December 4, 2007
7 Line Gets Hudson Yards, But Forget Hell's Kitchen
Yesterday, Governor Spitzer, Mayor Bloomberg, MTA CEO and Executive Director Lee Sander and other officials kicked off the extension of the 7 line by unveiling a new sign in Times Square pointing the way to Hudson Yards. Ah, nothing like putting in signs for things that won't be ready for years - the 7 will reach 34th and 11th Avenue in 2013.
The 7 line extension will cost $2 billion for the 1.5 miles (and the platforms will get glass doors), but one of the more controversial aspects is how the line does not have a stop at 41st Street and 10th Avenue at the moment. The MTA has the option to build a "shell" of a station in case funds make it possible to build out a stop, but for now, the agency and city and state governments aren't concerned with giving Hell's Kitchen residents a subway stop. amNewYork reports Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff "[said] the area around 41nd Street and 10th Avenue in Hells Kitchen is developing without a subway already," therefore no stop is needed to continue the neighborhood's growth.
And yesterday, the five developers bidding on the Hudson Yards took their projects to the public last night by having designer present the plans. Reactions ranged from "meh" to "interesting" to "horrifying", but Atlantic Yards Report's Norman Oder points out that at least there's a public process for the West Side rail yards, unlike the Atlantic Yards.
Photograph of Governor Spitzer, Mayor Bloomberg and other officials show off the new Hudson Yards sign at the Times Square subway station by Richard Drew/AP
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Who'da thunk Dashin' Dan Doctoroff would just come out and say it it--"The area around 41st and 10th in Hell's Kitchen is developing without a subway already." Doctoroff, who is apparentlty p.o.'ed that the Second Avenue subway line is siphoning precious public funds away from other pet projects, thus explicitly offers up the city's credo under Mayor McChee$e: public works are only there to tempt developers into splurging on trillion dollar boondoggles.
No thought as to what the city needs, what would best serve the interest of those already here and busting tail to stay, just keep creating spectacularly speculative playgrounds for the yet-to-arrive next generation of the uber-rich. Whether any of it adds up to anything but the dark shadow of nightmarish overdevelopment and infrastructure overload and an idiots' village of the bland leading the blond, New York will become, finally, their exalted vision: a vertical gated community.
So, yeah, if you already bought a place on far West 42nd Street, tough luck--you don't deserve public transportation. With the money you save on Metrocards, though, maybe you can plunk down some dough on a one-bedroom in Hudson Yards in 2012. Sucker.
Whew. What Rexlic said. Exactly.
If Hudson Yards ever gets built given the credit crisis. Oh, wait, we'll wind up paying for all of it, and then it will sit empty.
We need to loosen our gun laws.
The platform's going to have glass doors? Didn't Shanghaiist report of a man being crushed when he was caught between the train and platform doors just a month ago?
The platform's going to have glass doors? Didn't Shanghaiist report of a man being crushed when he was caught between the train and platform doors just a month ago?
the 7 will reach 34th and 11th Avenue in 2013
And the Sun is going to rise in the west tomorrow morning.
the glass doors are a good example of unneeded costs that in turn are used for excuses to raise fares -
Peter-
Yep, and in 2020 the 2nd avenue line will be finished, it'll travel at 200 mph and have free massage and aromatherapy included with each fare.
Thirding rexlic's comment. Subways are for other purposes besides encouraging development, and Doctoroff is an asshat.
Glass doors make it possible to make the platforms temperature controlled. They raise costs, clearly, but it's not like they're without benefit.
Not building a station in Hell's Kitchen while this project is going on is stupid.
Glass doors make it possible to make the platforms temperature controlled. They raise costs, clearly, but it's not like they're without benefit.
Not building a station in Hell's Kitchen while this project is going on is stupid.
I am so glad that the 7 will get glass doors at its stations while I freeze on the F train platform watching multiple packed trains pass by. That's MTA priorities for ya.
I am so glad that the 7 will get glass doors at its stations while I freeze on the F train platform watching multiple packed trains pass by. That's MTA priorities for ya.
what about the trains that need work? who the hell runs the MTA and why does it suck so much???
It's really disgusting that this money can be spent to develop transportaton for residents and business that don't exist, while neglecting infrastructure investment and maintainence for the residents and businesses in communities that do exist.
Furthermore, any 7-extension that does not include stops in Hell's Kitchen in pointless and unethical.
And, most of all, it will still be extremely inconvenient to get to 34th st/ 11th Ave!!!! This is going to be one of the weirdest, most annoying and time consuming transfers in the city. Unless you are coming from Queens or midtown around Grand Central, who is actually going to ride this? If you are coming from South of 34th st. you will still just go to the A/C/E at 34th/8th Ave and get out and walk which will be quicker than going north up to 42nd and then transfering to the 7. The same thing will happen if you are at 34th/11th and want to go anywhere... you'll walk over to the A/C/E!!!! This subway extension would only make sence if it were somehow connected to the 34th st A/C/E, perhaps make it a loop... What a waste of money that should be going to the Second Ave project that may not get done, but would serve a huge population of people and businesses in need and currently existing.
If the city is truly interested in new development via subway speculation it should build a subway connection the Bronx and Queens. This could connect the South Bronx with Astoria over the tracks on Randall's Island. Now that would be a great project worth supporting