"Finally, a 2nd Ave. Subway"

Living City | Finally a 2nd Ave. Subway (6:35)
Video by Melanie Burford and Greg Moyer
The New York Times
10/2/14

This interesting video, which is part of a 6-part series that NYTimes.com launched last month called "Living City", was posted on the New York Times web site this afternoon.

Produced by Melanie Burford and Greg Moyer of Blue Chalk for The New York Times, each episode looks at various parts of New York City infrastructure by asking simple questions about big engineering systems using graphics, animation, interviews and knowledgeable guides.

The video, which was put together by a credited production staff of fourteen people is, as one would expect, very professional.

The accompanying 1,500 word article can be found on this link:

"Promise of New Subways Has West Siders Excited and East Siders Skeptical"
By Tatiana Schlossberg
The New York Times
10/2/14

And here are the link to the previous episodes from this series:

Living City | Where Does Our Trash Go? (7:47)
The New York Times via YouTube
9/25/14

Living City | A Tale of Two Bridges (7:09)
The New York Times via YouTube
9/18/14

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

MTA Wants 2nd Ave Subway Downpayment, But Can’t Tell Us How Much It’ll Cost
By Stephen Smith
New York YIMBY
9/26/14

SAS Quarterly Report - 2Q2014
MTA Capital Construction

MTA wants $1.535 Billion to start SAS Phase 2

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority today published its proposed 2015-2019 Capital Program, which included a request for $1.535 billion to start construction of Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway.

The only construction that will be funded, if approved, would be the necessary tunnels from 105th Street to 125th Street.

The construction of the new stations would, in all likelihood, be funded as part of the MTA's 2020-2024 Capital Program.


Proposed 2015-2019 Capital Plan
Metropolitan Transportation Authority
9/24/14

Quoting from the MTA text,

The proposed 2015-2019 Capital Program includes tunneling from the Phase 1 terminus north of 96th St. and Second Avenue to 125th St. and 5th Avenue.

All elements of project management, design, construction management, insurance, and real estate necessary to support construction are also funded. The balance of the work necessary for operation will be funded in future capital programs

In its entirety, SAS Phase 2 will complete the full project’s East Harlem segment. Its alignment will run under Second Avenue to 120th St., then will turn west along 125th St., crossing Lexington Avenue and ending at 5th Avenue to accommodate storage tracks.

SAS Phase 2 will utilize a tunnel section built in the 1970s from 110th St. to 120th St. and will be outfitted with tracks and other essential equipment. Three new stations will also be constructed at 125th St.,116th St., and 106th St.

If approved, the $1.535 Billion would be allocated according to the following proposed schedule:


Proposed 2015-2019 Capital Plan
Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Page 212
9/24/14

Bottom line -- the start of revenue service for Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway is probably at least ten years away.


Related links:

Second Avenue Subway Construction in the 1970s
The Launch Box
9/21/09

"NYC Can't Afford to Build the Second Avenue Subway, and It Can't Afford Not To"
By Benjamin Kabak
The Atlantic CityLab - 7/17/14

MTA Capital Program 2015-2019
Board Briefing presentation
Metropolitan Transportation Authority
9/24/14

MTA Proposes 2015-2019 Capital Program
Metropolitan Transportation Authority Press Release
9/23/14

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

MTA Second Avenue Subway Newsletters
Volume XXIX, September

Lex Av/63rd St Station Area

72nd St Station Area

86th St Station Area

96th St Station Area

New MTA Images from Below

Here are a few recent images from the MTA's staff photographers.

The first set of images shows concrete being poured in the 96th Street station cavern.


Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin
96th Street Station - 9/3/14


Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin
96th Street Station - 9/3/14


Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin
96th Street Station - 9/3/14


The second set of images, which are a little out of date, show the 86th Street station cavern.


MTA Capital Construction / Rehema Trimiew
86th Street Station - 6/12/14


MTA Capital Construction / Rehema Trimiew
86th Street Station - 6/12/14


MTA Capital Construction / Rehema Trimiew
86th Street Station - 6/12/14


MTA Capital Construction / Rehema Trimiew
86th Street Station - 6/12/14


MTA Capital Construction / Rehema Trimiew
86th Street Station - 6/12/14


Additional images can be found on these links:

Second Avenue Subway Update - September 3, 2014
MTA Flickr Photostream
11 images

Second Avenue Subway: July 17, 2014
MTA Flickr Photostream
24 images

86th Street

This image, which was sent to me by a viewer, was taken from a window on the north side of the Yorkshire Towers apartment building.

