MTA To Restore Old South Ferry Service
Commuting in Lower Manhattan has not been easy since Hurricane Sandy pounded our region a few months ago. One of the biggest transit victims was the rebuilt South Ferry station complex which was flooded 80 feet deep making the station unusable. Since then, the 
train has been terminating at Rector Street. However this is about to change.
Earlier this morning, Gov. Cuomo announced that the MTA will be restoring service to South Ferry via the old loop. Here are the complete details:
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that 1 train service will return to one loop platform of the storm-ravaged South Ferry subway station in the first week of April, making commutes easier for more than 10,000 daily riders at the southern tip of Manhattan while a full rebuilding continues.
“The MTA has a long, tough job ahead as it tackles the immense job of virtually rebuilding the new South Ferry terminal station that was flooded 80 feet deep during Superstorm Sandy,” Governor Cuomo said. “For the extended period of time it will take for this work to be completed, we are returning the old station in the complex to service, making travel easier and more convenient for Staten Islanders and others who work and visit this area.”
Sandy’s storm surge sent a torrent of salt water into the South Ferry station on October 29. Some 15 million gallons of water filled the area from the track level to the mezzanine, destroying all electrical and mechanical systems and components and rendering the station unusable. As a result, 1 trains now terminate at Rector Street, a major inconvenience for thousands of daily commuters and sightseers.
Faced with an estimated two-year timeline for restoring the new South Ferry station, MTA New York City Transit studied the former loop station directly above it which served South Ferry until 2009. The station is on a sharp curve and requires moveable platform edge extenders to bridge gaps between the platform and the cars, and it can accommodate only five cars of a 10-car subway train.
“As MTA New York City Transit assessed the extent of damage to the new South Ferry station, it became clear that the time necessary to repair it would be too long a period to deny our customers a direct link to lower Manhattan,” said MTA Interim Executive Director Thomas F. Prendergast. “We are working to ensure that all elements and systems are fully operational, safe and reliable before restoring service to the old station, but our primary goal remains restoring the new South Ferry station as soon as possible.”
Work to reopen old South Ferry includes opening a new connection point between the new station mezzanine and the old loop station, which will allow a transfer between the 1 train and the R train’s Whitehall Street station.
Other work includes refurbishing the moveable platform edge extenders and replacing pistons and other components. Crews must install electrical feeds, closed-circuit television systems to monitor the platform, customer assistance intercoms, security cameras and radio communications in the dispatcher’s office. Additional work will be required to rehabilitate the fare control area, restore lighting in the station and adjacent tunnels, install new platform lighting, and repair and repaint station walls. The estimated cost of returning the old South Ferry loop to service is $2 million.
The Federal Transit Administration has reimbursed MTA New York City Transit for an initial $629,100 of recovery work at the new South Ferry station, which included pumping out water, removing debris, assessing damage and inspecting equipment.
This initial FTA funding reimburses the MTA for costs incurred during preparation for the storm through January 29. It is the first round of funding the MTA has received to help recover from Sandy and rebuild stronger.
The MTA is working closely with the FTA to pursue reimbursement for the costs of rebuilding the devastated station.
While I expect the South Ferry work to take quite some time, it is good to know that they will be reopening the old loop to help facilitate the commutes of thousands in that area. Hopefully this will help get things back to normal as much as possible.
The railfan in me is looking forward to going down there to see the loop in revenue action again for old times sake.
xoxo Transit Blogger
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- South Ferry Progress
- South Ferry St. Entrance Closes For 9 Months
- New South Ferry Station To Open In December
- FASTRACK Comes To The 1
Service Diversions 03-07-13
The weekend is right around the corner but no need to wait to make your travel plans as I have just updated the Service Diversions with the latest planned work.
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Have a great weekend & as always stay safe!
xoxo Transit Blogger
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Service Diversions 02-28-13
The weekend is right around the corner but no need to wait to make your travel plans as I have just updated the Service Diversions with the latest planned work.
