New York City’s transit system is in crisis. Congestion on the City’s streets is reaching all-time highs and bus ridership is on a steady decline in Manhattan’s Central Business District (CBD). Travel speeds have slowed dramatically and more commuters are opting for For-Hire Vehicles (FHV). Charles Komanhoff, a strong advocate for congestion pricing and creator of the Balanced Transportation analyzer, attributes a 4.3% decrease in vehicle speeds in the CBD as a direct result from greater numbers of FHV trips. In the Move New York congestion pricing plan, the relationship between falling bus ridership and greater FHV trips is identified as a vicious cycle, and one which critically needs to be addressed.

The Fix NYC Panel makes nine recommendations with 3 phases to implement congestion pricing in New York City. Clearly, buses will experience substantive improvements from the plan including improved bus speeds, more frequent bus service, and will likely bring riders back to buses and away from the FHVs.

Phase I

1. Identify public transportation improvements for the outer boroughs and suburbs.
2. Improve enforcement of traffic laws within the CBD: Enforce existing laws and regulations, such as blocking intersections, parking in travel lanes, and bus lane enforcement.
3. Overhaul the NYC Placard Program: Reevaluate the distri­bution of all government issued parking plac­ards eligible for use in New York City. Currently there are approximately 160,500 in circulation.
4. Assess and address the impact of bus congestion in the CBD: Perform a com­prehensive review of conditions and regula­tions related to commuter, intercity, charter, and tour buses that have a particularly detrimental impact on congestion on the west side of Mid­town and in lower Manhattan.
5. Reform Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) regulations: Review the existing FHV class catego­ries to ensure they accurately reflect techno­logical advancements with the objective of a consistent policy framework.
6. Begin early work on zone pricing infrastructure installation.

Phase II

7. Implement a congestion surcharge on FHV and Taxi trips in the CBD.

The new service trip surcharge for taxis, black cars, deliveries, and app-based FHVs will help the MTA budget, estimating upwards of $500 million in gross revenues for transportation projects. The surcharge has great potential to decrease congestion attributed to the growing FHV usage. Taxi’s and FHV account for over half of total vehicles in the CBD between 4 and 6 p.m.  The congestion decline will increase bus speeds and encourage customers to move from private vehicles to the more efficient buses.

Phase III

8. Implement zone pricing for trucks entering the CBD.

Once the infrastructure is in place, CBD zone charging pro­gram will be initiated with an assessment on trucks entering the zone during certain peak hours. A brief period of truck-only charging permits potential operational issues to be identi­fied and corrected.

9. Implement zone pricing for all vehicles entering the CBD.

Once infrastructure is oper­ating properly, zone pricing for all vehicles will be implemented. With consideration of variable and dynamic pricing options to maximize congestion reduction.

With the goal of reducing overall vehicles entering the CBD during peak hours, the cordon zone would charge personal vehicles and large trucks premiums for entering and passing through. The subsequent congestion reduction will further improve bus speeds in the city’s most congested areas, while providing a steady revenue stream to the MTA to improve maintenance and operations on the overall transit system.

Buses stand to gain a lot if congestion pricing is implemented in New York City.

Better enforcement of traffic violations, reduced congestion from both FHV and personal vehicles, and better funding will all contribute to a better environment in which buses can operate. Bus ridership, service, and speed have been on a steady decline and it is time for action to be taken in order to address these issues. With vehicle speeds poised to increase between 12% and 20% if all recommendations are adopted, Fix NYC has the ability to drastically help our failing buses, giving New Yorkers the bus service a world-class city deserves.

The post FIX NYC: Implementations that Impact CBD Bus Performance – Sam Schwartz Visits the NYCTRC appeared first on PCAC.

Well, now I know why people avoid buses in Manhattan – it was a nightmare! It took nearly an hour to get to my destination; walking would have saved me 10 minutes.

It’s not news that buses are slow and unreliable, and getting worse. Traffic congestion in New York City is increasing, and heavily felt in the CBD due to the proliferation of Uber and other e-hailing services. As a result of gridlock, average bus speeds have been steadily dropping as has ridership.