The concrete structure being built here while house one of the escalators for the entrance number 2 for the 86th Street station.

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

"FDNY rescues hardhat trapped in 2nd Ave. tunnel mishap"
By By Erin Calabrese, Shawn Cohen and Daniel Prendergast
New York Post - 8/20/14

"Light at the End of the Tunnel: The Second Avenue Subway Already Sending Real Estate Prices Soaring"
By Lauren Price
6sqft - 8/11/14

"Don't interrupt Second Ave. subway project"
By The Editorial Board
amNY - 8/10/14

"M.T.A. Chief Gives Preview of Proposed Five-Year Capital Plan"
By Matt Flegenheimer
The New York Times - 8/8/14

"MTA to propose allocating $1.5 billion toward Phase 2 of Second Ave. subway"
By Pete Donoghue
NY Daily News - 8/7/14

"NYC Can't Afford to Build the Second Avenue Subway, and It Can't Afford Not To"
By Benjamin Kabak
The Atlantic CityLab - 7/17/14

"Second Ave. Subway Delays Cast Doubt on 2016 Completion, Consultant Says"
By Lindsay Armstrong
DNAinfo New York - 6/27/14

::

MTA Second Avenue Subway Newsletter
Volume XXVIII, August 2014

Lex Av/63rd St Station Area

72nd St Station Area

86th St Station Area

96th St Station Area

BREAKING NEWS: SAS Phase 2 Moves Forward

Phase 2 of Second Avenue Subway Project to be
included in the MTA's 2015-2019 Capital Plan Request

Benjamin Kabak at 2nd Ave. Sagas first reported today that MTA Chairman Thomas Pendergast has now confirmed that Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway will be included in the MTA's upcoming 2015-2019 Capital Plan request.

Penergast's made the statement this morning during a meeting of the NY State Assembly Standing Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions.

As originally proposed, Phase 2 of the project would extend the Q Line from 96th Street to 125th Street, with intermediate stations located at 106th and 116th streets.


Final Environmental Impact Statement (2004)
Proposed Phase 2
Figure 5

Phase 2 of the project would utilize existing tunnels between 99th and 105th streets, and 110th and 120th streets. These tunnels were originally built in an earlier attempt to build the line during the 1970s.

According the the 2004 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), the "only" new tunnels required would extend from 120th Street and 2nd Avenue to the new 125th Street station and onward to Park Avenue (the extension under Second Avenue to Park Avenue would be used for train storage); as well as a stub tunnel north on Second Avenue to 128th Street, which would also be used for train storage.  Of course this is all subject to change when the EIS is updated.

These tunnels, and the new 125th Street station, could be particularly challenging to construct considering their proximity to the Lexington Avenue 125th Street subway station and the numerous historic structures along 125th Street.

Conceptional plans (shown below) for the 125th Street station were developed as part of the Environmental Impact Statement that was finalized in 2004.


Final Environmental Impact Statement (2004)
125th Street Station (as proposed)
Figure 8-2


Final Environmental Impact Statement (2004)
Conceptional Drawing of the 125th Street Station (as proposed)
Figure 2-7

As noted in the diagrams above, the new 125th Street station would include a pedestrian connection to the Lexington Avenue 4/5/6 subway line and Metro-North Railroad's Harlem-125th Street station.

Apparently $1.5 billion in funding will be requested from the state in the next capital plan with an unknown amount of additional funding to be requested from federal sources.

Phase 1 of the project is scheduled to open in December 2016.

See also:

"MTA to propose allocating $1.5 billion toward Phase 2 of Second Ave. subway"
By Pete Donohue
NY Daily News - 8/7/14

"MTA Wants to Keep Second Avenue Subway Momentum Going"
By Kate Hinds / Jorteh Senah
WNYC News - 8/7/14

"SAS Phase 2 leads capital plan as funding questions loom"
By Benjamin Kabak
2nd Ave. Sagas - 8/8/14

"M.T.A. Chief Gives Preview of Proposed Five-Year Capital Plan"
By Matt Flegenheimer
The New York Times - 8/8/14

"Don't interrupt Second Ave. subway project"
By The Editorial Board
amNY - 8/10/14

Still on Track for December 2016?

