Tag Archives: Metropolitan Transit Authority

The Return of the New Yorkers

Transportation, ,

How can people return to work and commute when it is so hard to monitor social distancing on public transportation?  That is what is happening in New York as many  thousands returned to the subway following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in the region. 

While the Metropolitan Transit Authority is working around the clock to ensure safety on trains, consumers are still very concerned of coronavirus being spread while they commute to their jobs.

Fears include: lack of mask-wearing, lack of social distancing (as the subways are traditionally very crowded), etc. – all issues that have been problematic in slowing the spread of the virus. Having said that there will be law enforcers in the form of transit workers telling them to wear them as well as NYPD workers enforcing the law.

July 8th is when New York City will start Phase One of its economic re-opening, rendering it the last region in New York State to take this on.

NYC Subway: Stuck in the Dark Ages

Architecture,

Given how much renovation New York City has encountered in so many different facets of its infrastructure, it is almost unbelievable that the subway system is so far behind. What’s even stranger about this antiquated foundation is that it is still in use by so many thousands of New Yorkers, who travel on it with their most finest tablets and smartphones!

This system causes a lot of delays and even more frustration. In an effort to solve this problem, the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) is seeking funds to update the system. It has uploaded a YouTube video (attached here) of the old-fashioned signaling system and actions being taken to modify them.

A significant part of the plan is Communications Based Train Control which, given how outdated the system is, is quite “revolutionary.” It’s a great shame that it is so far behind also because some of the stations in the system have undergone a huge renovation. For example, the East 180th Street, West Farms, which in 2012 was privy to a 2-year top-to-bottom overhaul costing $66m, paid for by the New York City Transit Authority. Today travelers can enjoy its stunning terracotta roof a new entrance and forecourt, track beds, new elevator access improving circulation, enhanced plumbing, lighting and electrical equipment and more.