Citi Bike: Proof in the Numbers

5 months, 5 million rides, 10 million miles – these are the numbers from the city’s latest Citi Bike press release. And here are some more!

Number of trips in the peak travel day: 44,000, more than the average Yankee Stadium attendance this past season.

Total annual, weekly and daily subscriptions purchased: 432,244, almost as large as the population of Atlanta, Georgia.

Estimated number of calories burned since launch*: 403 million, the equivalent of 732,000 Big Macs, nearly 419,000 entire pints of Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream, and more than 107,000 Pizza Hut meat lover’s pizzas. *assumes an average of 40 calories per mile biked.

While there are certainly some negative data out there (dock malfunctions, etc) missing from this press release, it is nonetheless encouraging and exciting to see so much success from the program that some considered doomed from the start.

500 MetroCards

Just so you know that the title of this blog is not a hoax, behold! An update on my MetroCard collection.

I have many people to thank for helping me reach this exciting milestone. To my family and friends who hold on to their cards well after expiration, to the subway riders who leave piles of empty cards sitting on top of the MetroCard reader machines, and to the negligent straphangers who throw their unwanted cards right onto the floor for me to pick up, thank you.

I am still not totally sure of what I will do with these cards, but I am sure that whatever I come up with will be awesome. I also know that all of my ideas (tabletop collage, wall decorations, etc) will require at least a thousand of these babies, so keep ’em coming!

Park(ing) Day 2013

Lyndsey and Nolan celebrate the street

Wondering why there are random parking spots filled with smiling people throughout the city today? That’s because it’s Park(ing) Day! Happy Park(ing) Day!

So what is Park(ing) Day, you ask? It’s an annual worldwide event where artists, designers, enthusiastic grad students and everyday citizens transform metered parking spots into temporary public parks. The idea is to make people think about the space around them, promote creativity, celebrate the urban landscape and have fun!

From 9am-3pm today the Wagner Transportation Association inhabited a spot on the corner of 6th Avenue and West 3rd Street, right in the heart of Greenwich Village. We played Scrabble (see below), answered questions from curious passersby and smiled for a lot of photos for people who were “totally gonna put this on Facebook!”

I learned that 6th Avenue is cleaned almost too often, that drivers drive way too fast 90% of the time and that New Yorkers have a surprisingly positive attitude about strange things happening on their streets. My favorite moment was when a man stopped his car, opened his window and yelled out “HEY YOU NEEDA QUARTA FOR DA MEETA?” I had to kindly decline his offer, but the gesture was greatly appreciated.

For more information, check out parkingday.org.

Rat’s Eye View: My Journey Below Second Avenue

I don’t watch Mad Men, but everyone who does sent me a link to that Second Avenue Subway joke. And who doesn’t love a good subway joke, really? It was pretty funny, and crazy to think that plans for the Second Avenue Subway began nearly 85 years ago. But in a few years, it will be the Upper East Siders who will be laughing – or at least the ones who stick around until 2016 to see it come to life – because they will get to enjoy the delicious fruits of the MTA’s labor. Its long and painful labor.

Last week I went underneath Second Avenue to get a glimpse of the incredible construction site at the 86^th Street cavern. The new station will have two entrances; one on 83^rd and another on 86^th Street. At 53% complete, on schedule and on budget, the project is truly unbelievable.

  

Leading the pack, MTA Capital Construction President Dr. Michael Horodniceanu explained all the subterranean details, from how the walls are cooled after blasting, to the intricacies of the 350 million year old Manhattan schist lining the cavern. But what struck me the most was his emphasis on the community. It turns out that the biggest challenge in building an entirely new subway line is not technical, but personal. Building in the nation’s most densely populated area comes with its difficulties, as most Upper East Siders are less than pleased with the added noise and congestion in their neighborhood. The problem is that most of them do not understand the full extent of what is happening beneath them, and that is about to change.

Horodniceanu was excited to announce the upcoming opening of the Second Avenue Subway Community Information Center – located at 1628 Second Avenue – where residents can learn more about what is actually going on underground and receive updates and information on the project’s progress. He explained that the people deserve to know what is happening right in front of their living rooms and in their backyards, and that “trust is everything.”

Constantly sticking up for the muck houses that align the busy avenue, I too believe that trust is everything. New Yorkers are always at least a little bit angry and annoyed, but we are also pretty understanding when faced with brutal transparency. The more we know, the less angry and annoyed we are, so I am excited to see how the mood changes when the new CIC opens later this month.

Citi Bike: One Month Later

It is hard to believe that Citi Bike has been around for only one month. Between all the love and the hate, it has truly been an exciting ride for the bike share program. Yesterday, Transportation Nation released some Quinnipiac polling data:

The data show that overall “every age, income, party, gender and educational group supports the bike program.” However, there is one special group that has fully embraced a Citi Bike-specific NIMBYism, and that is the 65+ group, with 40% opposed and 37% in favor. This research did not surprise me, and it reminded me of something.

