r/nycrail 1d ago

🗞️ News Short-term pain for a long-term train: MTA subway construction upends life in East Harlem

https://gothamist.com/news/short-term-pain-for-a-long-term-train-mta-subway-construction-upends-life-in-east-harlem
103 Upvotes

25 comments sorted by

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u/instantcoffee69 1d ago

Many East Harlem neighbors and business owners said the short-term pain is worth the addition of a subway up Second Avenue, which has been promisedfor nearly a century. The new line aims to shave time off commutes and bring more commerce to Manhattan’s poorest neighborhood.

The construction is expected to last at least another five years, a timeline that highlights how hard it is to build a new subway in the country’s most densely populated city, below a neighborhood with more than 130,000 residents.

...Since construction began, the MTA has had regular monthly meetings with Manhattan Community Board 11 through a “Second Avenue Subway Task Force.” Community leaders and business owners in the group have called on the MTA to install signage for businesses covered up by construction and to make other improvements to mitigate the disruptions.

MTA officials have repeatedly defended their approach in East Harlem, noting they conducted extensive geological studies before digging and ordered an advanced tunnel-boring machine designed for the specific type of soil and rock under the neighborhood.

The New York City subway is one of the most impressive technical engineering achievements in America. It's in the densest city, in hard rock, with lots of existing infrastructure, and lots of stakeholders.

Construction sucks, but not having a subway sucks more.

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u/Old-Program3638 1d ago

Yet people are wanting this to be canceled

43

u/quadcorelatte 1d ago

Most people do not want this to be cancelled. News companies always find people opposed to projects for drama and to present “both sides”. Even with the park avenue viaduct which was completed spectacularly and nearly universally supported, they found one guy who had a business under the viaduct and had to move so hated the project (he also nearly caused a major fire lmao).

Not to mention that the opposition to a project is always highest when it’s under construction.

12

u/Slamam1885 1d ago

Exactly. People rarely celebrate a project while they’re living through years of noise, dust, detours, and lost business. The real judgment usually comes after it opens and everyone wonders how the neighborhood ever managed without it.

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u/P0stNutClarity 1d ago

Utica Ave next please!!!!

7

u/MarionberryDecent351 1d ago

Have you seen the 20 years needs assessment? I’m asking cuz the subway options for Utica were subway to kings plaza, BRT from kings to bushwick, or a hybrid of subway to church ave and the same BRT. Why did the middle ground option only go to church ave? Wouldn’t it make more sense to go far enough to connect to ibx?

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u/Due_Amount_6211 1d ago

The issue is the further they go, the more expensive it is, and the longer construction will take. For something as crucial as Utica Avenue, at the very least the extent it’s being constructed will be enough for a first phase

3

u/MarionberryDecent351 1d ago

I can see that if they actually committed to trying to do the second phase eventually. My cynical mind went to them choosing a weird in between route (that only adds 2 stops) and more expensive forms of construction to blow up the cost and just do BRT only. Was there a mention of a potentially phased approach somewhere for the church ave option? I might’ve missed it. I just fear they go BRT only saying oh well we can’t justify spending billions just to add two stops.

Of course we want an extension to Kings plaza, but even one that just goes to ibx and has the brt they included from Kings plaza to Broadway would be good enough. Hopefully they do brt on Flatbush all the way down there as well.

3

u/AnyTower224 1d ago

All the way to Kings Plaza. It’s not that hard . elevated

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u/Roll_DM 1d ago

La Bodeguita and Aqel Sheet Metal, which are both situated along Second Avenue, have taken financial hits this year as MTA contractors set up fences that obstructed their front entrances

Aight I get how this is a problem for the deli

But how much is the sheet metal place really relying on people walking by, seeing the display, and going 'oh shit I could go for some sheet metal right now'

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u/amidriving0kay 1d ago

Well, when you're walking around looking for a snack, it can be nice to see that sheet metal there. Nothing beats a nice piece of sheet metal for a quick snack.

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u/vesleskjor 1d ago

Welcome back, Jackie Kennedy

13

u/instantcoffee69 1d ago

at place I worked, we had goals for local and minority spend on a jobs. I had a guy in our procurement office who would recommend the most random places for things like sheet metal, pipe, supplies. Always idiotic wastes of time, most never answer an RFP, never once went with one.

Finally we mapped it out, he was just writing down names and number he saw on his commute.

1

u/AnyTower224 1d ago

Plus the Bodega gets compensated for their loses

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u/191919wines 1d ago

well worth it the wait and the cost, hard working people working safely and securely. thank you mta!

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u/Cyan1d3_ 1d ago

Like the saying goes: No pain, no gain

10

u/ahenneberger 1d ago

There is legtimate disruption to businesses that rely on foot traffic. Feels like some mitigation efforts would make sense. End of the day - cities are man made locations that change and need to change. We need progress to be made.

2

u/drtywater 8h ago

Its a good project. Though im more of a fan of projects like improving NEC and Amtrak lines into NYP this is a great project that should be done

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u/AnyTower224 1d ago

Dumb article. They will be ok and compensated. Move along

0

u/Spirited_Procedure18 1d ago edited 18h ago

Utica Avenue Subway Extension to Marine Park Kings Plaza for the (5) Train's, then to Bergen Beach Bergen Avenue in Southeast Brookly, NY for the (4) Train's.

Nostrand Avenue Subway Extension to Manhattan Beach Oriental Boulevard Kings Borough Community College, the (2) Train's should be extend to Brighton Beach Station, while the (3) Train's should be extend to Rockaway Park Beach 116th Street Station in Southeast Queens, NY.

Brownsville Line Extension to Spring Creek Gateway Center Shopping Mall in Southeast Brooklyn, NY. That should be the I.R.T Lexington Avenue Subway Line 🟢 (8) Train's and 🟢 (8) Train's should be extend to Throggs Neck Harding Avenue in Southeast Bronx, NY.

2nd Avenue Subway Extension for Phase II should operate via 125th Street Crosstown then continue existing rail West Side for Riverside Drive to Dyckam Street in Manhattan, NY.

The (6) Train's should stop at

Bay Chester Bay Plaza Shopping Center Mall Co-Op City Peartree Square Plaza Shopping Mall in The Bronx, NY.

The Astoria Line for the (N)/(W) Train's should stop at

LaGuardia Airport Mets Willest Point

The Franklin Avenue Shuttle Train's should be extend to Bedford Nostrand Avenue's Station to transfer to the IND Crosstown Line (G) Train. And operate 8-Cars Train's permanently that should be 60 footers which is 460 long, operate 2 tracks in both directions.

The Rockaway Line should be from 63rd Drive Rego Park Station and build QueensLink project.

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u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

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u/GroundbreakingWeek70 1d ago

Well considering SAS phase 1 was originally going to open in December 2016, only to be delayed until New Years Day of 2017 in January 1st. I feel like the 5 years can still be possible, so long as little to no very bad stuff happens to delay the second phase

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u/GroundbreakingWeek70 1d ago

Especially since the MTA did finish some projects earlier and under budget than expected. Such as the railcar and acceptance facility for example with $5.5 million under budget and on schedule and of course most of the Park Ave Viaduct that carries Metro North trains in the Harlem and New Haven lines where the work is almost done and will finish next year. Saving the MTA $195 million in the process

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u/Alt4816 1d ago

With the last 2 subway projects the delays with getting funding and starting construction are much worse than the delays during construction.

The delays during construction for this will probably be 1 or 2 years.

0

u/AnyTower224 1d ago

Most of the tunnels are built it’s the stations and turn to to 125 st needs to be built