Local Subway Stop Renamed to Honor This Blog?

Before anyone goes issuing official cease and desist orders again for my illegal use of MTA logos, fonts, etc the above image was created on a retail site officially licensed by the MTA to produce personal use signage matching the signs in the NYCTA subway system.

Pretty cool site named Undergroud Signs. Worth checking out. Prices are a bit high to become a craze among purchasers but plenty of folks I am sure will consider it.

Projected F Train Subway Service Changes: May through July 2nd

The below service changes to the F Train affecting Roosevelt Island and each of the stations serviced by the 63rd Street Tunnel are provided by Ms. Parker of the MTA but are subject to change and not all have been posted yet on the MTA website. A calendar graph of these dates is slated to appear in this week's Main Street WIRE.

Subsequent to the email received below, Ms. Parker, clarified that "weeknights" for purposes of these changes refers to Tuesdays through Fridays. Southbound refers to Trains Bound for Manhattan and Brooklyn and Northbound refers to trains coming from Manhattan bound for Queens.

------Original Message------

From: Deirdre Parker
To: Roosevelt Island 360
Sent: Apr 29, 2009 2:34 PM
Subject: RE: Projected Subway Service Changes

- Weeknights, from May 5th - June 16 (except May 26th), 12:01 AM - 5 AM, there will no southbound service at Roosevelt Island.

- Weekends, from May 23rd, 12:01 AM, to May 25th, 5 AM, and May 30th, 12:01 AM, to June 1st, 5 AM, there will be no southbound service at Roosevelt Island.

- Tuesdays to Fridays, June 23 to July 2nd, 12:01 AM to 5:00 AM, there will be no northbound service at Roosevelt Island.

These changes are needed to support tunnel and track work.

Deirdre K. Parker
Deputy Director, Public Affairs
MTA NYC Transit

Use Trip Planner @http://www.tripplanner.mta.info/ for customized subway and bus directions

Less Rush Hour F Trains? Here's Why....

Updated at 10:30 am for paragraphs 3,4, and 5:

If any residents of Roosevelt Island have noticed less frequent F Trains during the morning rush hours, resulting in more crowded trains as they do arrive, you are not imagining things. The MTA has announced just that "less frequent trains during....rush hours".

For a stations like Roosevelt Island that is the last stop before entering Manhattan proper that is like a kiss of death or at least a guarantee of greater heartache and delays. And did I mention this is to run through DECEMBER 31, 2009.

According to a story posted yesterday by amNew York:

The MTA is replacing an 800-feet stretch of track between Queens’ Roosevelt Avenue and Forest Hills-71st Avenue stations as part of ongoing subway maintenance, said NYC Transit spokeswoman Deirdre Parker.

The work is being done on the weekends, but trains must constantly travel at slower speeds because they are running over temporary track, she explained.

Ben Kabak over at Second Avenue Sagas further explained in his post yesterday that because the trains are running over the temporary track they still must, during rush hours, run at slower speeds.

We can certainly appreciate the need for track improvements. We have had less weekend service disruptions this year and while we have been promised that during the Tram outage the MTA would be considerate of our unique transportation needs this is still going to hurt a lot.

For the record this service change is NOT listed anywhere on the MTA webpage that lists such service changes for today's date.

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Note, the above photo is my own and I have not altered the MTA's poster in any way. I believe my posting this image is not violating any rule or copyright as it is being posted here to expand the rider base that is aware of these service changes.

Update: Wheelchair Access from Platform into Subway

The MTA's capital project to raise a portion of the Roosevelt Island subway platform , at the center of each platform, to allow wheelchairs to easily enter subway cars is progressing and as per the above picture indicates it may be ahead ahead of schedule.

You may recall from my earlier post on March 12, that the platforms in some areas are about a 1/2 inch too low making it difficult for mnay wheelchair bound residentst to simply roll into the subway cars requiring them to ask nearby individuals to push and even lift their chairs in some instances.

According to Deidre Parker, an MTA Spokesperson, the project, on both Queens and manhattan Bound platforms is scheduled to be complete by April 30, 2009.

