LIRR: 8 Extra Trains For Eve Of Rosh Hashanah

Just a short time ago, the Long Island Rail Road announced it will be running eight extra trains on the eve of Rosh Hashanah. Here are the complete details courtesy of a press release they sent to me:

The MTA Long Island Rail Road is offering eight additional eastbound trains from Penn Station, Friday, September 18, between 2:09 PM and 3:48 PM for customers traveling early in observance of the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah). There will be three additional trains on the Babylon Branch, three on the Port Jefferson Branch, and one each on the Port Washington and Far Rockaway Branches.

Babylon Branch:

• 2:25 PM express to Lynbrook, then all stops to Babylon
• 3:00 PM stopping at Jamaica, Rockville Centre, then all stops to Babylon
• 3:31 PM express to Rockville Centre, then all stops to Babylon

Port Jefferson Branch:

• 2:09 PM stopping at Jamaica, Carle Place, then all stops to Huntington
• 2:22 PM stopping at Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Jamaica, New Hyde Park, then all stops to Huntington
• 3:24 PM stopping at Jamaica, Mineola, Westbury and Hicksville

Port Washington Branch to Great Neck:
• 3:40 PM stopping at Woodside, Flushing-Main St., then all stops to Great Neck

Far Rockaway Branch:

• 3:48 PM stopping at Jamaica, then all stops to Far Rockaway

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Service Diversions 09-11

Last night, I updated the service diversions page with the latest information for the weekend & upcoming week (beyond in some cases). Don’t forget to check in for any changes to the page. I also suggest printing out a copy of the page to use while riding the system. Have a safe & wonderful weekend!

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M11 Rerouted Due To 9/11 Ceremony

I forgot to post a press release sent to me yesterday afternoon which was in addition to an earlier 9/11 bus detour press release. The information had to due with the M11 being rerouted due to a 9/11 Court Officers ceremony. Here are the complete details courtesy of a press release sent to me:

On Friday morning, September 11, 2009, Court Officers will hold a 9/11 Memorial Service between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Centre Street between Worth Street and Canal Street. The northbound M1 service will operate along its regular route to Worth Street, continue north on Church Street to Canal Street, then east on Canal Street to Lafayette Street, north on Lafayette Street and then on the regular route.

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Sol LeWitt Art Installation Completed

Sol LeWitt Art 59th StSol LeWitt Art at the 59th St-Columbus Circle subway station. Photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Rob Wilson.

A few days ago, the MTA announced the completion of the Sol LeWitt art installation at the 59th Street-Columbus Circle subway station. Here are the complete details courtesy of a press release sent to me by the MTA:

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority today announced that the major artwork by the late artist Sol LeWitt at the 59th Street-Columbus Circle subway complex, which is currently under rehabilitation, has been completed.

The artist created the proposal in 2004, and he selected the site, which is an expansive wall facing a double wide stairway and landing at 60th Street that leads from the mezzanine to the A, B, C, D and 1 trains. Titled “Whirls and twirls (MTA),” the artwork is 53 feet wide by 11 feet high and consists of 250 porcelain tiles, in six colors, each cut to meet the artist’s specifications.

“LeWitt’s genius comes through in this artwork, which is a major work of precision with its curves and bands in vibrant color that completely fills the space. It will become a landmark and is a great tribute to one of our major artists,” said MTA Chairman H. Dale Hemmerdinger.

Sandra Bloodworth, Director of Arts for Transit and Facilities Design, said: “This project was filled with challenges, as we prepared several samples of tile and glazes to meet with Mr. LeWitt’s approval and found a facility that could produce large tiles mandated by the design. Working with Arts for Transit, his family and colleagues helped bring the project to completion. It is a very special and unique creation because it is a permanent public installation of a wall drawing, executed in porcelain tile. Usually the wall drawings are executed in paint or pencil based on exacting instructions by the artist.”

The art is being installed as part of the rehabilitation of the 59th Street-Columbus Circle subway complex, which will bring the station into a state of good repair. In addition to the artwork, the project includes the installation of new lighting and tile flooring and construction of a new entrance at 60th Street and Broadway, a retail arcade, passenger restrooms and elevators that will make the complex fully accessible for customers with disabilities.

Sol LeWitt (1928-2007) is a celebrated artist who has had hundreds of solo exhibitions in museums and galleries worldwide since 1965. His work ranges from Wall Drawings, over 1100 of which have been executed, to photographs and hundreds of works on paper and extends to geometry based sculptures.

The Columbus Circle installation coincides with an exhibit, “Sol LeWitt: Forms Derived from a Cube,” an exhibition of Sol LeWitt’s wall drawings, gouaches and structures based on his transformations of the original cubic form. The exhibition will be on view from September 8 through October 17, 2009 at Pace Wildenstein, 32 East 57th Street, New York City. A 25-year long exhibition at Mass MOCA in North Adams, MA features 105 LeWitt wall drawings in a specially designed space.

Click here for a full size version of the picture above.

Click here for a full size version from a different angle.

Talk about a sure fire way to brighten your day or night!

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Q2 & Q110 To Serve Belmont Park

In continuation with transit news related to the start of the 2009 Fall Championship Meet at Belmont Park, MTA NYC Transit announces that the Q2 & Q110 will once again directly serve Belmont Park. Here are the complete details courtesy of a press release sent to me by NYC Transit:

MTA New York City Transit and MTA Bus officials today announced that the Q2/Q110 will again directly serve Belmont Park Racetrack for the Fall racing season.

Effective Friday, September 11, and continuing through Sunday, October 25, 2009, the Q2 (NYCT) and Q110 (MTA Bus) services will discharge, layover and pick up customers in the designated stops in the Belmont Racetrack bus terminal.

The terminal is near the escalators to the MTA LIRR/Racetrack overpass and is closed to all vehicles except the Q2 and the Q110. These changes are only in effect when the Belmont Racetrack is open. Customers will be dropped off in Lane #1 next to the escalator. Jamaica-bound customers will be picked up in Lane #2 next to the stairs.

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