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A First Trip Back to FiDi

An UWS train aficionado checks out some newly cleaned - if empty - subways and stations

| 04 Jun 2020 | 03:22
    I took the #1 local train from the West 110th Street station to the World Trade Center station, and at no time were there more than six people in my car. After Houston Street (seen here), I was the only passenger in the car for about four local stops.
    I took the #1 local train from the West 110th Street station to the World Trade Center station, and at no time were there more than six people in my car. After Houston Street (seen here), I was the only passenger in the car for about four local stops. ( Photo: Ralph Spielman)
    After getting off at the WTC station, the first thing I saw was the PATH WTC Station. There were very few people within the turnstile area, a shock as to what is usually the crowd flow; there haven’t been any normal workdays since the middle of March.
    After getting off at the WTC station, the first thing I saw was the PATH WTC Station. There were very few people within the turnstile area, a shock as to what is usually the crowd flow; there haven’t been any normal workdays since the middle of March. ( Photo: Ralph Spielman)
    The Oculus, designed by Calatrava, was completely empty at 11 a.m. This is a space for people going from the subway, PATH and passageways to their destination. Retail stores were closed, with city police and state police outnumbering pedestrians.
    The Oculus, designed by Calatrava, was completely empty at 11 a.m. This is a space for people going from the subway, PATH and passageways to their destination. Retail stores were closed, with city police and state police outnumbering pedestrians. ( Photo: Ralph Spielman)
    I decided to walk up Broadway to catch the #2 Express train at Park Place Station, across from City Hall. There were a few people on the street. Again, most retail stores were closed to customers. At about 12:30 p.m., there were few subway riders evident.
    I decided to walk up Broadway to catch the #2 Express train at Park Place Station, across from City Hall. There were a few people on the street. Again, most retail stores were closed to customers. At about 12:30 p.m., there were few subway riders evident. ( Photo: Ralph Spielman)
    I took the #2 train to the West 72nd Street station. Here is the scene on my car for the five-mile trip. Again, the train was cleaned and sanitized.
    I took the #2 train to the West 72nd Street station. Here is the scene on my car for the five-mile trip. Again, the train was cleaned and sanitized. ( Photo: Ralph Spielman)
    I got off at 72nd Street, and the last leg of my trip uptown was on the M5 bus. The vinyl divider, shown here, is to keep the driver away from most riders to prevent catching the virus; the front of the bus is reserved for mobility-challenged passengers.
    I got off at 72nd Street, and the last leg of my trip uptown was on the M5 bus. The vinyl divider, shown here, is to keep the driver away from most riders to prevent catching the virus; the front of the bus is reserved for mobility-challenged passengers. ( Photo: Ralph Spielman)

Since returning home from a train trip across Canada in mid-March, I have followed Governor Cuomo’s suggestion to stay close to home. On June 1, my first travel on NYC Transit’s subway took me to lower Broadway, near the World Trade Center, a distance of about seven miles. The Transit Authority is cleaning and sanitizing their equipment by what I saw; the photos above document my trip with observations about the transit system. I was glad to see the MTA is certainly doing all they can to keep the city moving.