Late in the day last Friday, news website DNAInfo New York reported that delays could push back the planned opening of the Second Avenue Subway.

The basis of their report was a presentation that was made last Monday to the MTA's Capital Program Oversight Committee (CPOC) by the MTA's Independent Engineering Consultant (IEC) Kent Haggas.

The presentation that Haggas made to the MTA's board started out by saying that, "The IEC is unable to verify the project's reported 102 days of schedule contingency."

According to DNAInfo New York,

"The [CPOC] report noted that equipment rooms at the 72nd Street station are two to three months behind schedule, and that there have been been substantial delays in getting permanent electricity to all of the stations. Only some of that delayed time has been made up for by the MTA’s recent attempts to expedite the project, he said.

Haggas also said that about 25 issues engineers asked the MTA to address in December 2012 are still unresolved, and now there are dozens more."

DNAInfo New York went on to report that a spokesperson for the MTA "insisted that the overall project is on schedule to open in December 2016".

A full copy of the most recent quarterly CPOC report to the MTA Capital Program and Oversight Committee can be found on this link:

MTACC Quarterly Progress Report to CPOC
Second Avenue Subway
6/23/14
(The 2nd Ave Subway section starts on page 21)

A video of the actual presentation that was made to the MTA Board can be found on this link:

MTA Board - CPOC Committee Meeting
via YouTube - 6/23/2014

The following updated ancillary building renderings were included in the MTA's presentation to Community Board 8's Second Avenue Subway Task Force Update on Monday June 23rd.

These ancillary building will house the modern day systems -- such air tempering and ventilation equipment -- that are required for new subway stations.

The exterior design for each of these buildings has been a "work in progress" since the earliest concepts were presented to The Second Avenue Subway Task Force back in 2007.

One could assume that these updated renderings now represent final designs.



Updated Artists Rendering of 72nd St Station Ancilary Building 1
69th St & Second - NW corner
6/23/14



Updated Artists Rendering of 72nd St Station Entrance 2 / Ancillary Building 2
72nd St & Second - NW corner
6/23/14



Updated Artists Rending of 86 St Station Ancillary 1
83rd St & Second - NW corner
6/23/14



Updated Artists Rending 96th St Station Ancillary 2
97th St & Second - SW corner
6/23/14

Here are two artist renderings for Entrance 3 of the 96th Street station. The first rendering shows a design from 2008; the second rendering shows the design as of 2014.

The new design now includes a set of stairs that must be climbed before descending into the station on an escalator.  Most likely these stairs were added to the design in a post-Hurricane Sandy review of current and future subway entrances. This particular entrance is on the edge of the Zone 1 flood zone for New York City.



Updated Artists Rending 96th St Station Entrance 3
96th St & Second - NW corner
2/28/14



Artists Rending 96th St Station Entrance 3
96th St & Second - NW corner
10/29/08

And here is the final image for this posting.

Yes, this is a Second Avenue subway tunnel.


Courtesy MTA Capital Construction
101st Street
Southbound Tunnel - looking N
ca. June 2014

This tunnel at 101st Street, which now appears to be almost complete, was originally constructed in the mid-1970s by a joint venture of Cayuga Construction and Thomas Crimmins Contracting.

The tunnel is being renovated and brought up to current standards as part of Phase I of the Second Avenue Subway project.  

You might wonder what this tunnel will be used for, since the last station stop for Phase I is 96th Street. It will be used to store out-of-service trains until Phase 2 of the project is built at some future time.