Necessary decisions and actions must be taken to improve the quality of bus service throughout the City, as it is a necessary lifeline for many. Positive action could improve commute times, improve service reliability and enable commutes that are not currently feasible on buses.

Bus ridership and speeds have been dropping since the early 2000s.

Bus ridership has been on a steady decline, dropping 16% between 2002 and 2015. This trend is mostly seen in Brooklyn and Manhattan, where an increase in e-hailing services and other vehicles has added to the congestion resulting in a serious impact on bus service and travel times. According to DOT, vehicle speeds in Manhattan south of 60^th Street fell by 12% between 2010 and 2015.

New York City Bus speeds are among the slowest in the country, averaging 7.4 MPH. In heavily congested commercial areas bus travel speeds often drop as low as 4 MPH. It is clear that there is a major issue with bus speeds throughout the city, and without a major plan to address the growing congestion, buses will soon be at a standstill during critical parts of the day.

Congestion pricing presents the best opportunity to increase Manhattan bus speeds.

A successful congestion pricing plan will decrease vehicles on Manhattan’s heavily clogged streets and substantially improve bus speeds and reliability, allowing the bus system to flourish.  It will also encourage some riders to move off of the overburdened subway system, helping it to function better while much needed repairs are made.

The success of London’s 2003 congestion pricing effort can be attributed to both the congestion pricing itself, as well as the large investment made in public transportation. With the introduction of congestion pricing, 300 buses were added to the system, establishing new efficient routes and increasing frequency on existing ones. These additional buses accounted for a 23% increase in service. As a result, a 38% increase in bus ridership was experienced during AM peak hours while the London Underground experienced a 2% decline in ridership, which is attributed to the improved bus services. Over 10 years of implementation, London’s investment in transit has led to a 23% increase in daily trips made into the city center, while reducing the number of automobiles entering by 44 %.

While subways are in dire need of upgrades and repairs, the importance of the bus system must not be forgotten. Providing efficient bus service will help relieve some pressure from congested subway lines such as the Lexington Avenue line. Additional bus lanes, improved bus stop infrastructure, and improved traffic signal timing, in conjunction with congestion pricing, can significantly enhance the quality of bus service and all mobility within the central business district, and may have wide ranging improvements on the transit system as a whole.

The post Congestion Pricing is Good for Buses! appeared first on PCAC.

Yet, a great neighborhood asset remains underutilized and decrepit – the East New York LIRR Station.

East New York is well served by six subway lines crossing the community.  However, another important transit asset is completely overlooked in the East New York Neighborhood Plan – the Long Island Rail Road’s (LIRR’s) East New York Station.  The station is just south of Broadway Junction and could be used to substantially reduce commute times to and from Jamaica Center and Downtown Brooklyn.

Unfortunately, low ridership counts has led to the neglect of the station by the LIRR. The latest origin/destination data  records show only 30 daily Downtown Brooklyn-bound customers and 679 eastbound LIRR weekday trips to Jamaica. While the LIRR efficiently connects East New York to these two employment centers, high fares and a poor station environment are likely factors driving riders away from the station.  Improving the station environment would play a positive role in preparing the area’s transportation for the demands created by East New York redevelopment. Investing in this major piece of infrastructure, and gateway to the community, could substantially increase the quality of life for those commuting to and from the neighborhood, as well as the economic viability of the area.

The East New York station is a blight on the neighborhood, affecting passengers and neighbors.

Unfortunately, the current station condition makes it an embarrassment and safety hazard to the neighborhood.  Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams is a major proponent of improving the conditions of East New York, calling for the station’s revitalization. Some potential upgrades are as follows:

• Improvements to the surrounding pedestrian/street design
• Improvements to lighting and other station conditions
• New wayfinding information, both within and surrounding the station
• Full ADA accessibility
• Freedom Ticket implementation

The station’s underpass is an unpleasant experience by anyone’s standards. LIRR customers and local residents alike use this underpass to get from one side of the station to the other, but their experience is often one of unease and discomfort. Trash is strewn across the dimly lit, damp and smelly corridor, multiple signs are defaced and ripped throughout the station, and several signs are faded and confusing.  A westbound sign still refers to Atlantic Terminal as the “Flatbush Avenue” direction. There is an abundance of peeling paint and rust. These conditions are unacceptable for a train station in a City that has focused its energies on improving the housing and economic conditions in the East NY neighborhood.

