On the plane to Tempe this Saturday, i saw a great article in the Times about the ongoing renovations of the Fulton Street Station.
The author, who opens by claiming the station is something inspired by M.C. Escher, describes the craziness of this stop and the challenges in renovating it. Many people forget that before June of 1940 the Subway system of NYC was owned and operated by 3 different authorities, the IRT, the BMT, and the IND. Wherever there are stops in which these lines intersected, the stations are similarly a mess. Train lenghts, platform standards, fare collection, and transfer rules differed from line to line. This legacy has lead to many of the problems at this station and others in the system.
Hey Johnny T,
I thought picture taking was prohibited in the subway stations after 9/11. Is that true because I’ve wanted to take some shots, but have been hesitant.
Section 1050.9c of the MTA Transit Rules and Regulations states:
“Photography, filming or video recording in any facility or conveyance is permitted except that ancillary equipment such as lights, reflectors or tripods may not be used. Members of the press holding valid identification issued by the New York City Police Department are hereby authorized to use necessary ancillary equipment. All photographic activity must be conducted in accordance with the provisions of this Part.”
Source: http://www.mta.info/nyct/rules/rules.htm
This station has been a mess for ten years! It took me ages to get accustomed to its byzantine ways, and that’s coming from someone who used to live right near it and used it regularly. Glad to see it’s making *some* kind of progress.