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

"Second Ave. Subway Delays Cast Doubt on 2016 Completion, Consultant Says"
By Lindsay Armstrong
DNAinfo New York - 6/27/14

Community Board 8 Second Avenue Subway Task Force Update
MTA Capital Construction
6/23/14

SAS Public Workshop March 2014 Follow-up Report
MTA Capital Construction
Released 6/16/2014

"All Aboard? 2nd Ave Subway Set to Transform Retail"
By Gus Delaporte
Commercial Observer - 5/22/14

"MTA chief: 'Too early to tell' about 2nd Ave subway Phase II' "
By Dan Rivoli
amNY - 5/21/14

::

MTA Second Avenue Subway Newsletter
Volume XXVI, June 2014

Lex Av/63rd St Station Area

72nd St Station Area

86th St Station Area

96th St Station Area

New 2nd Ave Subway Exhibit Opens

Have you ever wondered about the construction techniques being used to build the Second Avenue subway?

Now you can learn more by visiting the MTA's Second Avenue Subway Community Information Center (CIC), which recently unveiled its new exhibit: En Route: The Techniques and Technologies Used to Build the Second Avenue Subway.


Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin
5/23/2104

Twenty images from the opening day of the exhibit can be found in this link:
CIC Exhibit

The second of the CIC’s biannual exhibits uses interactive and static displays to demonstrate 13 of the construction technologies used to build the Second Avenue Subway.

Techniques such as tunnel boring, controlled blasting, cut and cover excavation, air scrubbers, and ground freezing are explained through photos, videos, and animations in an interactive exhibit using iPads to control wide screen displays.

An entire wall of the CIC displays a cross section of the project from 63rd Street to 104th Street to illustrate the bedrock profile under the surface and the techniques used to cut through it and excavate above it.

A virtual tour of the 86th Street cavern and tunnel is included in the new exhibit. Also part of the exhibit, the CIC showcases two new models: a replica of the tunnel boring machine and a scale model of the 96th Street station.

Want to learn more? Visit the CIC to see the exhibit first hand:

When:
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 8 p.m.
2nd Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where:
The CIC is located at 1628 Second Avenue, between 84th and 85th Streets.
The nearest subway stop is the 86th Street station on the 4/5/6 Lexington Avenue Line.

Admission:
Free

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


"All Aboard? 2nd Ave Subway Set to Transform Retail"
By Gus Delaporte
Commercial Observer - 5/22/14

"MTA chief: 'Too early to tell' about 2nd Ave subway Phase II' "
By Dan Rivoli
amNY - 5/21/14

"Man proposes to girlfriend in unfinished subway tunnel"
By Rebecca Harshbarger
New York Post - 5/18/14

"2nd Ave subway line construction is progressing: officials"
By Caitlin Nolan
NY Daily News - 5/16/14

"Woman Killed by School Bus on Upper East Side, Officials Say"
By Janon Fisher, Lisha Arino and Ben Fractenberg
DNAinfo New York - 5/8/14

SAS Quarterly Report - 4Q2013
MTA Capital Construction
PDF published 5/8/2014

::

MTA Second Avenue Subway Newsletter
Volume XXV, May 2014

Lex Av/63rd St Station Area

72nd St Station Area

86th St Station Area

96th St Station Area

Off Topic
San Fransisco TBM Time-lapse Video

Here's a nice time-lapse video that shows the assembly, launch, and tunneling of tunnel boring machine (TBM) Mom Chung:

TBM Mom Chung Launch and Tunneling
Official YouTube portal for the Central Subway Project
12/4/2013

This Robbins TBM is being used to mine the southbound tunnel of the Central Subway project in San Francisco.

From additional information on this project check out this link:
http://www.centralsubwaysf.com/

A Journey Through the 2nd Avenue Tunnel

"A Journey Through the 2nd Avenue Tunnel"

Video: Michael Hessieon / Gizmodo
Music: Chris Zabriskie / freemusicarchive.org


The design and technology blog Gizmodo posted this very cool video on their site yesterday.

The video takes you along for an underground tour that the MTA hosted for members of the press last week.

A written description of tour, along with a set of 33 still images, can be found on this link:
"A Subterranean Stroll Through NYC's Newest Train Tunnel"
By Michael Hessieon / Gizmodo
5/2/14

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

"A Subterranean Stroll Through NYC's Newest Train Tunnel"
By Michael Hession
Gizmodo - 5/2/14

"Photos: The Second Avenue Subway, Under Construction"
By Kate Hinds
WNYC - 5/1/14

"SAS progress: Dec. 2016 end date on track"
By Dan Rivoli
amNY - 5/1/14

"Progress Moves Ahead For Phase One Of Second Avenue Subway"
By Andrea Grymes
WCBS-TV - 5/1/14

::

MTA Second Avenue Subway Newsletter
Volume XXIV, April 2014

Lex Av/63rd St Station Area

72nd St Station Area

86th St Station Area

96th St Station Area

Fewer Than 1,000 Days to Go!

