What's New at the Gallery Annex

THE FUTURE BENEATH US:
8 GREAT PROJECTS UNDER NEW YORK

Extended through November 1

Photo: Patrick Cashin

A 2-part exhibition on display at the Transit Museum's Gallery Annex at Grand Central Terminal and the New York Public Library Science Industry and Business Library on Madison Avenue at 34th Street.

February 17 - July 5, 2009

Examining 8 mega underground infrastructure projects that will dramatically change how we move around New York, including the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's East Side Access, Second Avenue Subway, 7 Subway Extension and Fulton Transit Center; the New York City Department of Environmental Protection's Croton Water Filtration Plant and City Water Tunnel No. 3; New Jersey Transit's Trans-Hudson Express (THE) Tunnel Project and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's World Trade Center Site.

The following sponsors have generously contributed to this project:

UNDERWRITERS:
The General Contractor's Association of New York
Parsons Brinckerhoff

SPONSORS:
Granite Construction Northeast, Inc.
Stantec Consulting Services, Inc.
STV
The Port Authority of NY & NJ
WDF, Inc., a Greenstar Co.

CONTRIBUTORS:
American Council of Engineering Companies of New York
HAKS
Hazen and Sawyer, P.C.
Judlau Contracting, Inc.
New Jersey Transit
Skanska USA Civil

FRIENDS:
IH Engineers, P.C.
Longi Engineering, P.C.
New York Building Congress
New York Building Foundation
Railworks Corporation
Systra USA

New York Transit Museum programs are made possible, in part, by a grant from Independence Community Foundation, and with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

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What's New at the Transit Museum

April 14 - September 13, 2009

Celebrating the 175th Anniversary of the Long Island Rail Road the exhibition The Route of the Dashing Commuter: The Long Island Rail Road at 175 examines the transition of Long Island from an idyllic farming community to one of the nation's premiere suburbs, with some of the Northeast's most beautiful beaches, and easy access to jobs in New York's hub. A fascinating story of the railroad and how it continues to contribute to the development of Long Island emerges from the exhibition's vintage photographs, maps, illustrations and objects from the Museum's holdings and others on loan from private collections. In addition to the historical aspects of the L.I.R.R., the exhibition looks at the current East Side Access tunnel construction project which, when completed, will bring Long Island commuters into Grand Central Terminal.

"When we were first chartered in 1834, it is doubtful our founders envisioned what we would become 175 years later - the largest commuter railroad in North America, serving 87.4 million customers on more than 700 miles of track stretching from Penn Station to Montauk, and many communities in between. This great enterprise - kept strong by our proud workforce of 6,800 - has served as an economic engine for Long Island and for the entire New York Metropolitan region, getting customers safely and quickly to and from work, leisure activities and other destinations, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The decade to come will see continued efforts to modernize our operation as we get ready for the largest expansion of our service in recent times. The East Side Access project will provide LIRR customers with a one-seat ride to Grand Central Terminal, a key service improvement benefiting travelers for the next 175 years to come! The Transit Museum's exhibit celebrates our rich history and illustrates the exciting changes ahead. We encourage all to make the trip to Brooklyn to see where it all began." Said LIRR President Helena Williams.

Initially planned as a rail and steam boat connection between Brooklyn and Boston, the Long Island Rail Road has adapted to the ever changing needs of its customers and survived competition, takeovers, hard times and bankruptcy. The LIRR, whose official 175th anniversary date is April 24, 2009, is also the oldest railroad in the United States still operating under its original name and the busiest commuter railroad in North America. The railroad is comprised of 11 different branches, stretching from Montauk - on the eastern tip of Long Island -- to Penn Station in the heart of Manhattan, approximately 120 miles away. Along the way, the LIRR serves 124 stations in Nassau and Suffolk counties, Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan.

To better serve their customers, the Long Island Rail Road is currently embarking on a massive expansion project known as East Side Access, allowing LIRR trains access to the East Side of Manhattan via new tunnels and a transit hub to be built under Grand Central Terminal. For a closer look at the East Side Access project, the exhibition The Future Beneath Us: 8 Great Projects Under New York, on view through July 5, 2009 at the Transit Museum's Grand Central Terminal Gallery Annex presents amazing photographs of the construction site, architectural renderings and scale models and videos.

RELATED PROGRAMMING:

The Long Island Rail Road is marking its 175th milestone with Customer Appreciation Days. For more information on this and future Long Island Rail Road 175th Anniversary special events sponsored by the railroad, log onto www.mta.info/lirr.

TOURS
April 4, 2009, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
ARTS FOR TRANSIT PRESENTS: "A VIEW OF KOREA ALONG THE LONG ISLAND RAIL ROAD"
$20, Museum members $15, Children (5 - 17) $10

Head east for a presentation at Flushing Town Hall and an artist-led tour of Jean Shin's Celadon Remnants, a recent mosaic installation at the Broadway station of the Long Island Rail Road. Shin's work portrays the rich culture of the Korean Diaspora, represented by the vibrant local Korean-American community. We'll stop for tasty eats along the way (not included in tour fee). A MetroCard will be required for bus travel.

LECTURES/SYMPOSIA

Saturday, April 18  2 p.m.
BELOVED VINTAGE POSTCARDS OF THE LONG ISLAND RAIL ROAD
New York Transit Museum, Brooklyn Heights
Free with paid Museum Admission. $5 Adults; $3 children (3 - 17) and seniors (62+)

Railroad historian David Morrison presents a collection of historic postcards that shows the breadth and variety of stations along the Long Island Rail Road. As the author of a book on the topic, Morrison discusses these historic station buildings, many of which are still intact, thanks to the efforts of local preservation groups

Saturday, April 25
THE LONG ISLAND RAIL ROAD AT 175

Co-presented by The Sunrise Trail Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, the Railroad Museum of Long Island and the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum. This event takes place in Hicksville Long Island. For additional information log onto www.nrhs-list.org or call David Morrison at 516 935-3145

Tuesday, April 28  6 p.m.
EAST SIDE ACCESS: LIRR'S CONNECTION TO GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL
North East Balcony, Grand Central Terminal
Reservations not required. Tickets are free and available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
For information please call 718-694-1794

Alan Paskoff, program manager, East Side Access, MTA Capital Construction, Peter Hopkinson, vice president and principle architect, DMJM HARRIS / AECOM, and Elton Elperin, AECOM USA, Inc., associate vice president and chief architect, East Side Access will discuss architectural elements involved in this project to connect LIRR commuters to Grand Central Terminal.

CHILDRENS PROGRAM

Saturday, April 25 at 1:30 pm
RAILROAD STORYTELLING
New York Transit Museum, Brooklyn Heights. Free with paid Museum admission

Join us for stories of railroading past and present as we celebrate the Museum's newest exhibit The Route of the Dashing Commuter: The Long Island Rail Road at 175. All ages

 


  

 

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