The City’s recent interest in East New York has its population and employment poised to grow throughout the neighborhood. The New York City Economic Development Corporation has outlined strategies intended to double the number of area jobs, as well as to create 2.7 million square feet of commercial/industrial space just south of the station, and Department of City Planning intends for over 1,200 new affordable housing units to be built. To better support the neighborhood and current development plans, the City and MTA must identify resources to invest in the East New York LIRR station.  Improvements are imperative for this area to attain the economic vitality outlined in the City’s plans.

The post East New York LIRR Station: In Desperate Need of Repairs and Upgrades! appeared first on PCAC.

The PCAC has long advocated that the MTA must do a better job of disseminating information to its customers. MTA officials are recognizing the important role that providing clear, concise and timely information plays in the customer’s experience, yet communication issues continue to dog the MTA at all levels.  As we have pointed out in a previous post, the MTA’s website is a perfect representation of the convoluted communication that needs a complete makeover. Even the MTA’s last makeover 7 years ago imitated the Transport for London website, rather than make the effort to create its own look and feel to communicate clearly with New York riders about the MTA system.  While many turn to the MTA’s cacophonic website for real time information, those who are less tech savvy or lack internet access depend on the 511 service to receive transportation information.

One of the biggest issues with NY State’s 511 system is the vast number of menu options a caller must endure.

The initial list has six choices with an option of “more choices”. Once you ask for MTA, there are a total of 24 items, and many options have additional items under them. Many of the options are also repeated in different places so the list can be misleading.

A time burglar I discovered was that many options regarding New York City Transit take the caller to the same MTA NYC Transit directory. The “MetroCard”, “Current Service Status”, “Plan a Trip”, and “Lost and Found” choices all redirect to one single menu, making it completely unnecessary and redundant to differentiate between the options.

I also discovered that some important information provided was just outright wrong. When I selected the “Current Service Status” option in the “subways” category at 10:45 AM, an automated voice recording reported “all present New York City Transit subways are running on or close to schedule.” At the same time, the MTA’s website reported delays on seven lines (7,E,F,M,B,Q,L)! The vague automated message was of little help and should accurately inform customers of current service status, as the option suggests.

Speech recognition also seems to be an issue with the automation.

On more than one occasion I had to repeat my option because I was not understood or my voice was not heard. This fault can make 511 difficult to use for those whose first language is not English or customers who have speech impediments. Fortunately for those with speech impediments there is a touchtone mode available, yet there is no option for Spanish or other alternative languages.

The MTA has developed a valuable 511 cheat-sheet.

Since 511 is a State run service, the MTA may not have direct control over its functionality, although we believe it is likely that the State would listen to the MTA’s recommendations to improve this communication tool. We strongly urge the MTA to make these recommendations. On a positive note, the MTA has developed a web page detailing the necessary voice command prompts and which numbers to press to get you to your destination efficiently. The link is provided here, but good luck finding the page on the difficult and unprioritized MTA website.

The state has also created a “My 511NY” where users can register to receive real-time travel information for their specific route. Also, there is a 511NY mobile app where users can get real-time traffic and transit information.  However, when we used both tools we found neither included the real time information for a planned service diversion. We specifically looked at a weekday N/W route which on the MTA.info website showed our destination station to be closed, this was not reflected in the 511NY tools.  This would be a useful tool if its accuracy was improved.

The good news is the MTA has developed a new Subway Action Plan, which calls for revising communication protocols. With the MTA’s growing recognition of improving communications to provide more timely and accurate information, the MTA’s website and the State-run 511 system must follow suit. In a region this large, accurate and clear communication is crucial to keep over 8.7 million riders moving every day.

The post Have you ever tried calling the 511 NY Transit and Traffic Information line to get MTA Information? appeared first on PCAC.

For many years, the New York City Transit Riders Council (NYCTRC) has advocated for a free transfer at this location. In addition, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, a longtime proponent of transit improvements in outer Brooklyn, has been outspoken about the benefits of creating a transfer point between the two stations, in part because of the impact of increased development in Brownsville, East New York, and Canarsie on L and 3 line ridership.

