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.