Around the Horn Posted February 20, 2018 Share #1 Posted February 20, 2018 Byford has put the 42nd Street Shuttle Rebuild project on the fast track... Quote ... The gap has existed for a jaw dropping 100 years. The platform curves at odd angles because officials say it was first built as a tunnel, not a subway station, and even though there are plenty of warnings. “The warnings, that doesn’t matter with the warnings, doesn’t mean anything too wide. Just yesterday I had to help a lady,” LaMart Applewhite said. CBS2’s Kramer started investigating the gaps after a Facebook post lamenting the difficulty experienced by commuters. The transit authority’s new president Andy Byford has made station accessibility a top priority. He’s developed a $275-million plan to fix the shuttle and say goodbye the gaps for good. “It will take time to do,” he said. “They’ll get started at the end of the year. It will take until 2021, to actually rectify the gaps, because what we’re doing is straightening the platform.” Byford rides the trains daily. He recently took the shuttle and feels the commuters’ pain. “I stepped carefully,” he said. When the project is complete, the MTA will be able to add more cars to the shuttle, going from four to six. The transit authority president said he’s embarking on a $1-billion project to make 19 more stations accessible to people with disabilities. Currently 118 of the system’s 472 stations are fully accessible. http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2018/02/19/subway-station-accessibility/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted February 20, 2018 Share #2 Posted February 20, 2018 The price tag for this seems ridiculous, and where is this money coming from??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan Railer Posted February 20, 2018 Share #3 Posted February 20, 2018 Debt lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P3F Posted February 20, 2018 Share #4 Posted February 20, 2018 Isn't track 4 already gapless? This shuttle rebuild just seems like a waste of money to end up with something that isn't better than the current setup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewFlyer 230 Posted February 20, 2018 Share #5 Posted February 20, 2018 Interesting, however I still feel that the money should be used towards something even better. The serves as an alternative to the 42nd street shuttle so I think that shouldn’t be a top priority. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTA Bus Posted February 20, 2018 Share #6 Posted February 20, 2018 3 hours ago, P3F said: Isn't track 4 already gapless? This shuttle rebuild just seems like a waste of money to end up with something that isn't better than the current setup. If I remember correctly, under this plan, track 4 would be taken out of service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Union Tpke Posted February 20, 2018 Share #7 Posted February 20, 2018 There is no news here. This has been planned for several years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P3F Posted February 20, 2018 Share #8 Posted February 20, 2018 5 hours ago, MTA Bus said: If I remember correctly, under this plan, track 4 would be taken out of service. Which goes further to show what a waste it is... Keep the two tracks that have gaps and remove the track that doesn't! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance Posted February 20, 2018 Share #9 Posted February 20, 2018 I don't believe there is any intention of keeping track 4 in service once the platforms for tracks 1 and 3 are extended. The wording is a little wonky, but it doesn't sound like the plan has changed all that much from its initial proposal besides being "fast tracked". There's no room to expand track 4 without hitting something. The other tracks however have plenty of room to expand eastward, especially if they mirror the platform setup at Grand Central. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdog14 Posted February 20, 2018 Share #10 Posted February 20, 2018 9 hours ago, NewFlyer 230 said: Interesting, however I still feel that the money should be used towards something even better. The serves as an alternative to the 42nd street shuttle so I think that shouldn’t be a top priority. The is not an alternative when the platform at Grand Central is not accessible..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewFlyer 230 Posted February 20, 2018 Share #11 Posted February 20, 2018 28 minutes ago, Jdog14 said: The is not an alternative when the platform at Grand Central is not accessible..... I didn’t know that, I don’t know why putting an elevator at a major station like that wasn’t a huge priority. The MTA is so slow to do things and even when they do some things (ex. countdown clocks) sometimes they aren’t done right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdog14 Posted February 20, 2018 Share #12 Posted February 20, 2018 2 minutes ago, NewFlyer 230 said: I didn’t know that, I don’t know why putting an elevator at a major station like that wasn’t a huge priority. The MTA is so slow to do things and even when they do some things (ex. countdown clocks) sometimes they aren’t done right. Grand Central on the 7 is a tricky place to put an elevator. It would require deep boring, and may not even be possible at all without a massive cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P3F Posted February 20, 2018 Share #13 Posted February 20, 2018 2 hours ago, Lance said: I don't believe there is any intention of keeping track 4 in service once the platforms for tracks 1 and 3 are extended. The wording is a little wonky, but it doesn't sound like the plan has changed all that much from its initial proposal besides being "fast tracked". There's no room to expand track 4 without hitting something. The other tracks however have plenty of room to expand eastward, especially if they mirror the platform setup at Grand Central. There's a bit of unused platform on the west end, past the pedestrian bridge. On the eastern end, though, what even is behind that wall? Somebody's basement? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoHacksJustKhaks Posted February 20, 2018 Share #14 Posted February 20, 2018 275 million?! I totally agree the improvements should be made (and a long while ago at that), but if that's the cheapest the MTA can go, i'll be smh for a long while. I think it's somewhat pricey even for a busy corridor like this and has to last a while. Maybe it's me, but I definitely got culture shocked looking at that price . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Vandelay Posted February 20, 2018 Share #15 Posted February 20, 2018 6 hours ago, Jdog14 said: The is not an alternative when the platform at Grand Central is not accessible..... Grand Central is fully accessible. I don't know where this rumor is coming from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kosciusko Posted February 21, 2018 Share #16 Posted February 21, 2018 18 hours ago, NewFlyer 230 said: The serves as an alternative to the 42nd street shuttle so I think that shouldn’t be a top priority. Yeah but it's a worse option for getting between the two stations. It makes a stop at 5th, and getting to and from the platform at GC is long and meandering, while the drops you off right near the main terminal. The also leaves you closer to the platforms at Times Sq. There's a reason why it's so packed all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