The MTA has committed to providing 2 L line walking transfers during the 2019 L line shutdown.  The walking transfers are scheduled to be between Livonia Av (L) and Junius St (3) stations, and between the Lorimer (J/M/Z) and Broadway (G) stations, thus acknowledging the importance of a connection. But if a connection would be advantageous in 2019, wouldn’t it be just as beneficial now? Why not implement the free transfer now, in advance of all the impending construction?

The importance of the free transfer is increased by the fact that the L and 3 lines in this area serve communities with relatively high poverty rates, where some riders may lack the means to purchase either a weekly or monthly MetroCard. Moreover, New York City Transit has the capacity to implement a free transfer between two unconnected subway systems, as has been done at the Lexington Av/59^th St and Lexington Av/63^rd St stations. It is difficult to understand why riders must wait until 2019, when L train construction begins, to transfer between these two stations without additional expense when it could benefit a lot of people right now.

The MTA also plans a long-term capital program solution.

The additional good news for riders in the long term is that the MTA has responded to calls for a structural internal connection between the Livonia Av and Junius St stations by including  $45 million in the 2015-2019 Capital Program for building a physical connection between the two stations and the subsequent ADA upgrades to the stations. Although the funding is allocated for 2018 in the Capital Program, it is uncertain when construction will actually begin.

NYC Transit obviously recognizes the merits of creating a transfer point between the Livonia Av and Junius street stations, but if free transfers make sense in 2019, they make sense now. The MTA should enable free out-of-station transfers, effective immediately.

The post Why Wait for Free Out-of-System Transfers Between the L and 3 Lines? Implement Them Now! appeared first on PCAC.

Improving the Access-A-Ride program should only be mode of attack. The MTA should additionally be addressing the AAR issue by moving some people away from the service entirely. The CBC’s report notes that AAR ridership increases may be due to the lack of options provided by subway services. This means that improving elevator access at subway stations throughout the city could help decrease the reliability many have on paratransit trips.

Other US transit systems have a much higher share of ADA accessible stations.

Only 23% of MTA stations have elevator access. Compare that with Boston and Chicago’s systems, which have much higher shares of accessible stations, 71% and 69% respectively. To give the MTA credit, in terms of absolute numbers, there are more stations with disability access in New York City than in either Boston or Chicago, but NYC Transit and the MTA can do much better. Elected and agency leadership in Boston and Chicago have been much more proactive about addressing accessibility issues in their systems, something that the MTA can learn from.

After the introduction of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, the MTA identified 100 key stations that would be made ADA compliant by 2020. New York currently has 110 ADA compliant stations (or 92 station complexes as noted on the MTA’s website), 89 of which are on the key stations list. As it stands, the MTA is on track to making the remaining key stations accessible by the projected date. Unfortunately, the MTA has not expanded their list of stations to receive elevators since they created it in 1994, nor have they released a second generation list.

The MTA has not yet made accessibility a priority.

As was made very clear at the MTA Board Meeting, the MTA is not meeting the ADA community’s needs. The Enhanced Station Initiative (ESI) that was announced last year intends to “create a new and improved design standard for subway stations,” yet there is no mention of ADA upgrades for any of the stations. The first three stations to be renovated at a $71 million price tag will be the Prospect Av, Bay Ridge Av, and 53^rd St R stations. Not a single R station south of Atlantic Av-Barclays Center is ADA accessible. While elevators are planned at both 59^th and 86^th Street stations, they aren’t there yet.

The MTA has a history of missing opportunities for achieving full ADA accessibility. For example, the Mets-Willets Point station is one of two express stops on the Flushing Avenue 7 Line that is not fully compliant with the American with Disabilities Act (the other is Queensboro Plaza). In 2009, a $15 million investment was used to improve station appearance and add accessibility features, making travel to Flushing Meadows “easier for everyone”.

But, to the inconvenience of fans with disabilities, Mets-Willets Point is only ADA accessible from the northbound platform. The 2009 renovations modified existing and constructed new ramps to connect from Flushing/Main St bound trains to the south side of Roosevelt Avenue. Those traveling southbound from Mets-Willets Point are required to ride to Flushing/Main St in order to board trains towards Manhattan.

