Archinect - News

New York could bring back congestion pricing under revised plan

2024-11-14T09:48:00-05:00

New York’s Governor Kathy Hochul has indicated the return to congestion pricing could be imminent before the new year. ABC7 reports: "Along with announcing a revised congestion pricing proposal, setting the base fare at $9 instead of $15, she is expected to discuss an alternate revenue source to make up for the lost $6, a 40% decrease in revenue."

The move comes after a last-minute pause right before its originally scheduled start in June and in anticipation of the second Trump administration’s return to the White House. The plan will ultimately work to alleviate the MTA's large budget deficits, which are projected to reach $900 million. Several lawsuits have attempted to halt it otherwise. Kate Wagner recently pointed to congestion pricing as an area for architects to invest their energies in as "agents of change."

New York City releases RFP to transform Park Avenue into a verdant, public space

2024-08-30T08:00:00-04:00

Earlier this week, the City of New York released a request for proposals (RFP) to redesign a portion of Park Avenue, between East 46th Street and East 57th Street, by adding greenery, public seating, concessions, and safer crossings for pedestrians.

This section of Park Avenue sits atop the Grand Central Terminal Train Shed, which is currently undergoing a major rehabilitation by the City and the MTA. The project includes replacing the train shed roof structure and waterproofing membrane, along with enhancing Park Avenue, which will be removed and reconstructed in stages as underground work occurs. The street will be restored with an expanded median for pedestrians. Its redesign aims to enhance public space, promote sustainable transit options, and foster community for residents and visitors.

The New York City Department of Transportation is seeking design services from a contractor with a background in landscape architecture or urban design to fill the wider median with elements,...

New York Governor Hochul is being sued over decision to pause NYC congestion pricing plan

2024-07-27T11:00:00-04:00

Congestion pricing proponents want to see New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in court. A group of local advocates filed a pair of lawsuits against the governor on Thursday, claiming she lacked the legal authority to order the MTA to pause the Manhattan tolling program last month. It was originally scheduled to launch on June 30 until Hochul made an eleventh-hour declaration that it would not move forward.

It seemed as though the long debated congestion pricing program was finally on its way following the Federal Highway Administration's approval of the program in June of last year.

One of the lawsuits argues that NY Governor Kathy Hochul's move to pause the program is "lawless" as it violates the 2019 state law that originally authorized congestion pricing. The other legal challenge claims that her decision works against the need for improved air quality and greenhouse gas reductions that are required by law.

As reported by Gothamist, many fear that this stoppage in the congestion pricing plan could lead to the cancellation of the initiative entirely. Critics also believe Hochul's move was a political decision to appease voters in regions against congestion pricing. The above lawsuits are expected to go before a judge in September.

New York’s MTA is hiring a director for its real estate portfolio

2024-04-17T12:16:00-04:00

Following last week’s look at an opening for a Technical Architect - US Government Work at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, we are using this week’s edition of our Job Highlights series to explore an open role on Archinect Jobs for a Deputy Director, Occupancy Management - Real Estate at the MTA Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

The role, based in New York City, calls for an individual from an architectural or real estate background to support the MTA’s real estate operations. Among the responsibilities for the position will be to “focus on focus on maximizing the efficiency and strategic use of the MTA’s substantial office space portfolio,” which encompasses up to 4 million square feet.

Related on Archinect: New public art commissions for NYC's soon-to-open Grand Central Madison expansion include mosaics by Yayoi Kusama and Kiki Smith. Image courtesy Metropolitan Transportation Authority - MTA/Facebook

Why the role interests us

The open role at the MTA offers us the opportunity to ...

New York City MTA releases 20-Year Needs Assessment plan... sans price tag

2023-10-13T12:06:00-04:00

Some 400 miles of subway tracks, half of Metro-North’s Hudson Line and several Long Island Rail Road stations are in dire need of upgrades to stave off flooding and other extreme weather exacerbated by climate change, the MTA wrote in a report published on Wednesday. The report, called the 20-year needs assessment, is a breakdown of the agency’s $1.5 trillion worth of transit infrastructure, and details which equipment planners believe most urgently needs fixing over the next two decades.

