Enhanced Station Initiative

[bobtehpanda]

56 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

This is what he is talking about. Those aren't normal benches. They're standing benches, and for someone who is elderly and needs to sit forget it. I see that they have normal benches further down the platforms but maybe they weren't installed at the time or maybe they were occupied by other people. Either way dumb concept. Just have regular benches throughout the platform.

They're anti-homeless furniture. The sitting and comfort is a secondary concern.

[N6 Limited]

1 hour ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

This is what he is talking about. Those aren't normal benches. They're standing benches, and for someone who is elderly and needs to sit forget it. I see that they have normal benches further down the platforms but maybe they weren't installed at the time or maybe they were occupied by other people. Either way dumb concept. Just have regular benches throughout the platform.



 

10 minutes ago, bobtehpanda said:

They're anti-homeless furniture. The sitting and comfort is a secondary concern.

They used to have benches on the Mez in the "waiting area", are they still there?

[Cabanamaner]

1 hour ago, N6 Limited said:

 

They used to have benches on the Mez in the "waiting area", are they still there?

Nope, the mezzanine is completely empty aside for a trash can in the middle. 

[Cabanamaner]

On 10/4/2018 at 8:34 PM, Tech And Transit said:

They really should've finished tiling the walls and installing the proper lights before opening. I hope those lights on the 72nd Street side are temporary because they don't match the rest of the station. Also, if anyone got one of the brochures, it incorrectly states that this station has USB ports.

Anyways, here's a before and after video:

 

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who thought this. The pre-renovation lights clash so hard with the sleek, modern look of the new lights. They should've just kept the station closed until the end of the month. The ESI work on the IND stations has been sloppy compared to the BMT stations. I'll be very irked if they screw up on the Concourse stations.

[R68OnBroadway]

32 minutes ago, Cabanamaner said:

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who thought this. The pre-renovation lights clash so hard with the sleek, modern look of the new lights. They should've just kept the station closed until the end of the month. The ESI work on the IND stations has been sloppy compared to the BMT stations. I'll be very irked if they screw up on the Concourse stations.

It'll be interesting to see what they do with 57th-6th given that it was kind of bland (and quite frankly didn't need a renovation). 145th would also be interesting- do they keep the tile patterns or replace them will signs, and do they remove or keep the columns?

[Italianstallion]

4 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Yes standing benches... What a novel idea for people who need to sit. You can’t make this stuff up.

Interesting. These very same standing benches have just been installed in the re-done Riverdale MNRR station, inside the heated waiting alcove on the northbound platform. Must be a new MTA concept.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

28 minutes ago, Italianstallion said:

Interesting. These very same standing benches have just been installed in the re-done Riverdale MNRR station, inside the heated waiting alcove on the northbound platform. Must be a new MTA concept.

And who uses them? I mean the whole thing seems asinine.

[Italianstallion]

31 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

And who uses them? I mean the whole thing seems asinine.

I've seen them in other cities, maybe even in Europe, if I recall. Anyway, they are more for leaning against than standing. They take up less platform space, for one thing. Sometimes, you just want to lean on something clean.

 

https://www.architonic.com/en/product/concept-urbain-europe-composite-standing-seat/1269760

 

Subway use in NY - http://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/transit/2017/10/2/new-leaning--benches--at-brooklyn-subway-station-get-mixed-reviews-from-straphangers

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/subway-riders-slam-new-leaning-bars-unwelcoming-article-1.3488170

 

They didn't like them in Hawaii either - http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/14926388/new-leaning-bus-bench-criticized/

Edited October 7, 2018 by Italianstallion

[NoHacksJustKhaks]

14 minutes ago, Italianstallion said:

I've seen them in other cities, maybe even in Europe, if I recall. Anyway, they are more for leaning against than standing. They take up less platform space, for one thing. Sometimes, you just want to lean on something clean.