There were no elevators constructed in the renovations.

The MTA and New York Mets should work together to make Mets-Willets Point ADA accessible.

The New York Mets have an average attendance of 31,460 people per game. In 2011, roughly 25%-30% of those attending home games used subway service. Using these numbers, around 7,800 to 9,400 people arrive by subway each game. With 81 home games a season, a sizeable number of people depend on the subway to view the games.

Righting the wrong of the lack of elevators at Mets-Willets Point could be a win for the MTA. The MTA should insist that the Mets contribute to making their namesake station ADA accessible. We have seen the MTA working with private developers to improve transit stations in the recent rezonings in Midtown, and believe the same should be done with the Mets.

The MTA and NYC Transit’s ability to side-step federal ADA regulations has continued to marginalize the disability community. The ADA community’s impassioned voices were rightfully heard at recent MTA Board meetings calling for a better Access-A-Ride program and overall system accessibility. In addition to an overhaul of the Access-A-Ride program, the MTA must revisit its key stations lists. The MTA’s leadership needs to step up and improve transit access for all system users – that means “everyone”.

The post Let’s Move Forward on Improving MTA Accessibility for Everyone appeared first on PCAC.

The rezoning makes transit infrastructure improvements a necessity. Midtown East is home to some of the most congested stations in our system, and with this rezoning, the MTA and DCP have recognized the stress that the system will face with the additional jobs that will be created in the area. The two organizations have come together to identify what improvements need to be achieved.

The 78 block area is home to over 250,000 jobs, but has seen recent loss of major employers to the more desirable, newer buildings of Hudson Yards and the new World Trade complex. With this rezoning, the DCP, in cooperation with NYC DOT and the MTA, has implemented development bonuses for developers, creating incentives to contribute resources to subway infrastructure in exchange for greater development rights. The rezoning is projected to have major impacts on employment in the area, and the City is hoping to draw developers to reinvent the skyline to bring in additional employers.

Developers can receive development bonuses in exchange for improving transit infrastructure.

Under the rezoning, developers will be able to construct larger buildings than have been allowed in prior zoning resolutions. The change in the zoning code also includes development bonuses, allowing developers to build significantly larger buildings than is allowed as-of-right. In general, the closer the building lot is to Grand Central Terminal, the higher the bonuses that can be awarded. This means that developers now have the ability to create significantly taller buildings than were previously allowed under the old zoning code, but to reach those bonus levels they must use one of three mechanisms:

1. Complete pre-identified improvements to below-grade transit infrastructure.
2. Obtain development rights from landmarked buildings in the district.
3. Rebuild legally overbuilt floor area for pre-1961 buildings.

These zoning changes ideally will have major impacts on subway infrastructure, especially along the Lexington line, where overcrowding is a daily problem. Improvements to below-grade infrastructure include improving congestion points and enhancing capacity between platforms, mezzanines or streets. The identified stations where improvements will be made are:

• Lexington Ave/53^rd and 51^st St (E,M,6)
• Lexington Ave/59^th St (N,W,R,4,5,6)
• 5^th Ave/53^rd St (E,M)
• Rockefeller Center/47^th-50^th St (B,D,F,M)
• Bryant Park-5^th Ave (B,D,F,M,7)
• Grand Central/42^nd St (4,5,6,7,S)

The Vanderbilt Corridor rezoning of 2015 has shown the infrastructure benefits transit can receive.

Grand Central Terminal is already reaping the benefits from a transit bonus that One Vanderbilt received in 2015. One Vanderbilt is located within Midtown East, but is part of the Vanderbilt Corridor subsection that was rezoned in 2015 to allow for significant development bonuses in exchange for improvements to the Grand Central Terminal Complex. The developers behind the building will contribute an estimated $210 million in station enhancements, including the widening of stairs, addition of new stairs, increasing capacity by trimming support beams, and improving mezzanine areas.

New stairwell between Grand Central Complex and Grand Central Subway Station.