The system, which is now (finally) on a more stable financial track, needs a litany of upgrades over the next two decades, according to the breakdown. A total of 350 of the 493 elevators operated by the MTA will need to be replaced in that timeframe. Another 6,300 rail cars and 100% of all 6,000 city buses will also need to be replaced. (The full assessment can be found here.)

The findings were published in advance of a five-year construction phase that begins in 2025, though an exact price tag for the slate of fixes has yet to be established by the agency.

Another audit from the state comptroller’s office released last week indicated that the MTA has not sufficiently used money from capital improvement projects to mitigate against the effects of climate change, as was made apparent by the September 29 catastrophic rain event.

New Jersey sues to block NYC congestion pricing plan

2023-07-25T11:35:00-04:00

New Jersey took a significant step Friday as it seeks to block New York’s congestion pricing plan with a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). Gov. Phil Murphy, standing behind a podium that read “FIGHTING AN UNFAIR CONGESTION TAX,” said at a morning press conference that he hopes the lawsuit triggers an environmental impact statement delaying the program.

New York City's new congestion pricing plan was finally approved on a federal level last month following years of debate that began under then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy told CBS’ Face the Nation on Sunday that he wants to prevent pollution from the anticipated backlog of commuters, who are also out of alternatives still years ahead of the $11 billion Gateway Tunnel’s expected completion. The MTA is contesting his ability to challenge the congestion pricing plan in the first place.

Previously on Archinect: New York City's congestion pricing program receives federal approval

The friction between the city and its outlying communities, amplified by the pandemic, has taken a role in the discussions over office downturn, public transit, crime, and other issues. Several reports this week indicated Staten Island will also join New Jersey in suing the Department of Transportation. The MTA's capital projects and depleted ridership are the primary beneficiary of t...

New York City's congestion pricing program receives federal approval

2023-06-27T13:58:00-04:00

Congestion pricing in New York City has cleared its final federal hurdle, officials said on Monday, all but ensuring that the first such program in the nation will begin next year with the aim of reducing traffic and pollution in Manhattan and funding improvements to mass transit.

Following the Federal Highway Administration’s approval of the program, a local panel appointed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will now work to determine final toll rates, including any discounts or exemptions.

A report released by the MTA last August revealed one proposal that would charge $23 for a trip during rush hour into Midtown Manhattan and $17 during off-peak hours. Initially approved by the New York State legislature in 2019, the program is expected to generate $1 billion per year for the MTA. This revenue will be directed toward improving New York City’s public transit network. The Authority says the program could potentially start in spring 2024.

Previously on Archinect: Congestion pricing in New York City set to become a reality by the end of 2023

As reported by The New York Times, opponents of the plan include the likes of taxi drivers and ride-share companies who believe the new tolls will cut demand for their services. In addition, some New Jersey...

New York's MTA will officially make 95% of subway stations ADA compliant by 2055

2023-04-11T15:25:00-04:00

A Manhattan federal judge on Friday approved a settlement to a class action lawsuit that locks the MTA into equipping 95% of subway and Staten Island Railway stations with elevators or ramps — with a deadline three decades away. The approval by Judge Edgardo Ramos caps one part of a long-running push by advocates for people with disabilities to improve access to a transit system where merely a quarter of the nearly 500 stations comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

As The City reported, the ruling makes the terms of last June’s landmark settlement official. Judge Ramos told plaintiffs that he knows the push would be a “very difficult thing to achieve.” MTA officials currently plan the upgrades in stages, with 81 stations affected by 2024 as part of the $50 MTA Capital Program; another 85 by 2035; 90 more by 2045; and the final 90 ready by 2055, bringing the total to 346 (or about 95% of the networks total stations).

New public art commissions for NYC's soon-to-open Grand Central Madison expansion include mosaics by Yayoi Kusama and Kiki Smith

2022-10-24T18:30:00-04:00

The terminal will also be an underground gallery of sorts, featuring enormous mosaics by two female artists with strong New York City connections, M.T.A. Arts & Design, which commissions art for the transit authority, is announcing Friday: Kiki Smith, a longtime resident known for her figurative work, and Yayoi Kusama, the Japanese sculptor and installation artist who lived in the city from 1958 to 1975.

