Category: This just in

New South Ferry Station Set to Open

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The Old South Ferry Station pictured here.
The Old South Ferry Station pictured here.

MTA’s officials gave the press tours of the new South Ferry station that is expected to open next month.

Many reporters made comments about how clean it was, as it it were a hospital wing.  The fancy new station cost about $500 million to build directly under the current South Ferry station.

What does this mean for straphangers?  Once it opens, you’ll never hear a train conductor say that you have to be in one of the front five cars at South Ferry ever again.  The new station allows all 10 cars to platform.

The current South Ferry station is a gem.  It was opened just two years after the subway opened!  However, the turn is so sharp and the platform so short that only five cars are able to pull up to it.  So that meant riders would have to keep track what car they were in if they planned to get off.  Otherwise, they’d have to walk forward to another car or be stuck.

The new station has elevators and escalators as well as one of the more sophisticated security systems in the entire subway.

More Pointless Message Boards

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Looks like the MTA is still installing those pointless LED message boards.  The signage is designed to tell passenger when the next train will arrive as well as relay important messages.

The whole project has been a huge joke.  Some stations have had them installed for months if not a year or more.  The kicker…they’ve never worked.

Time was taken for them to be installed, but so far the system has only been tested.

I noticed that new ones were installed at my home station.  They are wrapped in plastic and duct tape right now, so I guess they aren’t ready yet.

Can’t manage to pay the electric bills, but we’re getting these epic boards.

Peace Out W and Z Lines

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Due to a complete cluster f*ck of the MTA financial systems, the Daily News reports that the MTA has drawn up plans to shut down the W and Z lines as well as turn the J into a local train.

These plans are not official, but they seem like they’ll have to be put into place.

Additionally, as many as 1,500 jobs could be cut, overnight waiting times up to 30 minutes, and a fare hike making a single ride $3.00 seems to be right around the corner.

Here lies the problem.  The MTA is a bureaucracy controlled by the State up in Albany that really only impacts the lives of people in New York City.  (Yes, I know the MTA runs services in the burbs such as buses, etc.  But I’m concentrating in the bulk of the issues which are here in the city.)

So there really isn’t enough outrage on behalf of the citizens of New York.  For example, people living in Utica, NY could give a crap if the subway runs on time, or if the W and Z lines continue to be around.  So they aren’t going to say anything.  Actually, they’re probably against financial support of the MTA because it has nothing do do with them really.

Mark my words, major sh*t is about to go down.

Vote and Ride the Subway

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Here’s an idea that’s uniquely New York: Vote while riding the subway.  You know how the MTA does it’s semi regular rider report cards?  Let’s do that for voting.

I can only imagine how long the lines are going to be tomorrow.  There’s going to be way more people than anyone expected voting tomorrow, so I thought this idea might be good for 2012.

Just like the report cards, have people pick up their official ballots on their way in to the subway.  You can still have it be official where you have to be registered to get a ballot.

Then you take your ballot with you on the train.  While you’re waiting on the platform or riding, you should have plenty of time to fill it out.  All you need is a No. 2 pencil, and you’re all set.  Then simply deposit your ballot when you get off the train.  Maybe that’s too open to fraud?

Ok, so instead checking in at the registration table before you get a ballot, you do it after.  So everyone who gets in the subway gets handed a blank ballot.  Then when you get to your destination, you take your completed ballot to the registration table.  If you’re on the roll and your info checks out, you can deposit your ballot in the box.

Or if all else fails, put big blue and red dots on the subway turnstiles.  Swipe through the blue turnstiles to vote for Obama.  Swipe through the red turnstiles to vote for McCain.  (Something tells me there’d be a log jam in the blue lanes.)

MTA: You Lose It, We Sell It

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We were reminded today by NYCtheBlog that the MTA regularly sells off stuff that they no longer want including your lost and found items.  Then again, I guess if you never claim your lost items, they really aren’t yours anymore but I digress.

You can buy everything from toll lane scrubbers (little Zamboni looking things), to office chairs, to subway poles, to subway lights, to your lost iPod.

Sometimes they have really high end electronics that get lost and found too.

You can buy yourself a little piece of subway history right from the source.  Check out the run down.

BREAKING: Cop Shot in Queens Subway

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SUBWAYblogger is getting reports that an officer was shot in the subway in Queens.

Sources tell us that at least one cop was shot.  A second officer was also injured and taken to the hospital.  Not sure if that officer was shot as well.

The suspect(s) are in custody and are also reported to have been shot.

This all has allegedly occurred at the F train in Queens at 21st Street and 41st Ave.

UPDATE: Confirmed that two police officers were shot at Queensboro Bridge Station.

Update Update: Two officers, Shane Farina and Jason Maass, were attempting to arrest a suspect for using a child’s student fare card (shocking) when a struggle broke out.  The suspect grabbed one of the officer’s guns and opened fire on both of them.

One cop was shot in the chest, the other in the back.

The officers managed to radio ahead to their lieutenant, who was positioned near the token booth.  The lieutenant drew down on the suspect and opened fire, shooting the suspect 4 times.

Suspect Raul Nunez faces attempted murder and could get 25 years to life.

Slightly Embarrassing Turnstile Moment

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I’m going to open myself up to a ton of criticism here, because I’m sure I probably made fun of someone for this at some point in the past.  Here we go anyway…

So I got a new work bag to carry my laptop and whatnot.  My other one started to rip where the shoulder strap attached to the bag itself.  Loved that bag, but after 4 years, it had served its useful life.

I bought a new one that arrived on Friday.  It’s really nice and I love it.  For what I paid, I better love it.

It’s professional gear.  Really high quality and durable because I definitely beat the crap out of my work bags.  So I don’t mind making a hefty investment in one that will last.

Anyway, it is a bit more ridged than my last one.  It has more structure, so it doesn’t squish what’s inside.

Just for reference (and you’ll see why in a moment) it is a single shoulder carry case that hangs down next to your hip.  You see hundreds of similar bags every day of your life.

So I go to swipe through the turnstile as usual.  Unfortunately, I got stuck.  Yeah I know, stuck.

My new bag is about an inch too wide to fit through the turnstile perpendicularly.  So I got half way through and got jammed.  I had to take the shoulder strap off, turn around, and pop my bag out.

It was suspended in mid air because it was wedged between the left and right side of the turnstile.  Oops.  Wide load coming through.

So now I have to consciously remember to turn it parallel each time I go though.  It’s gonna take a while to get used to.  I’m sure I will look like an idiot a few more times before I really remember.

More Train Wraps Spotted

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By now, most midtown subway riders have heard of, if not seen, the Times Square Shuttle train’s full train wrap (above) for Cities of the Underground.

However, today I saw the first external train ads on other lines.  As part of this History Channel deal, there are two foot tall long ads for the series running on the outside of 1, 3, 4, and 7 trains.  I saw it on a 3 train today, but it pulled way before I could snap a pic.

So since I couldn’t get a picture of the 3 train in question, I present to you another fascinating SUBWAYblogger illustration.

As you can see above, the trains have this 2 foot tall “frame” that runs along the side of them.  They’re perfect for these self adhesive vinyl ads.

Anyway, the History Channel will have these running on trains for quite a while.  Wonder who will be next?

I think Subway (sandwiches) should buy trains and have giant 6 foot subs running down the sides.