To mark National Train Day — this Saturday, May 8 — MAS spoke with renowned rail reporter and train enthusiast Don Philips about what’s happening with America’s railroads. From foreign competition for contracts for increasingly popular and lucrative commuter rail lines, to some major top-down changes at Amtrak, to Warren Buffett’s quiet, but major, investment in freight rail, Don told us that right now may well be the most pivotal period in America’s railroads for decades.

And, to learn what’s happening at Moynihan Station — New York City’s most important development project — join architectural historian Matt Postal this Saturday, May 8, at 11:00 a.m., for a tour of Moynihan Station and the Far West Side. Tickets are $15, $10 MAS members. No reservations necessary. Meet at the N.W. corner of Sixth Ave. and 30th St. MAP.

To learn about MAS advocacy on Moynihan Station, visit MAS.org/new-penn-station. More MAS podcasts are available at MAS.org/audio or on our iTunes page.

Innovative public servants and savvy transportation and public space advocates are working to transform urban streets into “Complete Streets”, in which the street is shared equitably between all users — pedestrians, cyclists, bus passengers, motorists and truck drivers.

Last Thursday, at Scandinavia House, MAS hosted a fascinating program on the city streets of today and tomorrow. Focused on the key challenges to, and best practices in, contemporary street design, and highlighting examples from the Netherlands, Chicago and New York City, Paul Steely-White of Transportation Alternatives moderated an expert panel including: Gary Toth of Projects for Public Spaces (PPS); Andrew Wiley-Schwartz, assistant commissioner of NYC DOT, Nicole LaRusso of ADNY; and Janet Attarian of Chicago DOT.

Click on the player above to listen to a summary of the program or, to download it to your hand-held device, click here to open-up the MAS iTunes page.

Learn more about MAS’ work on streetscapes in New York City at MAS.org/publicpolicy, and to listen to more MAS podcasts, visit MAS.org/audio.

This Wednesday, April 28, the Moynihan Station Development Corporation (MSDC) is holding a hearing on the updated plans for Moynihan Station. They are seeking comments on two technical documents they released earlier this month, the Draft Amended General Project Plan and the Environmental Assessment.

The two documents reflect how similar the project is to what was approved in 2006, and provide details on the few key differences. The project has now been broken down into manageable phases that are achievable (described below), and Amtrak is identified as the primary transportation tenant in the new station — something MAS and other civic groups have long advocated for.

Phase 1, which consists largely of improvements below ground, will begin this year and be completed in 2015. This phase is fully funded and will result in improved circulation and greater access to platforms. The most visible part of this work will be two new entries into the Farley Post Office building, at street level on Eighth Avenue. Continue Reading>>

Should streets be treated as places? How is the New York City Department of Transportation transforming our city streets? Will the entire city benefit? What are the possible economic benefits of this new holistic approach?

As streets across the United States are being changed to accommodate the needs of all users (pedestrians, bicyclists, bus riders, the old, the young, and car and truck drivers), this Thursday’s program, The Complete Street, will feature four exceptional presentations — including one from Janet Attarian, director of Streetscape & Sustainable Design Program, Chicago — on urban streets as they are and could be.

In Chicago, melding complete streets and ecological design has resulted in sustainable changes both practical and pleasing, such as permeable pavers and landscaped medians that reduce storm water run-off while offering visual pleasure (see image above). Here in New York, bicycle paths have opened and sections of Broadway have closed to create pedestrian plazas, an experiment that will become permanent. What are the best practices in contemporary streetscapes? What are the challenges? How can improvements be funded and maintained? How can civic momentum be maintained from one administration to the next? Join us for an engaging discussion of the city streets of today and tomorrow. Continue Reading>>

Today, MAS President Vin Cipolla released a statement (below) regarding yesterday’s announcement by Senator Charles E. Schumer, Governor David A. Paterson and Amtrak president Joseph H. Boardman that an agreement has been made on the future development of Moynihan Station.

“After a decade of starts and stops, the future looks brighter for Moynihan Station. The agreement reached by Amtrak, Governor Paterson and Senator Schumer is a critical step towards expanding and improving the nation’s busiest train station.