The $11 billion transportation project opens in December after a lengthy 16-year construction period. Kusama’s past public installations have drawn the admiration of millions from outside the art and design worlds, while the German-born and New York-based Smith is considered a leading figure of the Downtown scene that was popular in the city throughout the 1980s and 90s. Both will be tasked with creating floor-to-ceiling mosaics covering 2,400 square feet total, according to the New York Times.

“Whether it’s the constellation ceiling or the Tiffany clock or the statue of Mercury — the art and design make the terminal a true landmark and a destination,” MTA CEO Janno Lieber said last week in a statement. “The new LIRR Grand Central Madison facility below the existing terminal carries this tradition forward with art that elevates the travel experience and creates a sense of place. These 2,400 sq. ft of floor-to-ceiling mosaics are permanent gifts to the people of New York.”

...

MTA to evaluate potential subway line to run west along Harlem's 125th Street

2022-08-01T09:00:00-04:00

The MTA will consider a transformative project that would extend the upcoming Second Avenue Subway even further by routing it west below 125th Street and then further uptown, the agency announced this week.

The Second Avenue Subway is currently set to expand from its phase 1 completion, which wrapped up in January 2017 with the opening of the 72nd, 86th, and 96th Street stations. The decades-old project, which was originally proposed in 1920, moved into the next stage of the federal funding process earlier this year, that would make way for the extension of the line up to 125th Street in East Harlem. Three new stations would be built along this route.

Now, according to documents released by the MTA this week titled the MTA’s 2025-2044 20-Year Needs Assessment, the Authority will consider extending the Second Avenue Subway even further. The line would move westbound along 125th Street, adding two to four new subway stations. Listed possibilities include the route ending at Broadway and 125th Street, turning north below Broadway to a connection at 137th Street, turning north under Riverside Drive to a connection at 137th Street, or turning north under St. Nicholas Avenue and continuing ...

MTA agrees to make 95% of subway stations accessible by 2055

2022-06-24T15:50:00-04:00

New York has lagged for years behind other major American cities in making its subway system accessible to people with disabilities: Just 126 of its 472 stations, or 27 percent, have elevators or ramps that make them fully accessible. But on Wednesday, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said it would add elevators and ramps to 95 percent of the subway’s stations by 2055 as part of a settlement agreement in two class-action lawsuits over the issue.

The settlement will see 81 subway and Staten Island Railway stations accessible by 2025. Another 85 stations will be made accessible by 2035, with 90 more by 2045, and an additional 90 by 2055. The subway stations selected for changes include nine that currently are partially accessible, where passengers who cannot use stairs only have access to trains traveling in one direction. The MTA will be required to allocate approximately 15 percent of the subway’s capital budget for the improvements.

Transit officials have pointed to engineering concerns, construction time, and costs as the factors behind the plan’s lengthy timeline. Even when complete, the subway will not be 100 percent accessible. However, despite this, the agreement, which still requires court approval, addresses an issue that has long prevented commuters with disabilities from accessing the city’s transit system.

MTA's fare-capping pilot program proves to be successful after first month

2022-04-05T15:10:00-04:00

In its first month, the MTA’s OMNY fare capping pilot had more than 168,000 people hit a 13th ride, earning an unlimited pass for the rest of that week. The agency said this group of straphangers had gone on to ride enough to save more than $1 million in fares. MTA Chairman Janno Lieber said at last week’s monthly MTA board meeting that these were the kind of results that could ensure the program sticks around after the four-month pilot is over.

Launched towards the end of February, the pilot fare program seems to be a win for both the MTA and its riders, which could prompt making it permanent. Data collected by the agency shows that 86% of people who got the bonus were subway riders, with the remaining reaching the 13th ride on buses.

More than half of the riders who got the bonus received it from a tap originating in Manhattan. The second and third most popular boroughs are Brooklyn and Queens, respectively. Riders in Staten Island only accounted for just 0.5% of the people who earned the weekly bonus, and the Bronx accounted for 5%.