------Original Message------
From: Deirdre Parker (MTA Spokesperson)
To: Roosevelt Island 360
Sent: Mar 31, 2009 11:55 AM
Subject: RE: Platform Construction

The centers of both platforms are covered with plywood. This plywood is painted safety yellow which allows customers to notice the unevenness of the platform. This is the area of the platform where Station Maintenance will be installing the recently approved new ADA Tiles for the ADA boarding area. This work is only done on weekends and is scheduled to be completed by April 30, 2009.

F Train: 3/26 - 4/10 Late Night Week Day Service Changes

-----Original Message-----
From: Parker, Deirdre, MTA Spokesperson.
Date: Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:27:41
To: <rooseveltisland360@Gmail.Com>
Subject: RE: FW: Roosevelt Islands

Please be advised that due to emergency work, there will be no northbound F service at Roosevelt Island on weeknights from 12:01 AM - 5AM, March 26th to April 10th. We apologize for any inconvenience thismay cause.

$2.50 Fare Card = $170 Break Even Monthly Card for these Roosevelt Island Parents

Double Click to View Clearer Image

With the likelihood of a $2.50 base fare card and a monthly card at $103 it was time to again determine what the break even for a Roosevelt Island couple that incurs 6 fares per day on the MTA would be. My wife and I incur approximately 136 fares /month which with a $81 monthly card averages out to $1.19/fare.

Based on the below analysis my break even goes from $136/month at $2/fare to now a whopping $170 per monthly fare card if the full fare is as expected raised to $2.50/ride. This is actually a reduction from a $204/month break even if the fare jumped to $3.00/ride.

Cease and Desist: MTA 1; This Blogger 0

This past week I was copied on an electronic cease and desist letter, sent to me via email, from the MTA regarding a graphic I created for Roosevelt Island's local newspaper The Main Street WIRE, which ran in its March 7, 2009 edition. The graphic was titled "Unofficial Service Changes" and detailed the weekends the MTA has planned (for the period March 1 through June 1) to institute service disruptions affecting the stations serviced by the 63rd Street Tunnel between Manhattan and Queens. I say planned as all New Yorkers know any service changes, announced or otherwise, or always subject to change.

The letter asserts that the graphic violates the MTA's federal copyrights as well as puts forth service information not sanctioned by the MTA and which may be subject to change.

While I admit the graphic was created to evoke the image of Service Change notices issued by the MTA it could not generally be confused to be an officially sanctioned and issued notice due to its header which read "Unofficial Service Changes". I do admit I mistakenly left the MTA's footer on the image which only upon being enlarged to 400% could even be read and was still blurry.

As for the content of the notice I can only say the information stated was provided to me by an MTA spokesperson in writing (via email) and who had provided such info to me in the past and knew its purpose was for publication (from earlier correspondence) in the WIRE. Granted this individual did not know nor did I state I would be presenting the info in an "unofficial" service change mock up.

The whole goal of the graphic notice was to present information to the public not to mock or berate the MTA so the intent was only to benefit the public. I see on the Internet, on TV, and within print media use of the subway line bullet logos all the time so I was highly surprised this little graphic caused an issue warranting a cease and desist letter.

The WIRE in its current issue, dated March 21, 2009, has referred to the cease and desist letter in its editorial and presented it, in full, within its "Letters to the Editor" section along with a response from the WIRE's legal counsel. The info I provided is again presented but within a simple text box, not prepared or designed by me, titled "Subway Dis-Service".

For myself, this blog post is my mea culpa for something I do believe was not copyright infringement nor done with malice. But as a working dad supporting a family in this fragile economy I will be more careful to not use official logos in such forms prospectively as legal action is not something I can afford right now. But where it is called for I expect to publish photos, graphics, and stories dealing with the F subway line and the local station without hesitancy.

The graphic in my left side bar is my current method for stating the possible service change dates communicated to me. I don't believe I am threatening the copyrights held by the MTA at this time. I am sure I will be told if I cross the line as they see it again.

So right now the result is: MTA 1; This Blogger 0

Weekend Subway Service Update thru June 1st

[Image Created by RI360]

Yesterday evening I received the following e-mail from Deidre Parker, the MTA NYC Transit Spokeperson, regarding F Train weekend subway service affecting Roosevelt Island and the two other stations that are served by the 63rd Street Tunnel. In short we can expect three weekends of service disruptions between now and June 1st:

"From Deidre Parker
To: Roosevelt Island 360
Date: Mon, Mar 2, 2009 at 6:22 PM
Subject:: F Train Weekend Service
Changes Affecting 63rd St Tunnel ???

