New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority is committed to opening the first phase of the new Second Avenue subway in December, but a New York Times report sheds doubt on all three new stations being ready before 2017.
"After decades of failed efforts, the first segment of the Second Avenue subway line is scheduled to open in December, with three new stations on the Upper East Side of Manhattan," reports Emma G. Fitzsimmons, transit reporter for The New York Times, on Oct. 24.
The Second Avenue line has been on the drawing board since the 1920s and will be the most ambitious expansion of the subway system in a half-century.
[T]he first segment is much shorter than once envisioned. It was supposed to run the length of Manhattan, taking some of the burden off the crowded Lexington Avenue line. For now, it is a nearly two-mile extension of the Q line.
As such, Q trains will travel to the station at 63rd Street and Lexington Avenue before reaching new stations at 72nd, 86th and 96th Streets. Eventually, the line will extend north to 125th Street in East Harlem.
Well, maybe not all three stations on Second Ave. will be ready according to independent engineer for the project, Kent Haggas, reports Fitzsimmons two days later. It may be just one.
With just two months left, he warned, two of the three stations scheduled to open, at 86th and 72nd Streets, were not ready and that a rigorous testing schedule was not being met.
“Basically, the progress to date needs to be almost tripled on a weekly basis to give us confidence we’ll finish everything by the end of December,” Mr. Haggas said of the testing. “The program definitely needs to ramp up.”
The third station, at 96th Street, appeared to be on schedule.
The fourth station shown on the above map, E. 63rd. St. at Lexington Ave., is a current F train stop. The Q train would be routed via preexisting tunnel to 63rd St. instead of stopping at 59th St. at Lexington.
In order to replace the Q train's current service to Astoria, Queens, the MTA will restore W train service on Nov. 7, reports Irene Plagianos for DNAinfo.com. "The train line [was] axed in 2010 MTA budget cuts..."
The last new subway station to open in New York was in the Hudson Yards development at 34th Street and 11th Avenue in September 2015 that included a one-mile extension of the No. 7 subway line from Times Square.
Related in Planetizen:
- Second Avenue Subway to Bring Boon to Upper East Side Neighborhood, April 13, 2016
- New York's First New Subway Station In 25 Years Opens Sunday, September 12, 2015
- A Fascinating View of New York, From 80 Feet Below, August 3, 2012
FULL STORY: 2 Stations on New 2nd Avenue Line May Not Be Ready by December
New Jersey Wants an Exemption from Manhattan Congestion Charge
With cordon pricing coming to Manhattan in 2021, New Jersey motorists who pay up to $15 in bridge or tunnel tolls don't want to have to pay another $10 to $14 to drive into the Central District Business tolling zone, but exemptions come with a price.
A Hidden Cost of the Second Avenue Subway—for Renters
Along with commute time reductions, expect significant rent increases resulting in some displacement of current residents around the three new Second Avenue Subway stations, according to a new report.
Yes, the Second Avenue Subway Did Open as Scheduled on New Years Day
Three new stations on Second Avenue and an upgraded Lexington Avenue station were open for the first phase of the long-awaited subway line, an extension of the Q Line. Here are some observations of the trains and stations from The New York Times.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
Test News Post 1
This is a summary
Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service