Previously on Archinect: MTA announces the launch of fare cap to increase ridership

In addition, recent data shows that weekend subway ridership has hovered just above 60% pre-pandemic levels, with weekday ridership being a little below 60%. Bus ridership is also around 60% of what it was before 2020. The weekly fare-capping pilot program is set to end in July and would need widespread appro...

Congestion pricing in New York City set to become a reality by the end of 2023

2022-03-18T17:02:00-04:00

Congestion pricing may be headed to New York City by the end of 2023. During a budget hearing with the New York City Council's transportation committee this week, MTA Director of Capital Program Management Steve Berrang revealed that the agency expects the federal government to approve the environmental review later this year, which will be followed by a year-long process of installing the congestion pricing infrastructure.

This plan, the country’s first ever congestion pricing law, is coming into fruition after it was initially approved by the state legislature in Albany in 2019 and then subsequently stalled by the Trump administration. The congestion pricing will include tolls for drivers entering Manhattan south of 60th Street. Gothamist reports that the fees for cars and trucks have not been determined, however, they could be $9 to $23 for EZ-Pass and more for tolls-by-mail.

Previously on Archinect: New York is moving forward with its controversial congestion pricing plan

The MTA aims to generate $1 billion in revenue annually with the law, in addition to $15 billion from selling bonds. The agency also estimates that congestion pricing will help prevent up to 17 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions and save $100 million in healthcare costs from reduced emissions. The revenue received from the tolls will go towards paying for the cost of constructing its infrastructure and New York City T...

New York City to prevent homeless people from sheltering in subway stations and trains

2022-02-19T09:00:00-05:00

Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Friday a sweeping plan to deploy teams of police officers and social workers into New York City’s subway, pledging to remove homeless people who shelter on trains and platforms, some of whom have contributed to escalating violence in the system.

According to the new plan, the police will have a direct mandate to enforce rules against lying down, sleeping, occupying more than one seat, littering, aggressive behavior towards riders, smoking, and open drug use. In addition, mental health professionals with the power to order involuntary hospitalization of people they deem a danger to themselves or others will be mobilized.

“No more just doing whatever you want,” said Mayor Adams at a press conference at the Fulton Street subway stop Friday morning. “No, those days are over…The system was not made to be housing, it’s made to be transportation.” The measures come following a spike in violent crime in the transit system, with riders saying it has led them to avoid the subway.

As noted by The New York Times, the plan lacked details on where evicted homeless individuals would immediately go. There was also little information on the cost of the plan and how it would be paid for.

MTA announces the launch of fare cap to increase ridership

2022-02-08T14:59:00-05:00

In an effort to encourage New Yorkers to get back on subways, buses, and trains -- particularly following the sharp decline in ridership due to the pandemic -- the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced a pilot fare program that is "more affordable, more flexible and more fair."

The fare capping pilot will feature free, unlimited rides after 12 OMNY taps, New York’s contactless fare payment system that will replace the MetroCard on the New York City subway in 2023. Under this program, no OMNY user would pay more than $33 per week, which is the current price of a seven-day unlimited-ride MetroCard. The pilot will last for at least four months starting February 25th for commuter rail tickets and the 28th for New York City Transit.

Previously on Archinect: Newly signed infrastructure bill halts MTA fare increases and service cuts

This move is a major shift from a beleaguered MTA, which has faced service cuts and proposed fare increases throughout the pandemic. The MTA will evaluate the program’s impact and customer experience, and if successful, the agency may extend or even make the fare cap permanent.

MTA's plan to create artificial reefs with retired subway cars fails

2022-01-27T17:01:00-05:00

After 58 years of service, the Metropolitan Transit Authority has now retired every single one of its remaining “Brightliners” (R-32 subway cars). Known for their shiny corrugated stainless-steel paneling, the Brightliners bid New York City farewell earlier this month, before they were taken by rail to be scrapped in Ohio.

A majority of the cars were retired over ten years ago, when more than a 1,000 of the R-32s were dumped in coastal areas in Delaware, New Jersey, and Georgia to establish artificial reefs. The plan was meant to boost recreational fishing, which at the time generated billions in state and federal taxes. Additionally, it would have saved the MTA millions of dollars by not sending the cars to get scrapped.

