Thank goodness this is not a NYC subway car. However, I’d imagine it can’t be that far behind.
This little gem is from the Toronto subway system, and I discovered it on this Canuck blog. In a recent advertising move, Ikea launched a campaign up there in Cana-dee-a.
They took over an entire train and decorated each car in “Ikea style” decor. You can see the pictures, if you can stomach it, by clicking here.
How long until that crap shows up on the S train?
Well here’s an idea that finally makes sense.
This year, the surging current of the East River will help provide power to a nearby subway station. The lights that lace the ornate interior of Manhattan’s Grand Central Station have largely been replaced by bulbs that burn brightly but save energy. There are plans to make the rooftop of a Queens bus depot bloom like a garden. [USA TODAY]
Do some more of that and maybe the MTA can get their finances under control. Save a little dough.
Maybe they could figure our a way to turn the oppressive summer subway heat into electricity.
A few days ago, we blogged about the Music Underground Program and the video that the NY Times posted.
Now, NPR is taking the idea in another direction. They chose their favorite four musicians (out of 50) and posted clips on their site. Now, they want you to go vote for your favorite. The mini contest is part of the Bryant Park Project.
Go check them out and vote. Maybe you’ll see them sometime during your commute this summer.
Tonight around 5pm, an N train jumped the tracks. There have been conflicting reports of whether or not it was just one car or two that derailed…not that it matters. The fact is that there was a subway derailment.
Passengers on board had to be removed with a rescue train. Typically, this means a train that pulls up along side the stranded train. Then, gangways or ramps are used to transfer passengers from one train to the other. In the derailed cars, passengers would have been moved forwards or backwards into cars that were still on the tracks.
At this time, the MTA website is still reporting:
Due to an ongoing rail condition at the 57th Street-7th Avenue Station:
Bay Ridge-bound
trains are running on the
line between the 36th Street Station in Queens and the 34th Street- Herald Square Station.
There is no
train service between the Queensboro Plaza Station and the Astoria-Ditmars Boulevard Station in both directions.
Shuttle trains are being provided between the Queensboro Plaza Station and the Astoria-Ditmars Boulevard Station.
Please expect delays in service on the
I love how it gets played down to an “ongoing rail condition.” I think it borders on dishonesty. Just come right out and say that it was because of a train derailment. Don’t try to be all secretive.
Also, it’s not really a huge shock. I posted this video over a month ago about a section of track at 59th street that sags 6″ or more when the train passes over it. It still has not been fixed. I cannot believe that they don’t know about it. If not, the inspector needs to be fired because this is obvious to all the passengers that wait on that platform. Plus, with all the construction on that platform, surely a worker has seen what I did.
Anyway, I think it is safe to say that there could be some morning issues for the commute. Even if everything gets fixed, it is likely that trains will run through the area slowly.
Check the MTA site for the latest updates.
Took a look at the blogroll today and noticed that there were a bunch if sites I honestly don’t read anymore. Either I’ve lost interest, or the owner has stopped posting…whatever. So, I went through an weeded out some of the dead wood.
So the blogroll is a little shorter now. If you’re on there, that’s because I really do enjoy your site!
Are there any you think should be added?
The New York Times has really stepped up its online video mojo. I haven’t looked at any of their vids in a long time, but today one caught my eye called “Subway Idol.”
It is a very well produced story or mini documentary about a musician auditioning for Music Under New York, a program that funds and supports subway musicians. Personally, I think it would have been in the MTA’s best interest to give SUBWAYblogger a shout about the auditions for a little publicity, but that’s just me.
The program itself has been around for a few years now and has grown to receive over 50 auditions, held in Grand Central Terminal.
Watch the video here. Very interesting if you are a subway music fan.
I just bought a new Metrocard, and was again reminded of how badly we monthy unlimited users were hosed in the fare hike.
I only bring it up because of yesterday’s news of a $3 billion deficit in the MTA budget.
Where the hell is all the money going? If there are millions of rides everyday, that means there’s millions in revenue everyday. However, it seems like that money is already spent before they even have it.
I also love how casually they say that the missing money was just for maintenance and repairs….nothing major. It’s the lack of repairs and maintenance that has caused the subway system to crumble in the first place!
Then you look around at stations like 59th Columbus Cirlce which is taking 2+ years to refurbish and you wonder what the hell is going on. They can build 30 story apartment buildings in a year, but they can’t pour fresh concrete and lay some tiles in less than 2 when it comes to the subway.
It’s a big scam.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
That’s what the MTA is saying these days when they look at the capital improvement budget. There’s a gaping $3 billion hole smack in the middle of the budget responsible for general repairs and maintenance of the transit system.
Yep. $3 Billion. Oops.
“The [CAPITAL] program has some shortfalls in it,” Metropolitan Transportation Authority CEO Elliot Sander said at an agency board meeting. [AMNY]
Uhhh yeah, “shortfall” is an understatement.
While mega-projects like the Second Avenue subway are not affected, the “nitty-gritty” work of station repairs and upgrades, signal replacements, or purchase of new cars could suffer, said MTA spokesman Jeremy Soffin. {AMNY]
You know, just the minor things like repairs, and track signals. And really, how badly do we really need working brakes?
SUBWAYblogger has an open casting call for guest subway bloggers. If you’ve got a subway related story worth telling, we want to hear about it! Heck, so does everyone else.
To share your story, simply shoot an email with your story off to “submit [at] subwayblogger.com”
Be sure to include any information about yourself or your website you would like included in the post. You will get link back credit! Or if you prefer, you can remain anonymous.
Well, yeah that smelly dude is standing a little to close to you, but at least the trains aren’t on fire.
Ok, that’s an exaggeration.
There was a manhole fire near the 33rd Street PATH station around noon today. Apparently, the smoke caused damage to the signal system on the PATH lines near this station.
So, there’s no PATH service from 33rd Street to Hoboken or Journal Square.
An overall significant inconvenience that apparently may still be an issue in the morning!
SUBWAYblogger 