Hi there. We know you have a lot on your mind right now. Here's one thing we thought of so you don't have to—making the best use of space inside stations. We ask two of our station planning experts how they are thinking about stations in light of COVID-19 and why the work underway now at Bedford Av and 1 Av will help.
Plus, new trees are here, and elevator work, station expansions and more continue in the month ahead.
Remember to wear a mask and check our schedules before you leave, if you must travel. And check out our new action plan for helping you travel safely when you return.
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Look closely. Can you see the countdown clock behind the stairs? This see-through stair was designed intentionally. It makes it easier for people to navigate around and behind stairs, safely.
Photo: Trent Reeves / MTA / February 17, 2020
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Making space: The designs behind Bedford Av and 1 Av Stations
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The L Project continues, and much of the work now is at two stations: Bedford Av and 1 Av. We've highlighted what the improvements are (more stairs and new entrances, to name a few). But how did these plans come to be? And what's the logic behind it?
We sat down with two of our station planning experts—David Haase, who led the original station plans for the L Project (and came out of retirement to talk with us!) and Christine Orthmeyer, who has been overseeing the implementation—to find out why it's less about station space and more about circulation and how they applied that thinking to Bedford Av and 1 Av.
L Project Monthly: L Project aside, we're getting ready for more customers to come back and station space is one of those hot topics. What's your take on that?
Christine Orthmeyer: It's actually more about how people move in the station environment—i.e. circulation—than just a pure measurement of space. Every inch isn't equal when we think about people dimensions. So we focus on how people access the station. How people move to get in and out and board and exit a train. And we look for the "peak passenger demand," which is the volume of passengers exiting a platform after train(s) arrive, combined with the counterflow of customers to judge how to make changes.
David Haase: That's right. And as planners, we're of course driven by data. But we also know people all have their unique personal preferences when they travel. Like many of us, I know exactly where to stand on the platform to get out of my home station as fast as possible once I get off the train. But that's not everyone's priority. Other folks want to get a seat. So they look for the empty spots on the platform and travel at less busy times. This is the kind of thing we just can't fully plan for, especially as things like the pandemic can shift these kinds of priorities for our customers.
LPM: Were these factors considered by the original subway station planners?
DH: Not sure about that specific item, but they did actually think ahead in many cases. For example, you'll see in the original station blueprints where there would be a double-wide flight of stairs that merged into a single-wide flight that had the real estate to be expanded if needed.
LPM: Was that the case at either 1 Av or Bedford Av?
CO: At Bedford, you could see how they had to get creative. The entrances were planned for the east side of Bedford Avenue not because it matched with the need—there's a major sewer line that runs under the west side of the street. So after the waterfront rezoning in Williamsburg and Greenpoint, of course it would have made sense for us to add entrances on the west side, but it's just not practical.
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DH: I actually used to live between Avenue C and D and 1 Av was my home station. It's definitely not a case where they thought ahead! When us planners look at station entrances, we talk about the "catchment" area, which is the distance between one entrance and another. We then collect data on the area like residential, commercial, etc. Even before the Lower East Side really started growing, it didn't make sense that there were five blocks to the east and just two between the First Ave and Third Ave entrances. It was a no brainer to add the entrances at Avenue A.
LPM: I mean, it does seem pretty obvious. Did they put in place anything in the original construction to make the expansion easy, at least?
DH: Um, no. A lot of times, you'll see a "knockout" wall to allow for easier expansion. That wasn't the case here...
LPM: Well, despite working against the odds, it seems like the plan you put in place for both of these stations is pretty efficient.
CO: Glad you brought that up. The Avenue A entrances at 1 Av are a great example of good planning, if we do say so ourselves! We were able to construct the entrances largely behind the platform wall, which is important because it means we could keep the station open. On top of that, we also designed the elevators to go straight from the street to the platform. It's not always possible at all stations, but we made it happen here. Good for customers and good for our budget. Win-win.
LPM: Let's go back to the original topic here of how we're maximizing space for our customers. Did that influence either of the designs for these stations?
