Monday, September 30, 2013

The SAS Community Information Center


The MTA's Second Avenue Subway Community Information Center (CIC) is now open.


9/4/13

The new center is located at 1628 Second Avenue between East 84th and East 85th streets.

According to the MTA, the CIC is a place "where visitors can participate in regular programs and activities, view exhibits about the Second Avenue Subway project and, most importantly, access information about the project and bring issues of concern to the attention of project staff."

As example, here's the October schedule of events for the center:

Th. October 17th, 6 p.m.
"What Took So Long?"
CIC Director Laura MacNeil will answer this question in a gallery tour of the current exhibit "History of the Second Avenue Subway."
RSVP required: http://CICgallerytour.eventbrite.com or call the CIC at 646-449-8700.

Th. October 24th, 6 p.m.
"Best of MTA Capital Construction Videos"
Join Second Avenue Subway Senior Project Director Manan Garg at a screening of selected MTACC construction videos where Mr. Garg will provide context and answers relating to construction progress.
RSVP required: http://CICscreening.eventbrite.com or call the CIC.

Earlier this month I stopped by the center to have a look.



9/4/13

At the entrance of the center is a scale model rendering of the future 86th Street station, shown above.



9/4/13

The first exhibit on display is a detailed timeline of the history of New York City’s efforts, going back to 1929, to build the Second Avenue Subway.

I'm told that the orange colored seats are from decommissioned NYC Transit subway cars.



9/4/13



9/4/13

The center also includes a multi-media exhibit where visitors can scroll electronically through the timeline at their own pace to explore archival photos, videos, letters and maps on a widescreen monitor.



9/4/13

A view from the rear of the center, looking towards the street.



9/4/13

A visitor asking questions about the 86th street station model.



9/4/13

Other visitors, asking questions and viewing the displays.


The CIC is currently open Monday to Friday, and the 2nd Saturday of each month, according to the following schedule:

Monday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Tuesday: Noon - 8 p.m.
Wednesday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Thursday: Noon - 8 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Saturday: On the 2nd Saturday of each month, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Sunday: Closed

(Note that this schedule is subject to change.)

Last but not least, starting October 1st, visitors to the Community Information Center will be eligible to enter a monthly raffle to win a pair of guaranteed spots on the next month's underground construction tour.

The CIC will remain open until the first phase of the project is complete in December 2016.



Here's a listing of recent additions
to the right-hand column of The Launch Box:

"SAS Community Information Center Opens"
Transit Transit Newsmagazine - September 2013
Video, via YouTube - 9/4/13
(the SAS report starts at 23min, 20sec)

"The 2nd Avenue Subway's Progress"
By Evan Bindelglass
Gothamist - 9/25/13

A nice selection of 28 images of the work taking place in the 86th and 96th Street station caverns and tunnels. Note in particular image number 7, which shows some of rail for the tracks having been delivered.

::

MTA Second Avenue Subway Newsletter
Volume XVII, September 2013

Lex Av/63rd St Station Area

72nd St Station Area

86th St Station Area

96th St Station Area

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Back on Track, from Québec


Even while on vacation the Second Avenue subway project has a way of finding me.


8/30/13

I was in Québec, Canada for part of August and, completely by chance, I came across a tunnel form structure (shown above) that will be used for the Second Avenue subway project.



8/30/13

I first noticed this structure in Ayer's Cliff, Québec, when I was  visiting the Annual Exhibition of the Stanstead County Agricultural Society (also known as the Ayers' Cliff Fair). The village of Ayer's Cliff is located just 10 miles north of the Vermont border.



8/30/13

A few days after the fair closed, I drove back to Ayer's Cliff with my camera. Hoping to introduce myself, and take some pictures, I dropped in at the office of Everest Equipment Company.

To say that they were a little surprised to meet me might be an understatement.

The project manager told me that they had received so many questions about this particular tunnel form that they had decided to post a large sign on it that explained to passersby what it is.

The tunnel form shown here is for use inside the 86th Street station. This structure, which is technically known as a "station arch tunnel formwork," will allow the contractor to cast complete sections of the 86th Street station cavern ceiling arch using concrete.



8/30/13

The company began designing and fabricating the tunnel form in January of 2013. Assembly of the form structure began a few months later in the company's yard.

After the tunnel form has been inspected by the customer, who I assume is the MTA's contractor Skanska / Traylor JV, it will be disassembled and shipped to New York, and then reassembled inside the 86th Street station cavern.



8/30/13

This piece of the form is a section of ceiling arch turned on its side.



8/30/13

A view of workers moving around very heavy sections of the steel arch.



8/30/13

Another view of a section of the arch.



8/30/13

This is a view of the tunnel form, as seen from the grandstands on the Ayer's Cliff Fairgrounds. (The tunnel form is in the center of the image in the distance -- double click to enlarge the image.)



Here's a listing of fairly recent additions
to the right-hand column of The Launch Box:

Fourth Second Avenue Subway Report Card
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney
7/29/13

"SUV crashes into 2nd. Ave. subway construction site"
By Barry Paddock
New York Daily News
7/29/13

"Descending into the Second Avenue Subway Construction in NYC"
By Bhushan Mondkar
Untapped Cities.com
7/24/13

Video: "Second Avenue Subway: Phase 1 Halfway Done"
NBC 4 New York
7/11/13

Abandoned SAS segment party prompts NYPD inquiry
2nd Ave. Sagas
6/25/13

"New York's Double Standard on NIMBYism"
By Eric Jaffe
The Atlantic
6/25/13

"Build Second Avenue Subway Entrance Elsewhere, Yorkville Residents Tell MTA"
By Victoria Bekiempis
DNAinfo.com New York - 6/14/13

::

MTA Second Avenue Subway Newsletter
Volume XVI, August 2013

Lex Av/63rd St Station Area

72nd St Station Area

86th St Station Area

96th St Station Area

::

A Footnote

My apologies for a lack of fresh postings during the past three months. After blogging about this project more than six years I decided to take a break for the summer.

I'm back now and ready to renew the effort.

Ben