A significant project milestone occurred this past weekend: there are now less than 1,000 days until the start of revenue service for Phase I of the Second Avenue Subway. (*)

As a reminder, Phase I of the project is the extension of the existing Q Line service to the Upper East Side, under Second Avenue, with new station stops at 63rd, 72nd, 86th, and 96th Streets.

To mark this milestone, I have added a new web widget to the right-hand column of the blog to count down the days until the start of subway service.





(*) The MTA's current forecasted Revenue Service Date for Phase I of the project is December 30, 2016. This date can be found on page 5 of the MTA Capital Construction's 4Q2013 Quarterly Report for Phase I of the Second Avenue Subway project.


Here are the number of days that have passed since a few other key historic milestones (as of today, April 8, 2014):

929
The number of days since the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) completed the second of two tunnels for Phase I of the Second Avenue Subway, on September 22, 2011.

2,553
The number of days since the official ground breaking for Phase I of the Second Avenue Subway, on April 12, 2007.

3,652
The number of days since the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Second Avenue Subway was approved, on April 8, 2004.

4,765
The number of days since the "Notice of Intent", for the Second Avenue Subway, was published in the Federal Register on March 22, 2001.

6,872 +/- 15 days
The number of days since the Manhattan East Side Transit Alternatives Study was released, in June 1995.

15,766
The number of days since Governor Rockefeller and Mayor Lindsey broke ground for the Second Avenue subway on February 7, 1971 (during an earlier attempt to build the subway).

30,902
The number of days since the New York Times ran its first story about the Second Avenue Subway, on August 30, 1929.

::

Here are a few notable progress photos from the MTA's Flickr page:


Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin
2/22/14


Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin
2/22/14


Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin
2/22/14


Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin
3/15/14


Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin
4/4/14

Additional recent MTA images can be found on these three links:

Second Avenue Subway: February 22, 2014
MTA Flickr page
22 images

Second Avenue Subway: March 15, 2014
MTA Flickr page
20 images

Second Avenue Subway: April 4, 2014
MTA Flickr page
7 images

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

Uber Announces Second Avenue Subway Expansion
Uber.com - 4/1/14

"The MTA’s Subways, Bridges and Tunnels Through the Eyes of an MTA Photographer"
By Esha Ray
WNET/Thirteen - 3/26/14

"UES sees boost from 2nd Ave subway progress"
By Tom Acitelli
The Real Deal - 3/1/14

SAS Quarterly Report - 4Q2013
MTA Capital Construction

SAS Quarterly Report - 3Q2013
MTA Capital Construction

SAS Quarterly Report - 2Q2013
MTA Capital Construction

(all 3 of these reports were posted on the MTA's web site only recently.)

::

MTA Second Avenue Subway Newsletter
Volume XXIII, March 2014

Lex Av/63rd St Station Area

72nd St Station Area

86th St Station Area

96th St Station Area

2nd Ave Subway Expansion Announced

Uber Technologies announced today that the company has completed the Second Avenue Subway line.



The project, which many have speculated will take years to complete, was outsourced to Uber Technologies, who is pleased to announce that it will be offering $2.50 flat rate journeys up and down Manhattan’s Second Avenue through the Uber app, effective immediately*.

The Second Avenue line represents the largest expansion of the New York City subway network in generations, and the completion of the project by Uber has allowed officials to favorably revise as completed even the most optimistic of timelines for the subway’s opening.

"I was in 6th grade I think when they first announced the line. The principal told the whole school early one morning, we were all so excited" recalls area woman Sybil Mailman. "This is a wonderful surprise to get on the eve of my 100th birthday."

Having assumed responsibility for the project only yesterday, Uber's flexible and technologydriven approach allowed them to skip a few steps, and launch the line within mere hours of securing the project. According to Uber NYC General Manager Joshua Mohrer, “We welcome the opportunity to assist Second Avenue riders. Although Uber is a young company, we are proud to have played our part in wrapping up one of the last outstanding projects of the New Deal Era.”

