The new exhibit gives an in-depth look into the next phase of the Second Avenue Subway. Highlighting the history, the construction process, and the connectivity to the existing system, this exhibit illustrates how important Phase 2 is, not only for Manhattan, but for the entire NYC Metropolitan area.
The interactive exhibit, comprised of four iPad stations that control high-definition monitors, features short videos highlighting construction methodology, project history, and vignettes about each of the destinations riders can visit along the line, which will be extended from its current route north along Second Avenue from 63rd to 96th Streets.
MTA Capital Construction President Michael Horodniceanu greeted the Community Information Center’s 20,000th visitor as she walked in the door. Horodniceanu presented her with a plaque adorned by a piece of Manhattan Schist excavated from below Second Avenue during construction of the Second Avenue subway.
“The Community Information Center has helped residents and businesses understand what is involved in building such a massive project,” said Horodniceanu. “Combined with our workshops; community tours; community board presentations; construction advisory committee meetings; newsletters; email communications and more, our proactive approach to community relations has resulted in more tolerance to the inconveniences caused by construction.”
The center runs monthly programming, including: Transit Talks, where a project expert speaks to a topic of interest; children’s events, where children can learn about subway construction, try on safety equipment, and participate in an art project; and, until June of this year, community tours which took dozens of community members underground each month to see the progress first hand. Those who participate in CIC programming often become ambassadors for the project and the positive impact it will have on the Upper East Side community.
The four previous exhibits, 80 Years in the Making: The History of the Second Avenue Subway; En Route: The Techniques and Technologies Used to Build the Second Avenue Subway; Above and Below: Designing the Second Avenue Subway; and The People Behind the Project, Bringing the Second Avenue Subway to Life are archived in the interactive exhibit so visitors can still access the wealth of information they contain about the project.
