No. 7 Subway Line Extension
New York City, New York, United States
Client: Metropolitan Transportation Authority - New York City Transit
Parsons Brinckerhoff Role: Environmental Documentation, Design
With the exception of the recently expanded Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, much of the far West Side of Manhattan is underused and underserved by transit. The No. 7 Subway Line Extension is a key part of an initiative of the City of New York, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and the State of New York to create a development program that will transform this area, known as the Hudson Yards, into a vibrant, transit-oriented mixed-use district.
Parsons Brinckerhoff is providing final design for the $2.1 billion project, which will extend the line from Times Square to a new station at 34th Street and 11th Avenue. Parsons Brinckerhoff’s first assignment was to prepare a comprehensive environmental impact statement (EIS) analyzing the combined effects of the subway extension, rezoning, modernization of the convention center, and additional proposed development. The eight-volume, 6,600-page final EIS has been called the most complex document of its kind in New York City history. Parsons Brinckerhoff also led the completion of the preliminary design and engineering of the 1.5-mile (2.4-kilometer) extension.
Construction is taking place beneath busy city streets and in proximity to existing structures and, in some cases, other major transit lines. A key element of the design of the tunnel sections and station caverns is the integration of sustainable design elements such as daylighting to increase the use of renewable energy sources.
The project is on schedule for final completion in December 2013.