Infrastructure upgrades are costly and can take a long time to acquire funding from the MTA. With this change in the zoning code, there is now incentive for developers to fund and address “priority improvements” that the MTA has recognized. Arguably the most significant changes in priority improvements list will come in the form of ADA accessibility. As it stands, three of the six identified stations are not ADA compliant: Lexington Ave/59^th St station, Bryant Park, and 5^th Ave/53^rd St. With development bonuses in place, there is now incentive for developers to improve ADA accessibility in East Midtown.

Lexington Ave/59^th St platforms and mezzanine may get improved passenger circulation.

The priority improvement list also includes one point that may ease passenger crowding and congestion on the Lexington Ave/59^th St N/R/W platform. As a result of station layout, platform crowding and congestion is often concentrated around the stairwells leading from the mezzanine and 6 line platforms. Because all the stairs at this transfer station are focused on one side of the N/R/W platform, the area quickly becomes overcrowded, as all customers are moving to and from one area. Congestion can hopefully be remedied with plans to both create new stairs between the mezzanine and the platform, as well as widen existing stairs.

The Greater Midtown East rezoning is poised to contribute millions of dollars to the identified stations throughout East Midtown. While the rezoning will help provide infrastructure improvement, there is still the question of ongoing maintenance funding that these stations will require with additional use. The city is poised to receive additional revenue in taxes as a result of new businesses and construction in the area. Perhaps the city and state can come together again to reach an agreement regarding ongoing maintenance in order to keep the future of the system in a state of good repair. The rezoning and subsequent transit bonus is a step in the right direction for infrastructure improvement along the city’s busiest corridor, but more will need to be done to address the overcrowding and future maintenance costs that these stations experience.

The post Greater Midtown East Rezoning: Moves in the Right Direction for Transit appeared first on PCAC.

Although the water has long since receded, the MTA continues to address the damage Superstorm Sandy inflicted on the MTA system. The next project up is the Clark Street tunnel. The Clark Street Tunnel Reconstruction began June 16^th, disrupting 2 and 3 service in Brooklyn. Much like the six tunnels repaired before this, the Clark Street Tubes were severely damaged by the hundreds of thousands of gallons of saltwater that flooded them during Sandy in 2012. The closures are required to repair and replace tracks, signals, power substations, water pumps, structural support, and other vital infrastructure in the tunnel.

Link to full MTA service information

The Clark Street tunnel is one of six that cross under the East River between Manhattan and Brooklyn. Average weekday ridership through the tunnel is upwards of 150,000 and average weekend ridership comes in at about 70,000. About 205,000 riders will be affected each weekend.

The repairs will occur over the course of 56 consecutive weekends, resulting in a number of service changes. The full weekend shut down follows the same “get in, get it done, and get out” mentality of similar projects and prevents displacement of weekday ridership. By restricting construction to weekends only, the MTA hopes to inconvenience the least number of riders.

Service along the 2 & 3 line will be changed throughout all three boroughs.

Manhattan:

• 2 trains are rerouted to the 1 Line south of Chambers St., terminating at South Ferry.
• 3 trains terminate at 14th St due to capacity limitations on the 1 Line.

Brooklyn:

• 2 & 3 trains do not run in Brooklyn.
• 4 trains will run local past Nevins and terminate at New Lots.
• 5 trains will run local past Nevins and terminate at Flatbush Ave.

Bronx:

• 2 and 5 trains north of E 180th St. will be switched. 2 trains terminate at Eastchester-Dyre Ave and 5 trains will terminate at Wakefield 214 St.

Select Stations will also be closed.

Stations Closed for 2/3 Service:

• Park Place
• Fulton St
• Wall St
• Clark St
• Borough Hall
• Hoyt St

While the closures will be painful for the slated 56 weekends, the work must be completed. Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Bronx 2 & 3 riders will endure some weekend riding stress, but once the work is completed riders can be sure that their journeys will be safe from the damage that Sandy left behind.

Extended closures such as this are necessary to get vital repairs done as quickly as possible. In order to get our system into a state of good repair, lengthy weekend closures are invaluable. While extended repair work disrupt thousands of daily trips, so do unplanned subway failures, and at least this way we can all plan ahead. All of the unexpected delays of late are making us that much more aware of the need to get repair work done as fast and soon as possible. The ongoing Myrtle Avenue infrastructure projects are an extreme example of what must be done to provide future ongoing and efficient service. The longer we put off necessary upgrades and maintenance, the worse service will be in the future. No one enjoys the consequences of deferred signal upgrades and what happens when infrastructure can no longer keep up with a growing ridership.