Don’t forget to follow @TransitBlogger on Twitter as I am finally starting to use it more. Feel free to follow @SurgeFM as well if you or anyone you know appreciates indie music.
Have a great weekend & as always stay safe!
xoxo Transit Blogger
You might enjoy reading these related entries:- Service Diversions 03-07-13
- Service Diversions 02-14-14
- Service Diversions 03-29-13
- Service Diversions 05-17-13
- Service Diversions 05-10-13
Service Diversions 02-21-13
You can get an early start to your weekend travel plans as I have just updated the Service Diversions for the upcoming weekend, next week & beyond in some cases.
Don’t forget to follow @TransitBlogger on Twitter by clicking the button in the sidebar.
Have a save & wonderful weekend!
xoxo Transit Blogger
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Some Upcoming Construction Notes
Here are a couple of construction notes that will lead to diversions on the 
, 
, 
, 
, & 
service.
MTA New York City Transit announces that this coming weekend will bring the first of three planned service suspensions on the 2 3 and 5 service in order to work on the lower level of the 2 5 station at 149th Street-Grand Concourse. There will be no 2 trains between 3rd Avenue-149th Street and 96th Street, all 3 service will be suspended and there will be no 5 train service between East 180th Street and 149th Street-Grand Concourse. This work will occur on the following weekends: February 22-25, March 1-4 and March 8-11.
Customers will have four shuttle bus operations available to provide alternate service:
• 2 Non-stop – Operating between 96th Street and 3rd Avenue-149th Street
• 2 Local – Operating between 96th Street and 3rd Avenue-149th Street
• 3 Local – Operating between 96th Street and 148th Street
• 5 149th Street – Operating between 3rd Avenue-149th Street and 149th Street-Grand Concourse
During this time, 2 trains will operate in two sections:
• Between 241st Street and 3rd Avenue-149th Street
• Between 96th Street and Flatbush Avenue
5 service also operates in two sections:
• Between Dyre Avenue and East 180th Street
• Between 149th Street-Grand Concourse and Bowling Green (every 20 minutes)
3 service is suspended. The 2 makes all 3 station stops between 96th Street and Franklin Avenue and the 4 makes all 3 station stops between Franklin Avenue and New Lots Avenue.
In addition to the station work at 149th Street-Grand Concourse, workers will be doing track maintenance at 96th Street and tunnel lighting work in the Harlem River Tube.
_______
On Monday, February 25, MTA New York City Transit brings FASTRACK to Upper Manhattan on the A Line. There will be no service on the A between 168th Street and 207th Street from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m., for four consecutive weeknights from Monday, February 25 to early Friday morning, March 1. A trains will operate between Lefferts Blvd/Howard Beach and 168th Street.
Customers may use:
• 1 train service at nearby stations between 207th Street and Dyckman Street
• 1 train or M4 bus for service to and from A stations at 190th Street, 181st Street and 175th Street
Transfers between A and 1 trains or the special M4 bus should be made at the 168th Street station. A local service to C stations begins early. Customers should allow for additional travel time.
FASTRACK was introduced in January 2012, devoting four straight weeknights to perform maintenance work in tunnels, stations and on tracks, completely suspending service within a given line segment for a seven-hour period between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. This gives free access to the system, allowing an army of maintenance workers to perform dozens of tasks without the concern of having to “clear up” to allow trains to pass.
The new FASTRACK corridors for 2013 include: the Concourse Line D between 161st and 205th Streets; the Queens Boulevard Line E M F R between 5th Av/53rd Street and Roosevelt Avenue; the 2 line along Nostrand Avenue between Franklin and Flatbush Avenues and the Lexington Avenue 4 5 6 between Grand Central-42nd Street and 125th Streets.
FASTRACK projects are also scheduled for the Sixth/Eighth Avenue Lines (A B C D) between 59th Street-Columbus Circle and 168th Street-Broadway and 161st Street; Nassau Street-Broad Street-Essex Street on the J; the Fourth Avenue line (D N R) between 36th Street and 95th Streets in Brooklyn.
xoxo Transit Blogger
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