Gleaming new subway cars taken out of service for faulty gearboxes, flat wheels

Plus: Will congestion pricing rules deter enough Ubers? [FORWARD TO A FRIEND]( [VIEW IN BROWSER]( [DONATE]( [WNYC Politics Brief] [MTA’s gleaming new subway cars taken out of service for faulty gearboxes, flat wheels]( [a fancy new R211 subway car]( The MTA has confirmed that multiple trains made up of the newest R211 cars — which were introduced this summer as "cutting edge, top of the line, faster, cleaner and safer" — have been taken out of service due to faulty gearboxes. Subway operators explained to Gothamist the gearboxes on trains are similar to the gears that run the chain on a bike and keep its wheels turning. If one is damaged on a subway train, the wheels can lock up and drag. And when the steel wheels drag, they can become flat, causing the train to bump and clank as it rolls down the tracks. The R211 trains currently run on the A line. The MTA said no train service has been affected. [Read more](. --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- More transit stories to know this week An NYPD officer posed as a 311 operator and threatened a man complaining about illegal parking at a precinct. A Brooklyn man who filed 901 complaints about cops illegally parking on the sidewalk outside his local precinct — and was then harassed on the phone by an officer pretending to be a 311 operator — has been awarded a $25,000 settlement. ([Gothamist]( A woman was pushed onto the tracks at a Midtown subway station last week, renewing calls for protective barriers on platforms. The MTA, which is currently seeking a contractor for a pilot program to install screen doors at select stations, contends that putting protective doors in every station could be prohibitively expensive. ([The New York Times]( The Parks Department abruptly closed the Queensbridge Park greenway earlier this month. Parks officials didn't say why they closed the bike path, but Councilmember Julie Won praised the decision, saying it came after "valid concerns" about "an influx of e-bikes and cars" getting too close to children. ([Streetsblog]( Some traffic experts are worried that only imposing a $2.75 congestion pricing surcharge for Uber and Lyft rides won't deter enough people from using the ride-share services. Bruce Schaller, a taxi industry expert and former DOT official, argued that the "meager" fee won't incentivize people to get out of vehicles and use public transit. ([Streestblog]( The federal government is pitching in $3.5 billion to extend the 2nd Avenue subway to East 125th Street. The MTA — which is also relying on $4.3 billion in congestion pricing revenue to complete the project — said construction will take nine years. ([NY1]( The MTA is seeking "creative ideas" for what to do with about 100 vacant retail spaces inside subway stations. The agency said it wants to work with partners who can "activate the spaces with uses that improve the travel experience, such as art installations or other socially beneficial uses for the city." ([Crains New York]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🚆 --------------------------------------------------------------- Support WNYC + Gothamist Make a donation to support local, independent journalism. Your contributions are our largest source of funding and pays for essential election coverage and more. [DONATE]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [WNYC]( [WQXR]( [NJPR]( [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 All rights reserved. [Terms of Use.]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your [preferences]( or [unsubscribe]( from this list