Plan ahead, and safe travels!

The post Clark Street Tunnel Closed for 56 Weekends! appeared first on PCAC.

Due to the deteriorating conditions on the line and because the M line will be instrumental during the partial shutdown of L train service for Canarsie Tunnel repairs in 2019, portions of Myrtle Avenue on the M Line are set to be shut down for up to ten months between July 1, 2017 and April 2018.

In 2016, the Myrtle Avenue M Line provided an average of 50,000 weekday trips to riders in Middle Village, Glendale, Ridgewood, and Bushwick, a 53% increase from ridership since 2000.

The project includes two parts to be completed over 10 months.

The M Line work consists of the replacement of two vital pieces of infrastructure: the Fresh Pond Bridge and the Myrtle Viaduct, both of which are over a century old. (See maps below.) Because of the degree of deterioration over the past century, it is necessary to fully replace the two structures rather than making partial repairs.

The Fresh Pond Bridge connects the Fresh Pond station with the Middle Village-Metropolitan Avenue terminal. It also allows for important access to storage and service yards that is vital to providing service. This part of the project will take two months.

The Myrtle Viaduct connects the Myrtle line with the Broadway J/Z Line. While regular maintenance has been provided to the viaduct over the past 100 years, the structure has reached the end of its useful life and must be replaced in order to provide service to the increasing ridership along the line. This part of the project will take ten months.

There will be two sets of service changes depending on the phase of the work.

The work will be conducted in two phases, resulting in different service changes over the course of the ten months. M trains will be rerouted to Broadway Junction although they would normally turn towards Middle Village-Metropolitan Avenue. As a result, be aware that there will be a 25% reduction of the number of M trains to and from Manhattan during peak hours. J/Z trains will subsequently stop at all stations between Marcy Av and Broadway Junction to accommodate displaced riders.

Phase I (two months) will be dedicated to replacing the Fresh Pond Bridge, as well as starting work on the Myrtle Viaduct. As a result, the entire Myrtle Avenue portion of the line will be shut down and replaced with three different shuttle bus routes:

• Route 1: Shuttle will run between the Myrtle-Wyckoff and Myrtle-Broadway stations, stopping at the Knickerbocker Av and Central Av stations, allowing transfers to the L train at the Myrtle-Wyckoff and J/M/Z at Myrtle-Broadway stations.
• Route 2: Shuttle will run between the Middle Village-Metropolitan Av and Myrtle-Wyckoff stations, stopping at the Fresh Pond Rd, Forest Av, and Seneca Av stations and allowing for riders to transfer to the L train at the Myrtle-Wyckoff station.
• Route 3: Shuttle will run between the Middle Village-Metropolitan Av and Flushing Av J/M/Z stations, stopping only at the Jefferson St L station to allow transfers.

Phase II will continue for an additional eight months and will result in the final reconstruction of the Myrtle Viaduct. During the reconstruction, M train shuttle service will resume between the Middle Village-Metropolitan Av and Myrtle-Wyckoff Av stations. Shuttle bus service will remain in place between the Myrtle-Wyckoff and Myrtle-Broadway stations in order to connect riders with J/M/Z lines.

Canarsie Tunnel L Train repairs will follow in 2019.

This infrastructure project is a critical predecessor to the Canarsie Tunnel repairs coming in 2019. While the tunnel is closed, officials expect a majority of displaced L Line riders to switch to other subway lines, including the M train at Myrtle-Wyckoff Av. As a result, M train service will be increased to absorb its increased ridership. By replacing the Fresh Pond Bridge and Myrtle Viaduct, the MTA system will be prepared for the high levels of continuous service that will be required along the Myrtle Avenue M line. Overall, the thousands of riders that will be displaced over the 15 month period of Canarsie Tunnel repairs will have a better experience.

Phase 1

Phase 2

The post Myrtle Avenue Line Infrastructure Projects appeared first on PCAC.