They seem like a novelty item to me, just there to look "cool" and "modern" in my view. I've never seen it used any time i''ve visited an ESI station either. Also, it isn't exactly meant to repel any homeless populations, as the NY1 article mentioned, though I struggle to see other uses and reasons for it.

Edited October 7, 2018 by NoHacksJustKhaks

[bobtehpanda]

1 minute ago, NoHacksJustKhaks said:

They seem like a novelty item to me, just there to look "cool" and "modern" in my view. I've never seen it used any time i''ve visited an ESI station either. Also, it isn't exactly meant to repel any homeless populations (as the NY1 article mentioned) though I struggle to see any other use for it.

They don't repel them, but at the same time they remove a place for people to feasibly sit or lie down for hours at a time.

It's kind of barbaric how, instead of trying to figure out how to rehouse people and get them working again, we just make every facet of being in public inhospitable for everybody.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

4 minutes ago, bobtehpanda said:

They don't repel them, but at the same time they remove a place for people to feasibly sit or lie down for hours at a time.

It's kind of barbaric how, instead of trying to figure out how to rehouse people and get them working again, we just make every facet of being in public inhospitable for everybody.

They in turn just sleep all over the platforms and mezzanines. You should see them at Rockefeller Center. One was practically naked passed out. Cops came along to get him to move...

[NoHacksJustKhaks]

26 minutes ago, bobtehpanda said:

they remove a place for people to feasibly sit or lie down for hours at a time.

I guess, but I don't see a difference between these leaning benches and regular subway benches in terms of comfort. "feasibly" I don't think anybody really could be sleeping on a regular subway bench for "hours" at a time. If anything, it (standing benches) could push more of these people on trains if done system-wide. The boxy wooden design, and big barriers between each seat on regular benches already does a good job at preventing homeless from sleeping on it. 

The standing benches may remove this place you're describing by just a bit, but when considering the cost of regular seating for everybody else, I don't know about that... 

Edited October 7, 2018 by NoHacksJustKhaks

[bobtehpanda]

6 hours ago, NoHacksJustKhaks said:

I guess, but I don't see a difference between these leaning benches and regular subway benches in terms of comfort. "feasibly" I don't think anybody really could be sleeping on a regular subway bench for "hours" at a time. If anything, it (standing benches) could push more of these people on trains if done system-wide. The boxy wooden design, and big barriers between each seat on regular benches already does a good job at preventing homeless from sleeping on it. 

The standing benches may remove this place you're describing by just a bit, but when considering the cost of regular seating for everybody else, I don't know about that... 

I saw it all the time. They'd just sleep sitting up, and use the other divided parts of the bench to prop up their bags and their clothes.

As far as your other comment goes, short sighted decisions shooting themselves in the foot and making everyone lives' shitty? Sounds like a day in the New York government (state, city, it's all the same)

[AJ of JGD]

14 hours ago, R68OnBroadway said:

It'll be interesting to see what they do with 57th-6th given that it was kind of bland (and quite frankly didn't need a renovation). 145th would also be interesting- do they keep the tile patterns or replace them will signs, and do they remove or keep the columns?

57th opens up in October or December?

[AJ of JGD]

11 hours ago, NoHacksJustKhaks said:

I guess, but I don't see a difference between these leaning benches and regular subway benches in terms of comfort. "feasibly" I don't think anybody really could be sleeping on a regular subway bench for "hours" at a time. If anything, it (standing benches) could push more of these people on trains if done system-wide. The boxy wooden design, and big barriers between each seat on regular benches already does a good job at preventing homeless from sleeping on it. 

The standing benches may remove this place you're describing by just a bit, but when considering the cost of regular seating for everybody else, I don't know about that... 

Have you seen Crown Heights-Utica Avenue during the preceding 3 months?

[Lance]

18 hours ago, R68OnBroadway said:

It'll be interesting to see what they do with 57th-6th given that it was kind of bland (and quite frankly didn't need a renovation). 145th would also be interesting- do they keep the tile patterns or replace them will signs, and do they remove or keep the columns?

They aren't really doing anything with the wall tiles, which is why the fridge tiles remained at the 4th Avenue stations and why the original IND tiles are still in place at the Central Park West stations. When 57 Street reopens, we'll likely see the '60s wall tiles remain in place.

16 hours ago, bobtehpanda said:

They don't repel them, but at the same time they remove a place for people to feasibly sit or lie down for hours at a time.

It's kind of barbaric how, instead of trying to figure out how to rehouse people and get them working again, we just make every facet of being in public inhospitable for everybody.

Unfortunately, the MTA cannot solve the homelessness problem and must therefore do as much as they can to prevent people from turning the stations into personal shelters, hence the standee benches. Also if I recall correctly, these kneeling benches are to be added on top of replacing the old wooden benches with metal ones.

3 hours ago, AJ of JGD said:

57th opens up in October or December?

December.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

35 minutes ago, Lance said:

They aren't really doing anything with the wall tiles, which is why the fridge tiles remained at the 4th Avenue stations and why the original IND tiles are still in place at the Central Park West stations. When 57 Street reopens, we'll likely see the '60s wall tiles remain in place.

Unfortunately, the MTA cannot solve the homelessness problem and must therefore do as much as they can to prevent people from turning the stations into personal shelters, hence the standee benches. Also if I recall correctly, these kneeling benches are to be added on top of replacing the old wooden benches with metal ones.

December.

No benches, no problem. They pass out right on the ground now with all of their personal belongings spread out during rush hour. It’s ridiculous. The next thing they won’t able to have is electrical outlets because the homeless set up camp and juice up their electronics.

[MassTransitHonchkrow]

On 9/12/2018 at 5:20 PM, Cabanamaner said:

I'm really not a fan of those half-height turnstile walls or whatever they're called that are in place at the ESI stations. I've seen people simply reach over the wall, push the emergency door bar on the other side, and walk through effortlessly. It's almost like the MTA made it easier to beat the fare. I'm sure they could be come up with a stylish design that, you know, doesn't rob them of money?

That's a good point. They probably did. Guess they don't mind bleeding $300M a year. They'll make the hipsters pay for it.

[Union Tpke]

http://web.mta.info/nyct/service/StationInfo_86st/index.htm

Service Restored 
Trains stop at 86 St
 

[Lance]

So they've completely abandoned the whole practice of pre-opening self-congratulatory press releases, huh?

[j express]

21 minutes ago, Lance said:

So they've completely abandoned the whole practice of pre-opening self-congratulatory press releases, huh?

I noticed that too. They didn't even announced that 72 St re opened ahead of time. Its a bit surprising.

[Union Tpke]

1 hour ago, j express said:

I noticed that too. They didn't even announced that 72 St re opened ahead of time. Its a bit surprising.

They didn't finish at 72nd.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I’m confused. Is 86th street now fully open and renovated? That station was a hellhole before...

[Lance]

Well, it's open. Based on what I've seen in videos, it looks to be on par with the rest of the Central Park West rehab stations, where there is still work to be done and the station was reopened simply to meet the deadline.

In the same vein, is there a reason why none of these stations have those entrance canopies seen at the 4th Avenue stations? While it does seem New Coke-like with the '80s style design for them, they would be quite useful in keeping the elements out of the station entrances.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

38 minutes ago, Lance said:

Well, it's open. Based on what I've seen in videos, it looks to be on par with the rest of the Central Park West rehab stations, where there is still work to be done and the station was reopened simply to meet the deadline.

In the same vein, is there a reason why none of these stations have those entrance canopies seen at the 4th Avenue stations? While it does seem New Coke-like with the '80s style design for them, they would be quite useful in keeping the elements out of the station entrances.

Likely due to the cost I’m guessing. Seems like all of these stations are being partially re-done, with some things missing.