Eric,

There is no northbound F service on the weekend of April 4-6. There is no southbound F service on May 23-26 and May 30-June 1 weekends. Transit is trying to avoid work that affects 63rd Street during the time of the tram outage and will only do a reroute if there is an emergency.

Deirdre Parker"

What Does It Take to Start a Subway Mural Project?

Yesterday I read a great article about murals which were installed at the 86th Street subway station on Manhatan's West Side. I wonder if we could get permission to install similiar murals on the platforms and escalator passages at the Roosevelt Island subway station. It would brighten up a dreary station and add some additional pride to the island.

Now who can we call?

Lower Escalator Update: 2 Up & Now 2 Down

Ok, this may be good news for morning rush hour Roosevelt Island commuters but some commuters at night may not be happy with me.

Based on my November 25th post of last month, Paul Curtis, the Community Liason / Legislative Aide to Assembly member Micah Z. Kellner, asked the MTA why all four of the lower escalators are continuously running UP from the subway platforms to the lower mezzanine and not an even split of two up and two down.

Well, according to Mr. Curtis, the MTA finally got back to him and they expect, with the exception of rush hours, to now split the four escalators up with each platform having one escaltor running up and the other down. we'll see how well the station personnel do at switching the directions before and after each rush hour.

I can now see a number of evening commuters being unhappy with me as their sbway car empties by the escalator, not yet switched, going the wrong way as they see it.

Do all the lower escalators have to go "up"?

A reader commenting on our last post questioned why all four of Roosevelt Island's subway station escalators that run between the platforms and the station's lower mezzanine are running solely in the "up" direction:

"Why do both escalators from the platform to the mezzanine go in the up direction 24/7? Before the replacement we had one escalator going down and the other one up. Can we have this back?"

It is a good question. My kids have also been asking me why they can't take any of these escalators down to the platforms as well. Granted the stairs work fine to walk down to the platforms but they keep asking.

For them it's fun but for an individual that can't walk down stairs easily and for whom the escalators are a necessity having all four running in the "up" direction must be very annoying. Perhaps someone at the NYCTA figured walking up was harder so they arbitrarily set them all to "up"?

Note: The escalators in question here are not the six escalators that run between the street level down to the lower mezzanine.

Subway Stairwell Glass Panel Replacement?

Now that the escalators at the Roosevelt Island subway station have been replaced and for the most part are working normally it is time to submit our requests for general maintenance of this subway station.

For the past few weeks the stairwell down to the Manhattan bound platform has needed the glass / plexi panel at the base of the stair to be replaced. It has seen its caution tape slip and tear and as such tape disappears I worry that my kids and others will not notice the missing panel and perhaps fall through.

Ms. Deirdre Parker, spokewoman for NYC Transit, upon my request has notified the Station Department of the need to speed up this panel's replacement. If there are other requests I suggest calls be made into 311 or ket me know and I will pass the issues along accordingly.

$3 Fare Card = $204 Break Even Monthly Card for Roosevelt Island Parents

Image per amNew York

One local paper ran its cover page today projecting a possible $3 fare card for the MTA, so I had to again determine what the break even for a Roosevelt Island couple that incurs 6 fares per day on the MTA would be. My wife and I incur approximately 136 fares /month which with a $81 montly card averages out to $1.19/fare.

Based on the below analysis my break even goes from $136/month at $2/fare to now a whopping $204 per monthly fare card if the full fare is raised to $3/ride. I have heard nothing about what the monthly fare cards might raise to but as long as it less than $204/month we'd be ahead. Yikes.

Oct 21st Stringer Sponsored Community Forum re Transportation Issues

This coming Tuesday, October 21st, Roosevelt Island residents will have another opportunity to discuss transportation issues affecting the island this time not just with RIOC regarding the Tram but with our elected officials and each of the government agencies that run and maintain our bridges, subways, and buses.

