Visual Vibe: Grand Central Madison

Today marked the (very) long awaited public opening of “Grand Central Madison” to the world. Construction to bring the Long Island Railroad to the east side of Manhattan first started in the late ’60s, but was eventually cancelled due to lack of funds. It wasn’t until the ’90s that the plan was revived, with the intention of bringing trains into Grand Central Terminal. The wait may have been long, but it is nice to get a chance to see the beloved Terminal, in essence, reinvent itself yet again. Things may be changing, but at their core they really do stay...

Taking a ride on Denver’s Light Rail, Part 2

Taking a ride on Denver’s Light Rail, Part 2

Today’s Friday afternoon photo tour takes a quick visit back to Denver to catch the new West Rail Line, or W Line. Construction began on this line in 2007, and it was finally opened at the end of April, 2013. The 12.1 mile route runs from the Jefferson County Government Center to Denver’s Union Station, and added eleven new stations to the light rail system. All of today’s photos are from the new W Line, including some photos of two Art-n-Transit pieces. Over 900 application were received from artists looking to create something for the new rail line. Artworks were...

Taking a ride on Denver’s Light Rail, Part 1

Taking a ride on Denver’s Light Rail, Part 1

Though I haven’t quite finished up posting everything from Alaska and the NRHS Convention, I figured it might be nice for a little change of pace… which is why we’re going to go and take a little ride on Denver’s light rail system today. Thanks to major flight delays and a missed connection to Fairbanks, Denver became the first part of my Alaska trip. With decent weather and a new rail line to ride, the detour wasn’t really all that bad. Operated by the Regional Transportation District (RTD), Denver’s light rail consists of 47 miles of track on 6 different...

Tuesday Tour of the Hudson Line: Yankees – E 153rd Street

Tuesday Tour of the Hudson Line: Yankees – E 153rd Street

Today our Tuesday Tour takes us to one of Metro-North’s newest stations, Yankees – E 153rd Street, or as many people think of it, Yankee Stadium station. The station construction coincided with the building of the new Yankee Stadium – the stadium opened on April 3, 2009, and the station shortly afterward on May 23, 2009. Though a station servicing the stadium had been talked about for a while, it was the new stadium that provided the motivation to get the project off the ground. MTA preliminary design sketch of what Yankees-E 153rd Street station would look like. The completed...

Tuesday Tour of the Hudson Line: Dobbs Ferry

Tuesday Tour of the Hudson Line: Dobbs Ferry

A postcard of Dobbs Ferry station, and a portion of a Hudson River Railroad timetable from 1851, listing Dobbs Ferry station Welcome to Dobbs Ferry, one of the lovely Hudson Line stations with a great view of the mighty Hudson River. On the fourth of July, I spent the day exploring the Hudson Line, but ended up spending most of my time here. The waterfront view is quite lovely, and adjacent to the station is the aptly named Waterfront Park – reason enough for you to come and visit this place. Though the station used by Metro-North particularly noteworthy (besides...

Tuesday Tour of the Hudson Line: Scarborough

Tuesday Tour of the Hudson Line: Scarborough

Welcome to Scarborough, located 29.5 miles north of Grand Central, and the first stop we’ll be making on our tour of the Hudson Line. I felt Scarborough would be a good place to start, as it seems to reflect what the line is all about. Throughout much of its journey – from Grand Central to Poughkeepsie – the Hudson Line closely follows its namesake, the Hudson River. Some stations may be further from the river than others, but in the case of Scarborough, the station is right on the water. Because of this, the station is often subjected to cool...