However, the Brightliners ended up disintegrating only months after they were dropped. The reason behind this is because the trains were made of stainless steel and spot-welded, leading to corrosion. And, their corrugated pattern made it easier for undercurrent waves to tear the cars apart.

Governor Kathy Hochul announces Interborough Express rail line to connect Brooklyn and Queens

2022-01-06T20:07:00-05:00

A long sought train connection between Brooklyn and Queens may finally become a reality, as New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced she wants to "take an old, unused, 14-mile-long right-of-way and create what we're calling the Inter-Borough Express" during her State of the State address Wednesday.

The project would repurpose an existing freight rail line that runs through Brooklyn and Queens, starting in Bay Ridge and stretching to Astoria. The route would run through neighborhoods currently not served by rail transit, including Sunset Park, Borough Park, Kensington, Midwood, Flatbush, Flatlands, New Lots, Brownsville, East New York, Bushwick, Ridgewood, Middle Village, Maspeth, Elmhurst, and Jackson Heights.

According to the MTA, this project will serve approximately one million riders daily and provide job access to underserved communities. Hochul has directed the MTA to conduct an environmental review immediately.

MTA service is cut as more than 1,000 workers are out sick due to omicron spread

2022-01-05T17:52:00-05:00

Get set for delays on many subway lines and bus routes. At least 1,000 workers for the MTA are out sick with COVID as the omicron variant continues to surge throughout New York City. With those absences, there will be subway and bus delays across the city as commuters return to work and school Monday.

Amidst the rapid spread of the omicron variant, the MTA has suspended service on the B, W, and Z lines, the express service on the Number 6 train in the Bronx, express service on the Number 7 train in Queens, and partial suspension of the A train in Far Rockaway, Queens.

Newly signed infrastructure bill halts MTA fare increases and service cuts

2021-11-15T18:03:00-05:00

The transit agency that oversees New York City’s subway, buses and two regional commuter rails will postpone fare increases for at least six months and defer drastic service cuts now that it anticipates receiving billions of dollars from the federal infrastructure bill, officials said on Monday.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said that the newly-enacted $1 trillion infrastructure bill signed by President Biden today would allow the state and the MTA to avoid harmful price and service changes. The influx of money comes as the MTA is aggressively trying to lure back ridership, which plummeted in the wake of the pandemic resulting in massive losses in revenue.

Previously on Archinect: New York's subway system could be broke by 2025 as remote work continues

According to The New York Times, the MTA has for months been warning about service cuts, and at one point, projected reducing subway and bus service by around 40 percent. Other plans to implement fare increases have been postponed throughout the year. While the bill will alleviate pressure from the MTA, it remains unclear how long fare increases and service cuts will be averted. The agency is expected to present its latest financial plan, including details on its 2022 budget, at its board meeting on Wednesday.

New York's subway system could be broke by 2025 as remote work continues

2021-09-29T20:40:00-04:00

New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the largest U.S. mass-transit provider, is running on borrowed time, facing budget and revenue challenges as federal aid is set to tap out in 2025, State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, said in a report Tuesday.

The announcement comes on the heels of a rough summer for the MTA, which is only now seeing its ridership climb past 50% of pre-pandemic levels as it weighs a controversial congestion pricing plan that would add $1 billion in revenue a year beginning in 2023.

Interim boss Sarah Feinberg stepped down in late July, creating a leadership vacuum for the agency, which is now projecting $3.5 billion budget deficits that will run into 2024 and 2025. The MTA currently owes about $48 billion in debt.

The MTA will now have to grapple with the ramifications of the remote work revolution. According to the state’s report, annual fare revenues could decrease by $500 million if the typical rider adopts a three-to-four-day telecommute.

New York is moving forward with its controversial congestion pricing plan

2021-09-24T12:13:00-04:00

New York City is moving forward with its plan to install the country’s first-ever congestion pricing law that would tax vehicles entering Manhattan south of 60th Street in an effort to raise money and reduce traffic in the heart of a city that’s home to more than 8 million people.

Construction Drive is reporting that the city government will renew public hearings next week for the scheme, which has been debated on and off since the heyday of the Bloomberg administration.

