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Cell Service Pilot To Begin Next Week

Posted by
on September 22nd, 2011 at 7:13 pm

As of this upcoming Tuesday, those with AT&T or like myself T-Mobile (jailbroken & unlocked I-Phone = great!), we will be able to use our cellphone underground at 6 stations. This is courtesy of the Transit Wireless pilot that will finally get off the ground. The service will be available at the following stations:

14th Street: 1 Train 2 Train 3 Train

14th Street: A Train C Train E Train

23rd Street: C Train E Train

14th Street: F Train M Train

6th Avenue: L Train

8th Avenue: L Train

Here is more courtesy of Drew Grant for the New York Observer:

Finally: a way to tweet about how hot and crowded the L train platform is…while on the L train platform! An MTA official confirmed rumors to the New York Observer that starting Tuesday, AT&T and T-Mobile customers will be getting service underground.

The trains themselves will still not get reception, so if you are stuck underground for three hours, there will still be no way to call your boss and let them know that’s why you’re late for work.

In addition, the MTA official told us that although only AT&T and T-Mobile are currently on board with this plan, they are looking for other service providers to join the program. These six mezzanines are part of a pilot program on the MTA’s part, which is hoping to eventually make all stations cell phone capable. 2016, which had been floated as the tentative date for this availability, could not be confirmed by the MTA official, even though that’s a pretty long time from now.

Click here for the complete report.

Well it is about time this pilot comes to fruition. Long term readers might recognize the Transit Wireless name as I have wrote about them a few times over the last 4 years. It all started almost 4 years to the date when the MTA announced a deal with the company to bring cell & wi-fi service to 6 stations at first & if all went well to the remaining 217 underground stations.

Unfortunately things did not work out as the company faced questions of whether it was legitimate. Eventually they went belly-up multiple times. However even with all of that, the MTA announced they would try & make it work with them in July 2010.

At the time, I said I will believe the service will work when I see it. So the time has come & I will definitely be testing out whether it works or not. The fact it debuts on Tuesday is perfect as I will be in those areas on Tuesday as I normally am every week. I will let everyone know how it goes.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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0

Tunneling For 2nd Ave Subway Complete

Posted by
on September 22nd, 2011 at 6:50 pm

Earlier today, the MTA announced that tunneling for the first phase of the Second Avenue Subway was complete. More details courtesy of the press release sent out:

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority completed tunneling today for the first phase of the Second Avenue Subway when a tunnel boring machine (TBM) reached the Lexington Avenue-63rd Street station, breaking into the existing tunnel. The completion of tunneling marks a major milestone in the $4.45 billion project that will provide service from 96th Street to 63rd Street as an extension of the Q train.

The TBM began its journey in March and completed the east (northbound) tunnel after making a tight, westerly curve into the existing 63rd Street Station. The tunnel will now receive the concrete lining which provides the permanent tunnel structure. The work is part of the initial $392 million tunnels and shafts contract that was awarded in March 2007 to Skanska, Schiavone and Shea Tunnel Constructors, JV.

The 485-ton, 450-foot-long TBM used a 22-foot diameter cutterhead to mine 7,789 linear feet averaging approximately 60 linear feet a day. The average depth of the tunnel is 70 feet. During the first 200 feet, the TBM mined through ground which has been frozen, a technique which engineers employ to harden soil, or decomposed rock, enabling the excavation process.

The TBM began mining the 7,209 linear-foot west (southbound) tunnel in May 2010 from the launch box at 92nd Street and was then disassembled and pulled back to 92nd Street where it started its second run this spring to mine the east tunnel.

Work is currently underway to rehabilitate the Lexington Avenue- 63rd Street station to accommodate the future Q extension. It will now take approximately three weeks to partially disassemble and pull back the TBM through the tunnel by locomotive. The TBM will be completely dismantled once it returns to the launch box and will be sent back to the contractor’s facilities.

Phase I of the Second Avenue Subway will serve more than 200,000 people per day, reducing overcrowding on the Lexington Avenue Line and restoring a transit link to a neighborhood that lost the Second Avenue Elevated in the 1940’s.