officiallyliam Posted February 21, 2018 Share #17 Posted February 21, 2018 In terms of recent MTA (and other regional) transit projects, $275m is on the more reasonable end. Should it be lower? Of course. But while SAS phase 2 is supposed to be $6b, East Side Access is a $12b and counting money pit, and the mayor can't think of any solution other than a $2.5b streetcar to nowhere, $275m for a long-standing proposal to make a very busy line fully accessible and more capable isn't terribly offensive. Especially since the is no alternative: it's both overcrowded and out of the way at both TSQ and GCT. The needs the upgrade. I'd like to see them automate it for even higher capacity, and while TSQ is being reconstructed, the shuttle would be a decent place to trial platform screen doors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deucey Posted February 21, 2018 Share #18 Posted February 21, 2018 On 2/20/2018 at 12:54 AM, P3F said: Isn't track 4 already gapless? This shuttle rebuild just seems like a waste of money to end up with something that isn't better than the current setup. IDU why they don't make it a two-track line with island platforms and three crossover switches so people don't have to dash to figure out which train to get on, but that's just me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P3F Posted February 21, 2018 Share #19 Posted February 21, 2018 12 minutes ago, Deucey said: IDU why they don't make it a two-track line with island platforms and three crossover switches so people don't have to dash to figure out which train to get on, but that's just me. They could eliminate the dash by announcing track numbers in advance... like, there's a schedule; there's no need to withhold the information until the train is almost arriving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deucey Posted February 21, 2018 Share #20 Posted February 21, 2018 21 minutes ago, P3F said: They could eliminate the dash by announcing track numbers in advance... like, there's a schedule; there's no need to withhold the information until the train is almost arriving. And at 34th St on 7th Av/8th Av, and Barclay's on the IRT, they could tell us on the island platforms the expresses are stopping at the locals and locals at the expresses and make us run up and down the stairs to get to the train too. Or they could just build Island platforms so all one has to do is turn one way or the other to get on an express or local. Won't happen at the stations I mentioned because of capacity, but doing that with the would make the dash disappear, the station safer in regards to slip and trip injuries, and make the line more efficient in operation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance Posted February 21, 2018 Share #21 Posted February 21, 2018 Re: Cost and configuration The bulk of the cost will likely be to reconfigure the shuttle platform to better handle passenger flow. Right now, I'm sure everyone's aware that, unless the train departs from track 1, one has to power walk to get to the other tracks. I've long since learned that if those clocks say less than two minutes and the train is leaving on track 4, it's a lost cause. The current setup hasn't really been improved upon since being converted into shuttle operation nearly a century ago. (Just realized the IRT H-system turns 100 this year.) In order to convert the current shuttle setup into a two track operation, they are expected to expand the platform between tracks 1 and 3, possibly mirroring the setup at Grand Central, and offer connections to the 6th Avenue line (whether it's in-system or not has not been determined), both of which will require supporting 42nd Street above. Also included in those costs are elevator installation and general station rehab. Remember, this is a very busy station and it hasn't seen a real rehab since the entire complex was worked on back in the '90s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P3F Posted February 21, 2018 Share #22 Posted February 21, 2018 2 hours ago, Deucey said: And at 34th St on 7th Av/8th Av, and Barclay's on the IRT, they could tell us on the island platforms the expresses are stopping at the locals and locals at the expresses and make us run up and down the stairs to get to the train too. Or they could just build Island platforms so all one has to do is turn one way or the other to get on an express or local. Won't happen at the stations I mentioned because of capacity, but doing that with the would make the dash disappear, the station safer in regards to slip and trip injuries, and make the line more efficient in operation. Yeah, you just made a point and then demolished it all by yourself. The one other thing I will say, not directly related, is that Track 1 is currently convenient because you don't have to walk around it to get on a train. If they make Track 1 trains open doors only where Track 2 used to be, everybody is going to have to walk around Track 1 to get on a train. Opening doors on both sides would extend the dwell time since that's 12 cars' worth of doors that need to be closed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobtehpanda Posted February 22, 2018 Share #23 Posted February 22, 2018 16 hours ago, Deucey said: And at 34th St on 7th Av/8th Av, and Barclay's on the IRT, they could tell us on the island platforms the expresses are stopping at the locals and locals at the expresses and make us run up and down the stairs to get to the train too. Or they could just build Island platforms so all one has to do is turn one way or the other to get on an express or local. Won't happen at the stations I mentioned because of capacity, but doing that with the would make the dash disappear, the station safer in regards to slip and trip injuries, and make the line more efficient in operation. Those particular stations were built that way specifically to discourage overcrowding at major commuter rail transfers. You have to pick between the local and the express, and that's the point. If you really need the cross platform transfer, Nevins and Times Square are a stopk away respectively. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallyhorse Posted February 22, 2018 Share #24 Posted February 22, 2018 1 hour ago, bobtehpanda said: Those particular stations were built that way specifically to discourage overcrowding at major commuter rail transfers. You have to pick between the local and the express, and that's the point. If you really need the cross platform transfer, Nevins and Times Square are a stopk away respectively. Not to mention being able to have three platforms at those stations instead of two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
checkmatechamp13 Posted February 23, 2018 Share #25 Posted February 23, 2018 On 2/20/2018 at 7:48 PM, kosciusko said: Yeah but it's a worse option for getting between the two stations. It makes a stop at 5th, and getting to and from the platform at GC is long and meandering, while the drops you off right near the main terminal. The also leaves you closer to the platforms at Times Sq. There's a reason why it's so packed all the time. The is directly below the at Times Square and directly below the at Grand Central (or at least, if I remember the station layout correctly). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.