

[dmouse]

well IMO they should rehab the whole Jamaica El. Its a century old (right?) and what if the whole thing just colapses and causes a huge disaster???

[metsfan]

well IMO they should rehab the whole thing. Its a century old (right?) and what if the whole thing just colapses and causes a huge disaster???

 

The Fourth rail bridge (pictured in my post above) was completed in 1890. That makes it 120 years old next spring. The issue with our elevated lines (any "vintage" rail bridge really), is that there were periods of severe neglect following a period of heavy high volume usage. Not a good combination. The Fourth rail bridge replaced an older bridge which collapsed due to a design flaw, wasn't strong enough. To test it they lined locomotives on it fully loaded from end to end. I imagine if this trestle was tested similarly with (NYCT) equipment it wouldn't fair so well. It should be rebuilt.

 

- A

[Q43 Floral Park]

Hey that's what I say. Look at 181st :

 

"OMG the station the station is falling apart!"

MTA start fixing it.

 

"OMG I Can't get train service!"

MTA finishes it.

 

(Now in the future)

 

MTA is done

"OMG they didn't upgrade it!"

 

100 years from now MTA upgrades the station to then modern standards

"OMG the station is nice but the trains are old!"

 

New trains on the

"OMG how come the OTHER stations are so old looking?"

 

People love to whine and complain. It's pathetic. America used to be a nation of backboned workers with resolve. Now it's just a bunch of spineless self entitled whiners, which is why this country is not living up to its potential. It's as if the god damned PTA is running the country, so people just complain like they do at PTA meetings. But no one does anything, they just cry to the principal and he's supposed to fix everything.

 

And SAS is WAY more important, and way more of a significant cost than el maintenance. The el will need to be rehabilitated at some point but for now maintenance will do. It's amazing how in the middle of a recession people want to spend all this money on everything and yet when Obama suggests to do just that they all whine and moan about how the government is getting too big and the taxpayers are getting screwed. Well here's news: who do they think is paying for these el rehabs they suggest? the fairy godmother?

 

the difference between the Jamaica EL and what happened at 181 is that from what I heard the latter was rehabbed at some point during the 1990s but they didn't attempt to modernize it. The stations north of 137 (excluding 191 and 231) have been on the verge of falling apart for a while now. I'm waiting for the stairs at 238 St to give way next. People in Upper Manhattan are used to having shotty service. No , 1 Shuttle Buses, (AThese issues didn't just start, they've been going on for a while and someone has ) scrapping the wall all the way Queens. At least if all of that is going to be going on fix it properly.

 

been neglecting them. As for SAS let's see if the full line is operational in 20 years

[SubwayGuy]

As for SAS let's see if the full line is operational in 20 years

 

It won't be. But Phase I is very important and if even that can get built it will be a huge relief.

 

While the el being discussed needs work, it can be temporarily maintained until dedicated funding can be set aside. However there is no reason to set aside massively needed projects that cost far more just to rebuild this now. A few Falling bolts are a big difference between that and say the beams holding the el up or the supports beginning to buckle (as was the case with the Manhattan bridge).

[Brighton Local]

The Jamaica EL is presently the 90s West End EL.

 

And the 80s...Boy I remember the stories, I used to hear about the West End El falling apart.:eek: I believe the Jamaica EL is the oldest BMT El in the system, and dates back to the late 1890s? Correct me if Im wrong..

 

Zach

[R44 5278]

And the 80s...Boy I remember the stories, I used to hear about the West End El falling apart.:eek: I believe the Jamaica EL is the oldest BMT El in the system, and dates back to the late 1890s? Correct me if Im wrong..

 

Zach

 

I believe just the Fulton Stretch from the Williamsburg Bridge to Crescent St.

[dmouse]

I rode the today to Norwood ave. I didnt find or see one bolt on the floor!

I saw lots of cigarrette butts that I thought were bolts,but I didnt find one.

[R32 3838]

This has been happeng More since the R160's had entered service on the (J)/(Z), The reason why I say that because the R160's are way more heavy than an R42, An R42 is 78,000 pounds, an R160A is 85,000 pounds, Having 8 85-ton trains runing over an old EL is no good, They need to lighten the R160's or buld a new EL.

[R44 5278]

This has been happeng More since the R160's had entered service on the (J)/(Z), The reason why I say that because the R160's are way more heavy than an R42, An R42 is 78,000 pounds, an R160A is 85,000 pounds, Having 8 85-ton trains runing over an old EL is no good, They need to lighten the R160's or buld a new EL.

 

You shouldn't blame the R160A for the these damages. The West End EL reconstruction was a few months after the B swapped for R68As and I remember people complaining about them being too heavy. The bottom line is that the Jamaica EL is due for rehab.

[dmouse]

This has been happeng More since the R160's had entered service on the (J)/(Z), The reason why I say that because the R160's are way more heavy than an R42, An R42 is 78,000 pounds, an R160A is 85,000 pounds, Having 8 85-ton trains runing over an old EL is no good, They need to lighten the R160's or buld a new EL.

 

WOW. That's not good..... I kind of observed that today.

but the R160's aren't to blame. Its a VERY OLD structure that need rehab just like the lirr Atlantic Ave Viaduct.

[KTrainExp]

The 160's ARE to blame. Heavy trains on an old elevated structure equals to a rapidly deteriorating sturcture.

 

Well the structure needs rehab with or without the R160s anyways.

[EE Broadway Local]

Thirty years ago this happened. Small pieces fell off of the Astoria El 70(RR) onto 31st Street. A person posed for the newspapers with a piece he picked up. In The Bronx, the Pelham Bay El 70(6) was more serious. There, a large enough piece fell off and injured a pedestrian walking on Westchester Avenue. In 1979, President Mr. Carter paid a visit to Charlotte Street and to the Pelham Bay El. And I recall The West End Line (particularly around Eighteenth Avenue) 70( in the 1980's.

 

Reading about the Jamaica El in 2009 brings back these memories. I have a friend who uses 85th Street-Forest Parkway.

[R44 5278]

The 160's ARE to blame. Heavy trains on an old elevated structure equals to a rapidly deteriorating sturcture.

 

It happens over a period of time by nature; it's called corrosion. The bolts do not fall off b/c the R160As started running there for just over 2 years. The Manhattan Bridge was in need of rehab since the R68s started delivery. The R68s might've increased the swaying due their weight, but you can't blame them directly for a cracked beam. When the B swapped for R68As in the 1997, it was just a few months before the West End rehab. And everyone complained that they are so heavy without realizing that the slants' extensive rumbling caused most of the structural damage along the EL.

 

Reading about the Jamaica El in 2009 brings back these memories. I have a friend who uses 85th Street-Forest Parkway.

 

My grandparents used to live there and I attended school there from Pre-K to 1st. I loved watching skipping Z trains rumble across every morning.