When Phase I is complete in December 2016, it will decrease crowding on the adjacent Lexington Avenue Line by as much as 13%, or 23,500 fewer riders on an average weekday. It will also reduce travel times by up to 10 minutes or more (up to 27%) for those on the far east side or those traveling from the east side to west midtown.

The line is being built in phases, with the Phase I of the Second Avenue Subway providing service from 96th Street to 63rd Street as an extension of the Q train, including three new ADA-accessible stations along Second Avenue at 96th, 86th and 72nd Streets, and new entrances to the existing Lexington Avenue- 63rd Street Station at 63rd Street and Third Avenue. Further phases of the project will extend the line from 125th Street in Harlem to Hanover Square in the Financial District. The configuration of the tracks will allow for possible future extensions into Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx.

Funding for this critical improvement to the MTA’s transportation network is being provided by MTA local sources and federal ($1.37 billion) sources.

It is hard for me to get excited for this considering how behind schedule the project truly is & how its current planned setup is not maximizing its potential.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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MTA NYC Restores Full A, B, C & D Service

Posted by
on September 20th, 2011 at 6:26 am

Just a couple of minutes ago, MTA NYC Transit issued a press release to announce the full restoration of service along the Central Park West corridor after yesterday morning’s water main break at 106th Street.

Crews from various NYC Transit Department of Subways Divisions worked late into the night and into the early hours this morning to restore service on the A, B, C, and D lines after yesterday’s massive water main break at 106th Street and Central Park West. Full service was restored to all tracks shortly after 5:00 a.m.

Using both stationary and portable pumps, crews were successful in removing water three to ten feet deep along the tracks stretching from the 103rd Street station to 125th Street. Crews also replaced approximately 30 motorized signal stop arms that were damaged by the water. A massive clean-up of mud and debris was done, while tracks and third rails were power-washed. Work trains were called into service to remove debris as it was collected and bagged.

The damage to tracks, signals and other components forced a full suspension in B and C service for most of yesterday as well as suspended service between 59th Street-Columbus Circle and 168th Street.

The water main break occurred shortly before 11:30 a.m. Monday at 106th Street and Central Park West with reports indicating that the ruptured 36-inch water main was nearly 100 years old. Maintainers responded quickly and discovered eight to ten feet of water in the system between 103rd Street and 110th Street and nearly four feet of water as far north as 125th Street. Pumps located in the 125th Street Station were able to move about 6,000 gallons of water per minute out of the system.

This is excellent news for riders who depend on those lines. Good job to those who helped restore service as quickly as possible.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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MTA Introduces On The Go!

Posted by
on September 20th, 2011 at 3:34 am

Lost in the chaos of the 106th Street water main break was the MTA introducing a new touch screen travel station titled “On The Go!”. Here are more details courtesy of the press release I received:

The On the Go! Travel Station — a new interactive touch-screen that offers MTA travel information and a whole lot more – was launched today at the Bowling Green station (4 and 5 lines) as part of a pilot project that within the next few weeks will include a total of five subway stations and commuter rail hubs.

The sleek, stainless steel enclosure supports a large screen with a colorful display, offering customers information about their entire trip, from planning with Trip Planner+, real-time service status, escalator & elevator status and local neighborhood maps. In addition, the MTA has partnered with third party developers to include applications which provide additional information, such as local history, shopping and dining options nearby provided by third-party applications mycity app and Zagats. As added features, the screens will provide news and weather information. Taken together, this is an unprecedented amount of information made available to subway and commuter rail customers in one handy tool.

“With On the Go, we are adding yet another layer of state-of-the-art customer communications into our subway system, but it goes far beyond the already helpful information provided by our countdown clocks and the displays in our new technology subway cars,” said MTA NYC Transit President Thomas F. Prendergast. “On the Go will provide riders with instant information that makes using the transit system more efficient.”

