Category: This just in

Sandhogs and the Second Avenue Line

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Sandhogs show on History Channel

There’s this new TV show on the History Channel called Sandhogs.  No, we’re not being paid to write this, so everyone relax.

This is a whole reality show is about a crew of guys that dig massive tunnels for a living.  Makes it sound easy, but it’s not.  They are digging a huge water tunnel to for the Croton Filtration plant in the Bronx.

Anyway, the show reminded me of what it must be like to dig the Second Avenue Subway line.  I’d imaging the diameter of the tube is much bigger because it’s go to fit trains, but it must be kind of the same.

The city is supposed to bring in a TBM to dig the tunnel.  Honestly, I have no idea if there’s even one here yet.  I haven’t heard anything about the TBM’s in at least a year.  In light of all the construction delays, I guess it doesn’t really matter.

An interesting show for guys that liked to play with toy trucks and diggers when they were kids.

New Look for SUBWAYblogger

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Well, it’s a work in progress.

We launched the new look this weekend.  It’s a stripped down design where we’re going for clean and simple.

There’s some improved functionality too, specifically with the comments.  They are now threaded.  Just click REPLY on the comment of another SUBWAYblogger reader, and your post will show up right under there’s.  It has also been made easier to figure out how to use the Gravatars…which we recommend every regular blog commenter use.

So it’s a bit of a throw back to the very first version of SUBWAYblogger, with a two column format.

What do you think?  Be honest…but not mean 🙂

NFL Kickoff Sh*tshow in Columbus Circle

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If you haven’t seen or heard, the NFL has taken over all of Columbus Circle.  Tomorrow, it grows even more.

It’s all for the “NFL Kickoff” celebration tomorrow featuring performances by Usher, Keith Urban, and Natasha Bedingfield.

There’s an enormous stage taking up the width of Central Park South.  The stage is set up on Columbus Circle facing down CPS toward 5th Avenue.

However, all of the Circle will be closed to traffic and much of it to foot traffic tomorrow.  Streets all the way up to the 60’s on Broadway and Central Park West. And all of Central Park South from Columbus Circle to 5th Avenue.  Insane!

It’s going to make subway traffic in that area interesting.

The Columbus Circle subway is a complete disaster as it is right now from the never ending construction.  So I don’t know how they plan to handle all of the afternoon commute traffic.  The concert starts at about 3PM and ends by 6:45p.  So the rush should be fun.

Getting in and out of the half open stairways, half width platforms, etc is going to be epic.

Escalator Service at 59th Street Subway 50% Restored

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Well, I guess that’s at least half way cool.  It seems that the up escalator at the 59th Street/Columbus Circle station has been restored.  After what’s been about 4 months or more (?), that thing is finally getting back up and running.

Unfortunately, I can’t get on the MTA’s case for this because it is not controlled by them.  The escalators are actually run by the Time Warner Center itself.

What’s funny is that they can fix the mall escalator in a matter of hours.  Hell, it only took a week to install them new in the first place.  However, when it comes to the subway, it takes forever.

BREAKING: Station at 53rd Street & 7th Ave Evacuated

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MTA Website Showing Delays
MTA Website Showing Delays

Apparently there is a strange odor at the 53rd and 7th station that has caused it to be evacuated.

B, D, and E trains are bypassing the station at this time, and last we heard, passengers are not being allowed to enter the station.  However, the MTA says the V train is running with residual delays.  So I guess it’s at least partially open?

The strange odor is allegedly coming from a faulty elevator motor.  Of course, that is no shock.

I Fought with a Bum Today

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Sort of.  Also, it turns out you can’t blog about it on your Blackberry while you are in the process of screaming at a scrawny bum.

Anyway, this morning it was raining pretty hard as we all know.  On my train, there was an open window that obviously had water leak down it and formed a puddle in one of the seats.

Unfortunately, I found myself standing directly in front of that seat.  I didn’t want the seat, but saw the open space.  So I spent much of the ride trying to explain to old ladies that they couldn’t sit there because of the puddle, as they pushed me out of the way.

About half way to my stop, a skinny a-hole homeless guy got on the train screaming .  F-this and F-that. Screaming at random people to get the f out of his way.  What are they looking at.  Then telling women he could see down their tops.  A real specimen.

Little eagle-eye spotted the open seat and squirmed his way though the packed train car where I (and others around me) said the seat’s wet.  Note:  I’m standing almost close enough for my shins to touch the front edge of the seat, that’s how packed the train is.  I’m at mid car, near the middle doors.  The wet seat is one spot in from the end of the bench.

So he comes in from my left and reaches down to the seat and brushes the puddle of water off the seat onto the front of my pants!  Like a big, fast wiping action to flick the water off.  He only got about half of the water off the seat when he started to spin around to sit down.

At first I was in shock, but then I said, “Are you fucking kidding me?”

I will leave the rest to your imagination.  I don’t want to go into any details, but he was not on board the train when we left the next station.

I have a fairly high tollerance for these guys because clearly they have mental problems.  However, when you are saying things like he said and splashing water on me, it really gets to the point where action needs to be taken.

It’s Baaaack. Congestion Pricing.

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Just when you thought congestion pricing was dead, a weak heartbeat is heard.  In light of the abolutely astonishing deficit facing the MTA next year, the state is starting to get desperate in it’s search for funds.  Let’s back up and review.

The current state of the subway: sh*thole.

Oh, and that’s the official “term” now being used.  New York City Transit President, Howard Robers Jr. told the New York Post that the subway system is extreme bad, and it isn’t going to get better any time soon.  By “extremely bad,” he means falling apart.

Enter more proposed fare hikes.  Well, you’d think that the fare hikes were proposed to generate money to refurb the system.  Nope.

Any of the proposed fare hikes would only maintain the current status quo.  So take around at the current state of dilapidation.  That’s what your extra cash would maintain, not fix.Read More »

Seatless Trains a Reality!

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Holy crap!  Was the MTA listening to us?

Remember back in June when we were talking about how cool it would be to have train cars without seats (aka standing room only)?  Yeah, guess what?

They’re doing it!  (Read Here)

In about 6 months, retrofitted cars will hit the rails as part of a pilot program.  Among the trains involved in the pilot program, 4 out of 10 cars will be the standing room only cars.

These cars will have all flip-up seats.  Back in June, one of SUBWAYblogger’s commenters suggested that the seats lock in the upright position during rush hour.  Then, at other times, they could unlock, and people can sit down.  Well, that’s exactly what they are going to do!

Apparently, the Straphangers Campaign thinks that the public will oppose the seatless cars, but I couldn’t disagree more.

The seatless cars allow 18% more riders during rush hour.  There will be less jockeying for position as well because certain people (you know who you are) won’t be battling for seats.

Can’t wait to find out what lines are involved.