CO: The Bedford Av platform is the perfect case study for this topic. Like I said before, every inch of space isn't equal. And there's a trade-off when you create space for platform circulation, because you're giving up "vertical circulation," i.e. ways to get out of or into the station. Before we started working, there were two stairs going down to the platform—and one was located towards the middle, facing the middle of the platform. Naturally, not that many people would go down the stair, go around the stair, and walk to the back of the platform, even though that was oftentimes the least crowded area! In other words, those inches on the platform weren't being well-used because of the poor design.
DH: Yeah, so we reevaluated the whole configuration, again focusing on improving circulation first and foremost. Our solution was to add a stair to the platform and actually make the existing two narrower. We still add more stair capacity overall, AND maximized platform space for people's movement.
CO: Oh, and we made it so people could more easily see around the stairs, too. Another design feature to help people spread out on a platform.
LPM: Seems like super smart planning, and good design features to help customers use our stations safely once they start traveling with us again. Thanks for what you do.
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Customer question of the week
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 Q: Was the free transfer between the Broadway G stop and Lorimer St for the J and the M part of the alternate service stuff? I heard it was over and assume that's why.
A. One answer and one clarification: Yes it was part of the alternate service plan, which ended when we reopened both tunnels on nights and weekends back at the end of April.
We did extend the date of this free transfer to May 31 to help folks transition back to using the L, but that's when it ended.
And the clarification: The free transfer was between the Broadway G and both the Lorimer AND Hewes St stops on the J and M (since depending on which direction you're traveling, it might make more sense to go to one or the other).
More info has been up on the website since the tunnel was completed; you can find it here.
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Glamour shot of the week: Something you can enjoy now
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When we do construction, sometimes trees have to be removed because they overlap with utilities or areas where we have to work. We partner with NYC Parks to minimize tree removal—and to create a plan to replace them. So far, we've installed 12 new trees in Manhattan and seven in Brooklyn. Some of the types you'll see in Brooklyn and Manhattan (like in this photo) are Ginkgos, Sweetgum, Swamp White Oak, Japanese Zelkova, Hardy Rubber tree and New Horizon elm. The varieties are chosen by our arborists and NYC Parks based on what has the best chance to succeed in the NYC environment.
Photo: MTA / May 18, 2020
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Construction look-ahead: June to July
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Manhattan
1 Av Station:
| First Ave North: To be opened with temporary finishes. All other entrances will remain open for the time being. In the future, we will alternate closing them down to do final finishes
| New Ave A entrances: Tile and mosaic work on columns will be underway
| Communications and security systems will continue to be installed
| Two street-to-platform elevators at Ave A on the north and south sides of 14th St: Glass installation is scheduled for both platform and street-level, followed by testing
Street restoration along 14th St: Lane striping and NYC DOT signage will be completed between First Ave and Ave B; new cobblestone will be installed in the median between Ave A and Ave B; part of the worksite will be consolidated in the median between Ave A and Ave B; traffic signal and street lights will be installed along 14th St
Avenue B-area substation: Water and sewer taps will be installed, and the roadway there will be repaired
Tree planting along 14th St: All completed
New escalator at 14th St-Union Sq: Estimated completion is now scheduled for summer 2020 following contractor delays due to COVID-19
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Brooklyn
Bedford Av Station:
| Bedford South original entrance: Tile installation and painting will continue and be completed; granite and totem installation will begin
| Bedford South new entrance: Granite and totem installation will begin
| Driggs North (two stairs): Granite and totem installation will begin
| Platform stairs: Driggs staircase railing will begin installation
| Mezzanine extension: Continued progress with tile installation and mosaic work
| Elevators from street-to-mezzanine and mezzanine-to-platform: Canopy and glass work will begin installation and continue, along with elevator mechanical work
Street restoration near Bedford Av Station: Southeast corner of Bedford curb and sidewalk, southeast corner of Driggs curb and sidewalk, and northeast corner of Driggs curb and sidewalk is completed. Northwest corner of Driggs curb and sidewalk will be underway and completed this month and the southwest corner of Driggs is in progress
Tree planting near Bedford Av Station: All completed
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