Back in April, as part of NYU Wagner’s Day of Service, a group of transit nerds advocates teamed up with the Wagner Transportation Association (WTA), the Urban Planning Student Association (UPSA), the NYU Bike Share Program and Transportation Alternatives to hit the streets, seeking out bike-friendly businesses and collecting signatures for bike lanes on University Place. The idea was that in building a coalition of local businesses and residents that value the benefits of biking, we could help create a safe and mutually beneficial environment for cyclists in the NYU community.

We split up into two groups – one to engage local businesses and one to engage people on the street. I joined the second group, and was a bit weary of my task at hand. You know exactly what you do when you spot that annoying person on the sidewalk with a silly t-shirt and clipboard – you cross the street, answer a nonexistent phone call – whatever you can do to avoid eye contact. But on that lovely April day, I was that annoying person! And it was really fun. It took me no more than 30 seconds to get into full character.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that most passers-by were more than willing to sign the petition. I was less than pleasantly surprised to find that members of an older cohort hated me. Like, really hated me. One woman in particular, who I would place in her late 70s to early 80s, decided to tell me exactly what she thought about bike lanes, bikes, totalitarian governments, people like me, and some other stuff that I can’t remember. To paraphrase, she was not a fan. Now that I think of it, she reminded me a lot of Dorothy Rabinowitz in this excellent video.

One month in, the data are clear. Sorry, Dorothy, looks like you do not “represent the majority of citizens” of this city after all.

Rat’s Eye View: Going Underneath Grand Central Terminal

Have you ever wondered what it’s like 200 feet below Grand Central Terminal? Well, wonder no more – it is awesome.

Currently the nation’s largest transportation project, East Side Access will bring the Long Island Railroad into a new station underneath Grand Central Terminal. This will provide LIRR passengers with direct access to the east side, shaving 40 minutes off of the average commuter’s journey.

As a Young Professional in Transportation, I had the privilege of going underground to tour the mega project. Senior Quality Engineer Bill Ury led the tour, taking us through the mud as we ooh-ed and ahh-ed at the incredible site. Ury has been working underground for over 40 years and provided extraordinary insight, as well as a great deal of comfort. When I realized just how far down we were going, I suddenly felt extremely claustrophobic and wondered who we would eat first. But after passing the first tunnel all I could think was, how long will they let me stay down here?

The sheer magnitude of the project is astounding. Looking around, I was so impressed with how much has been done, but also amazed at how much more needs to be done. With revenue service slated to open in August 2019, I tried to picture what the final product will look like. The tunnel holes looked so clean and perfect, like a train could come in at any moment, but there is still an entire station to be built, and six more years to go!

Photos cannot fully express how extraordinary the project is. But let me try:

      

For many reasons, including safety, tours are not open to the public. But I could not help but think that if the average New Yorker could just get a glimpse of this underground world, they would stop complaining for five minutes and appreciate the incredible work being done behind the scenes. The New York City subway system is the most extensive in the world, but it is also one of the oldest. Mega projects like East Side Access and the Second Avenue Subway are going to transform transportation for New Yorkers for many years to come, so a few more years of waiting shouldn’t be too difficult.

For another look underground, check out Wired magazine’s awesome video.

The Queens That Could

I came across a tweet the other day from @SecondAveSagas:

From Queens, ideas for an expanded subway system 2avesag.as/11IG4yB

— Second Ave. Sagas (@SecondAveSagas) June 7, 2013

I may live in Manhattan now, but the Queens girl inside of me could not click fast enough.

The recycled idea for subway expansion comes from Councilman Leroy Comrie, who has recently announced his run for Queens Borough President. According to a Daily News article, its incredible cost alone makes Comrie’s proposal about as likely as the Mets winning the World Series this year, which as a fan of the Mets and New York City transit, I am both insulted and disappointed. The truth is, the chances of Comrie winning this election are probably equally as good, but I am glad that he brought it up. Promises of the Second Avenue Subway were made ages ago, and who ever thought the No. 7 would ever leave Times Square? The conversation has to start somewhere.

As far as the details that will never come to fruition go, Comrie cites the congestion on the E and F lines as reasons for subway expansion in the borough. Sure, those lines are crowded, but mostly because those riders are trying to reach the closest buses that will get them home. Queens has always been about the bus, but that’s only because for most of its residents, that has been the only option! The Long Island Railroad’s network is a bit more extensive in the borough, but its high ticket prices leave out a solid chunk of the population.

Residents of Staten Island may consider themselves members of the forgotten borough, but did you know that if each NYC borough were an independent city, Queens would rank as America’s fourth most populous city? Don’t you think those residents in Fresh Meadows and Bayside deserve some subway love? I certainly do. Perhaps the hundreds of workers employed in Maspeth factories churning out Made In New York products would like a little help too. And what about our airports? JFK got the AirTrain, but it looks like we forgot about its little cousin La Guardia. There are serious opportunities here that need to be given serious attention.

Maybe it’s the ludicrously hopeful Mets fan in me, but maybe there is hope for such a plan. Maybe one day in the future, Queens residents will look back and wonder how a borough with such an incredible baseball team once had such bad subway service.

Citi Bikes Hit the Streets!

