June 5 Rally to “Save Union Square”

With the forthcoming 15-month L train shutdown edging closer, the MTA and the city’s Department of Transportation have decided to convert Manhattan’s 14th Street into a busway three months ahead of the April 2019 shutdown.

The two agencies will launch the M14 Select Bus Service on January 6, 2019, in hopes that riders will give it a test-run before the actual shutdown begins. “By implementing the M14 SBS months before we start the L train tunnel repairs, we hope that customers will take the opportunity to try our buses and see how the 14th Street busway can factor into their commutes once we start work fixing the L train tunnel,” said New York City Transit President Andy Byford.

Between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m., 14th Street between Ninth and Third avenues eastbound and Third and Eighth Avenues westbound will be restricted to bus traffic only. The new SBS route will complement the current M14A and M14D buses and combined, the three routes will be able to handle roughly 84,000 passengers per day, notes amNY.

The SBS route will start off with five stops between First and Tenth avenues that match up with subway transfer points and will run every two minutes during morning and evening rush hours. After its initial launch, the SBS route will be extended east to the planned Stuyvesant Cove ferry terminal on the East River to accommodate ferry customers from Brooklyn. This is expected to happen shortly before the beginning on the shutdown.

From The New School:

Next week (September 19 to September 23), Contractors will continue to excavate earth and rock, and load out material. Installation of bracing rakers and line drilling will progress as well. Concrete foundation walls around the perimeter of the site and slab on grade work will continue. Interior core foundation work and underground electrical and plumbing will proceed. Contractors will be removing the interior earth ramp. DOT approved street connections to underground utilities on Fifth Avenue will progress. A small cherry picker crane will arrive on site next week, and be stationed inside the Fifth Avenue fence. This crane will remain on site for approximately two months.

The following week (September 26 to September 30 ), we will continue with concrete foundation walls and slabs, line drilling, rock excavation, loading out, interior core foundation work, street utility connections on Fifth Avenue, and underground electrical and plumbing.

DEP continues to repair the water main along 13th Street. As part of this work, the DEP may periodically shut water service off. This work is out of our control.

The site will be open on Saturday, September 17th. Work hours are between 9AM and 5PM as permitted by the City. To control noise levels, work activities will be limited to the placement of formwork, plumbing and electrical work, site utility connections, waterproofing and rebar for concrete placement, and the installation of walers and braces. There will be no rock excavation, rock chopping, or hauling on Saturday.

Beacon’s Closet has a competitor. 2nd St., a Japanese company, is now selling high-end vintage clothing at 110 University Place.

Why is 4th Ave,. so short? Why is the Strand on 12th St.? When was the Post Office built. To take a great visual tour of the history of 4th Avenue, click here.

Now upstairs at Chard, formerly Le Croque Monsieur, on 13th St., is Singlish, a Singapore-flavored high-end speakeasy with delicious and breathtakingly expensive drinks. Save it for special occasions. Reservations recommended.

Here’s a fascinating history of our very close neighbor.