Says New York native Winston Cramer, “Uber stepping in has resulted in skipping major utility relocation, building demolition, underpinning, slurry wall construction, station excavation and concrete placement of the main station, entrances and ancillary facilities, as well as cut and cover excavation, disposal of 400,000 tons of soil, 40,000 tons of rock, and 22,000 trucks worth of debris. Which is nice.”

Uber is redefining the future of mass transit travel, and their work on the Second Avenue line represents their important commitment to solving the city of New York’s most pressing transit issues. It is as of yet unclear what the City will be doing with the existing Second Avenue tunnels, but a subterranean, East Side version of the High Line has been mooted by several prominent city planners.

*Second Avenue flat rate will be available on April 1, 2014, from 12:00 AM EDT to 11:59 PM EDT

Further details can be found on this link:
Uber Announces Second Avenue Subway Expansion
4/1/2014

Back Under Second Avenue

The MTA released another blockbuster set of images from under Second Avenue a few weeks ago.

Even though the images are a bit dated they are nonetheless impressive to look at.



MTA Capital Construction / Rehema Trimiew
12/2/13

Workers inside the 86th Street station cavern dealing with fresh concrete.



MTA Capital Construction / Rehema Trimiew
12/2/13



MTA Capital Construction / Rehema Trimiew
12/2/13

Workers assembling rebar cages near the entrance to one of the tunnels.



MTA Capital Construction / Rehema Trimiew
12/2/13



MTA Capital Construction / Rehema Trimiew
12/2/13

Inside one of the running tunnels.



MTA Capital Construction / Rehema Trimiew
12/2/13

A view of the circular form that is used to line the tunnels walls with concrete.



MTA Capital Construction / Rehema Trimiew
12/2/13

Now inside the 72nd Street station cavern.

The form shown is used to line the ceiling of the cavern with concrete.



MTA Capital Construction / Rehema Trimiew
12/2/13

A view of the three block long 72nd Street cavern under Second Avenue.


Additional images from this set can be found on this link:
Second Avenue Subway: January 31, 2014
MTA Flickr page
54 images

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

"Landlords dig Second Ave. subway"
By Joe Anuta
Crain's New York Business - 2/24/13

"Geologists Glimpse a Heaven Below"
By Sam Roberts
The New York Times - 2/17/14

How the MTA Keeps 2nd Ave Structures Stable During Subway Construction
MTA Second Avenue Subway Community Information Center Event
Th. February 27th - 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Beneath the Street: Geology of the Second Avenue Subway
MTA Second Avenue Subway Community Information Center Event
Th. March 13th - 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

::

MTA Second Avenue Subway Newsletter
Volume XXII, February 2014

Lex Av/63rd St Station Area

72nd St Station Area

86th St Station Area

96th St Station Area

Off Topic
Grand Central by Design

Earlier this month the New York Transit Museum announced the launch of Grand by Design Online, a digital home for the multimedia exhibition Grand by Design: A Centennial Celebration of Grand Central Terminal. The exhibition made its debut in Vanderbilt Hall in conjunction with the Centennial’s opening ceremonies on February 1, 2013.

Now this in-depth look at Grand Central has moved to a permanent online base at www.gcthistory.com

The website allows readers to scroll through nine different sections following a narrative from early railroading in New York to the creation of Grand Central Terminal and the diverse roles it has played for travelers in its illustrious and tumultuous one hundred years of existence. The clean, vertical layout is packed with information in a variety of formats, with text supported by archival photographs, drawings, and video footage.

Four video interviews from historians and workers in the Terminal provide personal perspectives on what makes Grand Central truly one-of-a-kind. The website makes available the extensive research and stories compiled by the New York Transit Museum since preparations for the exhibition began in 2010.

(The text above was taken from an MTA Press Announcement dated 2/12/2014.)

A Roundup of Images

Here's a selection of images that I've been meaning to post for some time now.



12/3/13
near the SW corner of 97th Street

A look down into the basement, from the sidewalk, of what will become the Ancillary Building No. 2 for the 96th Street station.



5/11/13

An image of the same location, seven months earlier, when additional tubular struts were in use.  These struts are used to provide temporary structural support during construction.



3/9/13

And the same location, almost a year ago.



12/3/13
96th Street, SW Corner - looking south

A look at the future location of Entrance No. 3 for the new 96th Street Station.



12/3/13
95th Street - looking east

The new building for the Travor Day school, at 312-318 East 95th Street, rises just two short blocks away from a future entrance to the 96th Street station.



12/3/13
94th Street, NE corner - looking NE

A look at the work site for Entrance No. 2 of the future 96th Street Station.



12/3/13
Just south of 86th Street - looking east

A sidewalk view of the Schaller & Weber market on the east side of Second Avenue.



12/3/13
70th Street, NW corner - looking NE

A view, from early December, of the muck house at this location. At the time I took the picture, the contractor was in the process of taking down this structure, since it is no longer needed.




12/3/13
70th Street, SW corner - looking NE

Another view of the same muck house.

You will notice in this image that northern muck house for this station location has already been disassembled and removed from the work site. 



12/3/13
69th Street, SW corner - looking NW

If you look closely at this building, which is 233 East 69th Street, you will see that most of the windows on the east face of this building have been bricked over. This was done because an ancillary building for the 72nd Street station will soon occupy the full lot on this corner.




12/6/2009
69th Street, SE corner - looking NW

An image, from 2009, of the building that once occupied the lot where the new ancillary building will be constructed.



12/6/2009
233 East 69th Street - looking north

An image also from 2009, of the windows that today no longer exist. 

Now a few pictures from below ground, courtesy of the MTA.

Note that the five images shown below were taken in the 86th station cavern about a month ago.


Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin
1/11/14

A view of what would appear to be the south end of the cavern.

This station cavern, which is 65 feet high, was blasted out of solid bedrock over the past year or so.  In the lower right corner, you can see Tunnel No. 1 (the west tunnel) which was mined using a tunnel boring machine.

The yellow polymer membrane on the right is being applied as part of the effort to waterproof the cavern. 



Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin
1/11/14

This is a closer view of west tunnel at the south end of the 86 Street station cavern.



Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin
1/11/14

A view of the netherworld deep under Second Avenue.



Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin
1/11/14

The white semi-circular tunnel form above is technically known as a "station arch tunnel formwork." It is being used by the contractor to cast complete sections of the 86th Street station cavern ceiling arch using concrete.

This tunnel structure is the same form that I coincidentally came across in Ayers Cliff, Quebec this past summer.



Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin
1/11/14

A pair of lifting hooks wait for their next assignment.

Additional images from this set can be found on this link:
Second Avenue Subway - January 2014
MTA Flickr page

The MTA's Second Avenue Subway Community Information Center will be hosting a new Transit Talk event in late February.

Second Avenue Subway Geologist Julie Freitas will explain the origin and characteristics of the rocks and soil under Second Avenue, and how they influence the construction methods used to build the subway.

The event is free and open to the public but preregistration is required.

The talk will take place at the Second Avenue Subway Community Information Center which is located at 1628 2nd Avenue (btw. 84th & 85th streets) on Thursday, February 27th from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM.

To RSVP for this event, click on this link:
Beneath the Street: Geology of the Second Avenue Subway

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

"Subway Art on the Future Second Avenue Subway Line Revealed"
By Bhushan Mondkar
untapped cities - 1/22/14

"MTA Plans to Evict Tenants and Take Over Part of Co-Op for 2nd. Ave. Work"
By James Fanelli
DNAInfo NY - 1/8/14

"Shops along 2nd. Ave. subway line construction sites want big bucks in 2014"
By Simone Weichselbaum
NY Daily News - 1/7/14

SAS Public Workshop Sept 2013 Follow-up Report
MTA Capital Construction
11/2013

Second Avenue Subway Reaches Major Milestones
MTA Press Release
11/22/13

Touring the SAS Community Information Center
By Cassim Shepard and Daniel Rojo
Urban Omnibus - 11/22/13

::

MTA Second Avenue Subway Newsletter
Volume XXI, January 2014

Lex Av/63rd St Station Area

72nd St Station Area

86th St Station Area

96th St Station Area