The Community Forum is being lead by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and as this post appears to also include Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, State Senator Jose Serrano, Assembly Member Micah Kellner and City Councilmember Jessica Lappin.

According to a representative from Borough President Stringer’s office the agenda is not yet final but one of their goals is to make the forum as interactive as possible including discussions of issues as well as possible solutions.

As opposed to Community Board 8’s Roosevelt Island transportation forum which took place in Manhattan at the Blood Center this forum is scheduled to take place here on the Island and as such can expect a much better turnout than the less than a dozen who attended the CB8 meeting.

All residents are encouraged to attend as this is a great opportunity to ask questions and hear from all parties plans for next year when the Tram is offline for several months. The timing of this meeting is appropriate as at least one of the referendum proposed by RIRA for the November elections includes the Tram.

Update: Up and Down Escalators !!!

As of this morning Roosevelt Island has two sets of operational escalators, up (ES 413/416) and down (ES 411/414), from the street level to the lower mezzanine. Cool.

Escalator Update: Construction Pushes Thru 9/19 Morning Rush

Perhaps by the commute home they will have Roosevelt Island escalators ES 413/416 back on line but from this picture it sure was not the case for the morning rush hour despite MTA expectations that this escalator set would be back in service by today.

Correction:

In my last post I indicated that a 9/19 return of ES 413/416 would be 6 days earlier than originally planned by the MTA. I was incorrect the posters all along indicated 9/19 was the expected return to service date. The ES 413/416 went off line again on 8/25 to be joined up with ES 412/415 and the "25th" just got stuck in my memory when I wrote that post.

Escalator Update: Early and Delayed Returns

Escalators ?

Good news and bad news regarding our Roosevelt Island subway escalators. According to the advisory posters the remaining two sets of escalators were slated to both return on September 25th but that is no longer the case.

According to Deirdre Parker, NYC Transit spokeswoman, the ES 413/416 set is scheduled to re-open on September 19th, six days early. The ES 412/415 set however is expected to return to service in mid-October two weeks late. No reason has been reported at this time for the delay.

Weekend Service Disruptions ?

Unrelated to the escalator construction, Ms. Parker indicated that there are no scheduled service disruptions scheduled for any weekend affecting the 63rd Street Tunnel stations, including Roosevelt Island, through the end of October. So we can expect approximately 6 weeks of full weekend subway service to run through Roosevelt Island.

Will Hana Fears Cancel MTA Service Disruptions?

Roosevelt Island residents as well as many other riders got lucky one weekend this past Winter when snow forecasts prompted the MTA to cancel weekend service disruptions.

Hopefully this weekend that will happen again restoring normal weekend schedules. The possibility of high winds forcing the tram to stop service and no subway service to Queens through the 63rd Street Tunnel is not a thrilling prospect.

First Morning Rush - No Down Escalators

Today, 8/25, is the first morning rush hour that the Roosevelt Island subway station will have no down escalators for the next three weeks. Now this may sound like no big deal but when that means descending 8 sets of stairs each about 15 stairs in length just to get to the lower mezzanine, not even the platform, when about 6000 residents commute through the station in the morning it's a big deal.

As discussed in previous posts the reason for the change is the current escalator rehab is now marrying up the most recent new escalators (ES 412/415 - not yet open) with existing set ES 413/416. For this three week period ES411/414 are locked in a perpetual up direction.

Overall from 8:00am through 8:30am there were no issues to deal with. A number of residents appeared caught off guard despite the number of signs put up the last two weeks. As expected the elevators down were a bit backed up but cleared out rather quickly as the red buses and Q102s did not get to bunched up dropping off riders at the station.

F Train Transit Advisories : Aug 23-25

F

Manhattan-bound F trains run on the V from Roosevelt Avto 47-50 Sts
Aug 23 – 25, 12:01 AM Sat to 5 AM Mon

Jamaica-bound F trains run local from 21 St-Queensbridgeto Roosevelt Av
Aug 24, 12:30 AM to 5 AM

Sunday Manhattan-bound F trains run local from Roosevelt Avto 21 St-Queensbridge
Aug 23, 12:01 AM to 5 AM Saturday

For more detailed information about these scheduled service changes, click

http://www.mta.info/nyct/service/subsrvnweekend.htm