The controversial push was first approved by the state legislature in Albany in 2019 with the goal of generating over $1 billion a year in revenue, which in turn would help pay for a $51 billion MTA capital project that has since been suspended.

The measure is only beginning to move forward now after being blocked by the Trump administration for a period of years as part of an apparent spat between the executive branch and then-Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Related on Archinect: The War on Cars notches another victory ...

Mayhem in New York City and across the Northeast as Ida causes major infrastructure damage

2021-09-02T12:41:00-04:00

The transit situation on Thursday in New York City remained paralyzed, with service on more than half of the city’s subway lines disrupted, commuter rail lines running limited trains, and Amtrak canceling service on a major corridor.

Wednesday night’s flooding caused New York City to issue a travel ban usually reserved for major winter storm events. The storm also inundated large sections of major highways in Philadelphia and impacted operations at Newark Liberty International Airport.

The New York subway hasn’t seen a test of this magnitude since Hurricane Sandy caused $4.5 billion in damages that were meted out on the system for years.

Watch: The New York area was under a state of emergency on Thursday after the remnants of Hurricane Ida led to at least 14 deaths and disrupted subway service. Across the city, New Yorkers documented the scene as flood waters overwhelmed buses and subways. https://t.co/spVsdgF0XX pic.twitter.com/r2vg2aDRVg
— The New York Times (@nytimes) September 2, 2021

A lot of the upgrades the MTA made after Sandy involved improving signal switches and flood-proofing the subway’s electrical grid.

The LIRR, NJ Transit, and Metro-North systems have all temporarily shut down. I-95 was also af...

A New York City MTA train has been wrapped in Supreme in new collaboration

2021-08-17T15:11:00-04:00

A Supreme-wrapped subway train has been added to the New York City MTA. This marks the second major collaboration between the two, following their 2017 MTA MetroCard release.

Looks like Supreme is linking up with NYC & MTA again. This time full wrap on subway trains @DropsByJay @snkr_twitr @J23app

Thanks to my man Kenny for the pics! pic.twitter.com/BMb6pY1g35
— C (@IDKwhyImHere) August 9, 2021

Rolled out this past weekend, one train, fully wrapped in Supreme’s iconic red Box Logo, will run on the L line, an MTA spokesperson told WCBS reporter Vincent Barone. The MTA representative also stated that this partnership is part of a new revenue stream for the organization, along with a means of promoting Supreme’s upcoming Fall/Winter 2021 collection. This comes as the MTA recovers from sharp declines in ridership as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic last year.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Supreme (@supremenewyork)

The pair’s first collaboration came i...

Subway flooding is getting worse as a result of extreme weather

2021-07-27T12:45:00-04:00

Subway systems around the world are struggling to adapt to an era of extreme weather brought on by climate change. Their designs, many based on the expectations of another era, are being overwhelmed, and investment in upgrades could be squeezed by a drop in ridership brought on by the pandemic.

New York is still repairing damages to its subway system caused nearly a decade ago by Hurricane Sandy as the installation of certain protective also lags behind schedule. Coastal cities like New York and Boston are facing nine-digit pricetags as they prepare their populations for climate change in earnest.

12 people died aboard a flooded subway car last week in Zhengzhou, China. London underground riders have been rained out as well.

The New York Times has more on the rising concern here.

Video of NYC's Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge facing high winds goes viral

2020-12-08T20:07:00-05:00

Earlier this month, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge was closed due to weather. However, a video posted to Twitter of the bridge undergoing heavy winds went viral due to the sights and sounds recorded.

Bridges are built to pass strict safety and construction standards and be capable of withstanding various weight loads and weather conditions. Yet, in this case, the high winds that swept through the bridge created a sight that could have come out of a sci-fi film. On top of the dense fog cloaking the bridge, the video below left many viewers ready to share their thoughts.

"Suspension bridges — particularly the longest span in North America — are engineered to be flexible, and any movements on the bridge were within its safety standards," shares MTA Spokesperson Aaron Donovan. "The MTA's weather event safety protocols were activated early and worked as designed with no structural damage, no major vehicular accidents, and no injuries resulting from Monday's high winds."

