TOPIC

MTA

Eclipsed on the Concourse

The removal of a public art installation by Maya Lin to make way for a better, brighter Penn Station portends a growing denial of the precarity of human passage through time and space.

Getting Into It

For artists and audiences with disabilities, traditional theater spaces can present significant barriers. A new production by Ryan Haddad seeks to build access into the show’s design.

Track Record

Like reading the rings of an old tree, decoding the perplexing last century of ridership on the Long Island Rail Road casts light on the development of both a transit system and the identities of the places it passes through.

Shelf Life

Lost in Transit

An artist acquires a collection of unclaimed rings gathered from New York City's subway system, instigating an unconventional search for their origins and values.

Citymakers

Signs of the Times

From small and ubiquitous markers to massive bespoke steel numerals, this longstanding Greenpoint signage company helps New Yorkers navigate the city.

People Movers

Unruly Passengers

The Riders Alliance floods the city’s subway stations and bus stops, organizing normally disengaged riders to fight for better public transit.

The Tension and the Glory of Subway Poetry

Fred Hill recounts the history of poetry on the Tube and the Subway — and argues that the presence of verse means different things to Londoners and New Yorkers.

A Transit Agency for the Future

David Bragdon outlines his vision for a public transit agency that meets 21st century needs for flexible, multi-modal, and on-demand mobility.

Lessons in Subway Archaeology

Henry Grabar joins subway historian Joseph Raskin on a tour of the G train, charting a history of proactive investment in infrastructure through the vestiges of uncompleted projects along its route.

Arts for Transit: A Conversation with Sandra Bloodworth

The director of an MTA program to bring visual art and performance to New York City's public transportation system talks about activating spaces of infrastructure, improving rider experience and harnessing the power of public art.