As part of collaboration with Cisco, this pilot demonstration project is designed to be a new and innovative travel tool useful to daily commuters and tourists alike.
On the Go! utilizes Cisco’s Interactive Services Solution, a flexible and scalable platform which enables digital interactions through rich media, live video, real-time information, and user-friendly management tools. The On the Go! Travel Station leverages the power of network connectivity and interactive digital media to improve passenger experience, increase operational efficiency, and create new sources of revenue.

“Cisco is pleased to collaborate with the MTA in bringing real-time information and interactive video content to transit passengers in New York City. Travelers can better plan their trips, gain more visibility into service changes and advisories, and obtain information on businesses and other locations in their local neighborhoods or as they explore the city,” said Syed Hoda, general manager, Emerging Solutions Group, Cisco. “We have worked with cities all over the world, as a part of our Smart+Connected Communities initiative, in using the network as the platform to transform physical communities to connected communities. This pilot demonstration shows the potential for technology to connect, enhance and improve the quality of life for communities.”

The On the Go! Travel Stations will be available for customer use beginning today at Bowling Green. The pilot will also be rolled out at Penn Station (LIRR), Grand Central Terminal (Metro-North), Atlantic Avenue – Pacific St (2, 3, 4, 5, B, D N Q R) and Jackson Heights /Roosevelt Avenue (7, E, F, M, R).

On the Go! can be customized for a specific location and by time of day. For example, at the Penn Station Travel Station, during the morning, the screen will default to subway information and in the evenings it will default to LIRR service. All content is remotely managed from a secure web-based management system and applications can be changed or updated as needed.

Designed by Antenna Design New York Inc., the stainless steel enclosure and its components are extremely durable and easy to clean and maintain. Depending on customer acceptance and success of the pilots, On the Go! may eventually be installed in stations throughout the system. It is anticipated that the On the Go! Travel Stations will generate significant advertising income, which would help to defray the costs of installation.

Hopefully riders find this tool useful & it turns into a permanent device found in all stations along with it being a money maker for the MTA. I will try to get down to Bowling Green in the next day or so to take a look & test it out.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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0

NYCT Continues Water Repair Work

Posted by
on September 20th, 2011 at 3:21 am


MTA workers setting up machines to pump flooded tracks at the 125th Street station on the A, B, C & D. Photo courtesy of Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin.

The effects of yesterday morning’s water main break are still being felt along the Central Park West corridor. A few hours ago, the agency announced it was continuing to do all that it can to restore service.

Customers using A, B, C and D train service should expect severe service disruptions during the pm rush hour due to a water main break in the vicinity of 110th Street and Central Park West.

Both B and C train service are suspended from end to end. A train service is suspended between West 145th Street and 59th Street-Columbus Circle and D trains are not running between 161st Street-Yankee Stadium, in the Bronx and 34th Street-Herald Square in Manhattan.

Shuttle trains will serve customers traveling between 205th Street and 161st Street-Yankee Stadium on the Concourse line. Customers can utilize 4 train service to and from 161st Street. Shuttle trains will provide service to A line customers between 207th Street and 168th Street.

Yankee fans leaving this afternoon’s game should utilize 4 train service where extra Manhattan-bound trains have been added terminating at Bowling Green. Metro-North Railroad will also cross honor tickets at the Yankees-E.153rd Street station on trains returning to Harlem-125th Street and Grand Central Terminal.

Work crews are on site at the location of the water main to pump out water covering tracks at stations from 103rd Street to 125th Street along Central Park West and St Nicholas Avenue. Four pumps are currently pumping 6,000 gallons of water a minute out of the system to restore service as soon as possible.

The last line of that notice alone should be able to paint the amount of water that found its way over 22 blocks & 4 subway stations. If you need some visuals, check out yet another shot below:


MTA workers pumping out flooded tracks at the 125th Street station on the A, B, C & D. Photo courtesy of Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin.

For a complete set of photos, click here.

Hopefully they can get this fixed by the morning rush & if not definitely by the PM rush as I will be riding along that corridor later today.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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