“When will smiling at Citi Bikers become creepy?” I asked myself yesterday as I walked downtown. Between Midtown West and the East Village, I spotted about a dozen Citi Bikers and smiled at all of them. I might have even given one of them a thumbs up, I can’t remember. With over 6,000 trips made in its inaugural day, spotting the blue bikes around town was very exciting, and opening up the program to annual members first was a great idea. Hopefully with enough feedback, Citi Bike can work out some of its hiccups before the less experienced riders (read: tourists) take to the streets.

Memorial Day Weekend in the city proved to be wonderfully empty, and therefore perfect for kicking off the program. Citi Bikers rode through the streets with relative ease, which made riding without a helmet a lot less scary than it should be. Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan believes that “bike helmets will be as common a New York City accessory as an umbrella or sunglasses,” but of all the riders I saw, only one was wearing one. I know, I know – the research proves that successful programs around the world do not require helmets, but New York City is a unique ecosystem, and I could not help but think about the awful possible issues (and lawsuits) that might arise from non-helmeted riders in the future.

I have yet to sign up for the program because as an outer borough kid, accustomed to the relatively quiet streets of Queens, quite frankly I am terrified to ride in Manhattan. I am excited though, for my 24-hour test drive, when I will finally be able to gauge my fears. I will be wearing my helmet, riding very slowly and accepting any and all smiles that come my way.

Taking a Ride with Data

Reblogged from Open Transportation, May 13, 2013:

I have had this infographic bookmarked for weeks and I can’t stop looking at it.

Last month, the New Yorker took some of the simplest data and turned it into something quite illuminating. Using data on median household income from the US Census Bureau, the New Yorker created an interactive infographic that proves that NYC has a serious problem with income inequality. With the ability to browse individual subway lines, you can see the range of earnings throughout the city. In crunching data from the census, the New Yorker discovered that if the borough of Manhattan were a country, “the income gap between the richest twenty per cent and the poorest twenty per cent would be on par with countries like Sierra Leone, Namibia, and Lesotho.” Yes, this sounds shocking. But is it? Clicking through all of the different subway lines, the shifts are pretty intense, but I feel like I could have drawn those squiggles myself.

So what does this all prove? Certainly the infographic exemplifies the polarizing nature of the city, but it also proves the equalizing nature of the subway. In most US cities, the class divide is clear; take public transportation in Los Angeles or Miami and you are labeled poor, illegal or a hipster. In New York? Try telling someone you drive a car and prepare to be judged.

While the data does not exactly prove this extended observation, it is interesting to think about. The subway line with the greatest stretch is the 2 train, with its lowest point hitting $13,750 at E. 180th St. in the Bronx, and its highest peaking at $205,192 at both Park Place and Chambers St. in lower Manhattan. These gaps may be incredible, but they actually appear in relatively close quarters. Just look at the 4/5 lines that go from $104,514 at 86th St. to $15,625 at 125th St. in just one stop, and in the same borough.

Maybe the haves can avoid passing through the areas of the have nots, and maybe if the subways stretched out further into the outer boroughs, the overall average would dip dramatically, but that’s income, and we are here to talk about transportation. Riders at the top and the bottom ride together; everyone avoids eye contact with their fellow straphangers and no one wants to sit within ten feet of the sleeping homeless man, no matter what dot you live at. That’s the thing about the NYC subway – whether you like it or not – once you swipe, you’re just like everybody else.

Bike Share? There’s an App for That

Reblogged from Open Transportation, May 9, 2013:

A recent Community Board 2 meeting proved that bike share is not for everyone. Sorry for the convenience, residents of SoHo, NoHo, and the Village. But for those of us who are upset that we (I) have to walk a whole block and a half to get to the nearest Citi Bike station, there’s good news! None of the program’s bikes are actually installed, but there is already an app for it!

Citi Bike is going to be the nation’s largest bike share program. Hoping to feed off of the success from other cities like Washington, DC and Miami, the 330 docking stations throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn will be up and running before you know it. While thousands have signed up for the program, not a single bike has been installed. Tom Claes of the Belgian mobile app company WebComrades knows that and has released the first bike share app anyway. His app, that will be available for iPhone and Android users, will plot users on a map and alert them to the nearest docking station. Based on the version he created for the city of Antwerp, which is one of the world’s most bike-friendly cities, the app will offer a bit more than Citi Bike’s official app, which is already available for download and will begin working when the program actually launches.

Perhaps the coolest function of Claes’ app is that users will be able to save their favorite stations and have the app tell them which are full and which are empty. This feature will alleviate the fear of many New Yorkers who have yet to sign up, and with the program already attracting a younger and more tech-savvy group of customers, this app is likely to be very popular.

So how did Claes make this app, you ask? According to Transportation Nation, “Using some clever data-scraping of the bare bones information on the Citi Bike NYC website, Claes pulls in the information about the docking stations and saves it to a constantly updating WebComrades server.” Apparently he has also been in touch with Citi Bike and plans to use their officially released data once it is made available. As we patiently await the bikes to be installed, we can be grateful for the city’s commitment to open data, and look forward to more, better, smarter apps that will help us navigate our newly shared streets.