The plans include moving many of Amtrak’s services into a new train hall that will be built in the James A. Farley Post Office, just across the street from Penn Station. While design details have not been released, the agreement furthers Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s vision for a grand work of civic architecture that stands as an inspiring gateway to New York City. With Amtrak as the primary tenant of the new hall, the station can be designed to support the needs of its intercity rail travelers. According to Amtrak, roughly 25% of the nation’s Amtrak passengers pass through Penn Station at some point on their journey. Continue Reading>>

On Wednesday night, 300 courageous souls boarded the Circle Line for the MAS Annual Boat Tour, braving wind, rain, and ominous darkness. In honor of the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s historic voyage, the boat tour featured the upper Manhattan and Bronx sections of the mighty Hudson River. Architectural historian and MAS tour guide Francis Morrone expounded upon many architectural jewels of this stretch of the Hudson, including the Wave Hill, in the Bronx, the George Washington Bridge, and the magnificent 1904 IRT Powerhouse, which the Landmarks Preservation Commission is currently considering landmarking after much urging from MAS. Continue Reading>>

It is forecast that by 2030, there will be one million additional people living in the City of New York. However, our transit systems – our roads, our subways, our buses – are already at or near capacity. How will all these people get around? Will the city they inhabit have a people-friendly, walkable cityscape, or will they inhabit a warren of automobile corridors?

On June 16th, the MAS Urbanists participated in a walking tour of some of the areas of Manhattan in which the Department of Transportation (DOT) is testing how street capacity can be increased. Led by Ed Janoff, DOT Senior Project Manager for Streetscapes and Public Spaces, urbanists observed how the agency, with a small budget, cooperation from other city departments, and a very limited design vocabulary, is creating new public spaces. While these spaces will have more permanent design elements added over the next three years, part of the beauty of these new spaces derives from the ingenuity with which they were arranged. Continue Reading>>

MAS was delighted to host Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan on Wednesday night for the premiere presentation of the city’s first truly comprehensive set of guidelines for street design, Designing Streets in New York City. David Burney, Commissioner of the Department of Design & Construction, Adrian Benepe, Commissioner of the Department of Parks & Recreation, and Amanda Burden, Chair of the New York City Planning Commission, were also in attendance.

Constituting 26% of the total area of the City, the streets and sidewalks are by far its largest public space, and the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) new manual represents a rethinking of the way city government works with regard to this vital resource. Continue Reading>>

The White House Office of Urban Affairs offers hope of a new direction in federal urban policy, including that for transportation. Public transportation is critical to a sustainable future for our city and the metropolitan region, essential to integrating housing, economic development, and environmental practices and policies.

What is the Obama administration doing that will help or hinder the development of the transportation system we need? How can local stakeholders ensure that the smartest investments receive federal support? An outstanding panel will answer these and other questions next Wednesday as New Yorkers face fare hikes and service cuts.

Investing in Infrastructure: Transportation and New York’s Future
Wednesday, May 6, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m., at the Municipal Art Society MAP
Reception to follow.
Moderator: Kate Slevin, director, Tri-State Transportation Campaign.
Panelists: Susan Bass Levin, deputy executive director, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; Linda Bailey, federal programs advisor, New York City Department of Transportation; Jeffrey Zupan, senior fellow, transportation, Regional Plan Association; Martin Robins, founding director, Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center, Rutgers University.
$15, $10 MAS members. Purchase tickets online or call 212 935 2075.

In this podcast, architectural historian John Kriskiewicz talks to Tamara Coombs of MAS about his April 2 lecture, The 100th Birthday of Two Great Bridges: The Queensborough & The Manhattan, celebrating the centennial of the Manhattan and Queensboro Bridges, and explains why their construction marks New York’s metamorphosis from an island city to a modern metropolis.

Join MAS as we celebrate the centennial of two of the eras great bridges with a lecture and two walks across the neighborhoods they transformed. $15, $10 MAS members. Purchase tickets online or call 212-935-2075.