MTA suffers huge losses from COVID-19 pandemic as ridership declines sharply

2020-03-20T17:41:00-04:00

Ridership declines across all of the MTA’s trains and buses is becoming “more severe” by the day, the agency’s latest statistics revealed, causing $87 million in weekly revenue losses and raising the specter of more debt and drastic cuts to much-needed long-term repairs.

Already dealing with financial pressure, New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority is being hit especially hard by the coronavirus pandemic, as new ridership data in the latest Annual Disclosure Statement reveals.

"Recent substantial declines in ridership and traffic in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have already been observed and have become more severe daily," reads the statement. "There remains a high risk for further reductions in ridership and people may permanently alter their commutation behavior after this crisis based on their telecommuting experience during the COVID-19 crisis."

View this post on Instagram A post shared by MTA New York City Transit (@mtanyctransit) on Mar 18, 2020 at 7:03pm PDT

Earlier this week, MTA Chairman and CEO, Patrick J. Foye, requested an incremental $4 billion in federal assistance to "allow MTA to respond to the coronavirus pandemic" — more than 23% of the agency's current annual $17.1 billion operating budget.

Influential New York City subway map designer Michael Hertz has died

2020-02-26T14:42:00-05:00

Michael Hertz, whose design firm produced one of the most consulted maps in human history, the curvy-lined chart that New York City subway riders peer at over one another’s shoulders to figure out which stop they want, died on Feb. 18 in East Meadow, N.Y. He was 87.

In an effort to boost ridership, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, North America's largest public transportation network, formed a committee under the leadership of John Tauranac in the mid-1970s to create a new, more appealing map for the New York City subway system and replace the iconic, Massimo Vignelli-designed — yet impractical and not universally loved — map in service at the time.

Michael Hertz Associates provided a new design, featuring more geographically correct lines, which was ultimately published in June 1979 in time for the subway's 75-year anniversary. It has remained the basis for all subsequent maps issued until today.

New York City Subway Map from July 2019. Courtesy of Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York.

"The map that Mr. Hertz’s firm came up with included streets, neighborhoods and other surface reference points," writes Neil Genzlinger for the NYT. "And it depicted the city and its signature elements like Central Park and th...

MTA moves to finally address subway station accessibility issues

2019-09-27T09:00:00-04:00

The MTA pledged Monday to fast-track subway access for people with disabilities by making 66 more stations easier to navigate as part of a new $51 billion, five-year spending plan...The promise comes as the MTA faces multiple lawsuits over the shortage of elevators in the subway system

"Making 66 more stations accessible would triple the number that had been tapped for Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades in the 2015-2019 capital plan," THE CITY reports.

The planned upgrades are part of MTA's recently announced $54 billion capital improvement plan.

New York City has a $54 billion blueprint for fixing the subways

2019-09-18T08:00:00-04:00

New York's public transportation system isn't perfect, but its proper, punctual functioning is critical to the city's existence. Flaws and all, millions of New York natives and visitors log over 1 billion trips on the subway and bus systems each year.

On Monday, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced a $54 billion plan to renovate "the city's floundering transit network," according to Emma G. Fitzsimmons of the New York Times. The MTA's proposal announcement presents a detailed "wish list" of improvement projects to undertake over the next five years.

Plans include: modernizing subway signals along the Lexington Ave. Line, adding elevators to 70 stations to improve wheelchair accessibility, and extending the Second Ave. Subway north towards East Harlem.

In a recent news statement, MTA chairman Patrick J. Foye said, "At the end of this five-year period, New Yorkers will see a revitalized and modern system for the 21st century and beyond." While the idea of fixing the ...

New York moves ahead with congestion pricing

2019-04-01T19:01:00-04:00

More than a decade after New York came close to enacting the country’s first-ever congestion pricing program, it’s finally becoming a reality. A tolling structure for Manhattan’s central business district (CBD)—roughly defined as the area below 60th Street in the borough—passed as part of the FY2020 budget, as both a means for reducing the traffic that clogs city streets, and introducing a new stream of revenue for the perpetually cash-strapped MTA.

"New York’s congestion pricing move may also lead other cities to implement their own traffic surcharges—Boston, Los Angeles, and Seattle are among the municipalities that have been considering it," writes Curbed.