Due to budget constraints, the current C train (code name: R32) will continue to serve New Yorkers until 2017, making it one of the oldest subway line in the world.
"It can be hard to imagine that when the trains were introduced in September 1964, in a ceremony at Grand Central Terminal complete with a 20-piece marching band, the R32s carried the optimistic nickname 'Brightliners' and were heralded as the most technologically advanced trains yet seen in the New York City subway," writes Michael Grynbaum for The New York Times.
While "[s]ome riders relish the retro feel of the R32, its dim taupe interiors, old-fashioned roll signs, and an unusual front window that allows an unobstructed view of the track," others think that the aging fleet is a relic from the past. A report card published by the Straphangers Campaign reveals that the "C trains break down three times as often as the average subway car, arrive only once every 10 minutes at peak periods, and have the least understandable announcements in the system." Grynbaum adds, "In a modern city that prides itself on Bloombergian efficiency, the C is a throwback."
The refurbishment cost to keep the trains running for another six years is estimated at $24 million.
Read the full story: For the C Train’s Rickety and Rackety Cars, Retirement Will Have to Wait
New Penn Station design calls for ample public seating — a rare commodity in US public spaces
Amtrak's renderings show benches throughout the station.
New Penn Station design won't move Madison Square Garden
Amtrak and federal officials agreed on a new plan for the station's redesign that may be largely funded by the federal government.
NYC to Upgrade 1/3 of its Subway Car Fleet
The MTA is seeking proposals for up to 2,390 new subway cars to upgrade its aging fleet.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Los Angeles just elected an urban planner as its mayor
Transportation analysts are optimistic that Raman will be more aggressive in addressing transit issues than Bass.
Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax survives legal challenge
A panel of judges found that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate injury as a result of New York City's implementation of the tax.
Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity
Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority