New York Transit Museum

Museum Director Concetta Anne Bencivenga appeared on Fox 5 (WNYW-TV New York) over the weekend to talk about the New York Transit Museum, the subway’s 120th anniversary, and, of course, the #Brooklyn (Trolley) #Dodgers.   Thank you to Kendall Green for spotlighting our new exhibit #TheSubwayIs... and celebrating #SubwayDay with us!   And thank you to PR & Marketing Manager Chelsea Newburg for coordinating this story. https://lnkd.in/erEvgynY

#TheSubwayIs... a means to communicate! In our new #exhibit we use pieces from the New York Transit Museum collection to explore some of the endless ways to complete the sentence “The subway is...”  We’d like to thank our Gold Sponsor, Boldyn Networks, for supporting our mission to showcase all that the #subway means to New Yorkers – from feats in engineering and development, to artistic muses.  Visit the #Museum in Downtown Brooklyn Wednesday – Sundays, 10am – 4pm, to see this exhibit in full! And tell us below how you’d finish the sentence “the subway is...”   

Happy Birthday to the New York City #subway! On October 27th, 1904, the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) introduced New Yorkers to the underground travel we all know and love today! The original four track line ran through 28 stations spanning 9.1 miles between City Hall and 145th Street -- underneath Park Avenue South to Grand Central, across 42nd Street to Times Square, and up Broadway to 145th Street. In this video from the New York Transit Museum archives, filmed just a few months after the grand opening, you can see one of the original #subway cars making its way into the 14th Street Station and continuing uptown.  For the last 120 years the subway has played a critical role in the construction of New York City as we know it – from infrastructure and engineering, to culture and community. As stewards and champions of transit #history, it is our mission to share the rich stories of these 120 years. At the #Musuem, we celebrate the subway every day, but today we get to say #HappyBirthday! Join us in celebrating #SubwayDay, by telling us what the subway means to you!  

It was a pleasure to honor Friends of the New York Transit Museum’s longtime supporter Mitsubishi Electric Power Products, Inc. ("MEPPI") with the 1904 Prize for Outstanding Achievement at the Gala last week. MEPPI has been making the lives of subway riders better for 25 years, first with reliable HVAC equipment (we all know how much we appreciate that!), propulsion systems, diagnostic systems, and now Communication-Based Train Control on the Queens Boulevard Line. The 1904 Prize references the monumental accomplishment of building the first subway line, which opened in 1904 – 120 years ago this month. Thank you to Eric Pelli, PMP for accepting the award on behalf of MEPPI and to our Board member Wynton Habersham for presenting. 

I was delighted to present the first ever Granville T. Woods Award for Innovation at the Gala for Friends of the New York Transit Museum last Thursday, to Javier Pita, CEO of NaviLens, who attended along with his wife, NaviLens COO NURIA FRUCTUOSO RUIZ. Their work is making a real difference for transit users who are blind or have low vision, and it speaks directly to the Museum’s (and the MTA’s) commitment to accessibility. It was a privilege to have Kathryn S. Wylde from the Partnership for New York City there to present the award as the Transit Tech Lab brought NaviLens to New York.      The Granville T. Woods Award for Innovation honors the Brooklyn-based 19th century Black inventor whose work laid the foundation for the third rail technology used today by railroads worldwide. Not enough people know his story, and it’s one of our favorites to tell at the Transit Museum. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/eHmbhZyU

We are proud to announce that the New York Transit Museum has been awarded a $50,000 grant from the Alstom Foundation! This significant gift will support Transit Quest, our week-long summer program for #neurodivergent teens with a strong passion for transit, and its new sequel program, Transit Quest Propel – which will introduce teens and young adults who have completed Transit Quest to career pathways in the transportation industry that align with their strengths and interests.   Thank you to Alstom for this major investment in our Access Programs, which will expand their reach and impact. We are so grateful for your partnership! To learn more about Transit Quest and all our Access Programs serving children and adults with disabilities, visit https://lnkd.in/e3mmYEii.

Last night’s Friends of the New York Transit Museum Gala was a huge #success!  We were thrilled to celebrate 120 years of the #subway and spotlight our honorees, Mitsubishi Electric Power Products, Inc., NaviLens, and Susan Gilbert.   Thank you again to our Title Sponsors, Mitsubishi Electric Power Products, Inc. and Alstom, and to all the #Gala supporters for your generosity to the Museum.   See you all next year! 

Friends of the New York Transit Museum thanks the generous Patron Sponsors of our 2024 Gala: Arup Cubic Transportation Systems  di Domenico + Partners  E-J Electric Installation Co. Forte Construction Corp.  Gannett Fleming  GENERAL CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION OF N Y INC Goldman Sachs GSH Group Halmar International   Hatch HDR Hitachi Rail  Interactive Elements Incorporated  Iovino Enterprises, LLC. Jamaica Bearings Group (JBG)   Jacobs Engineering Group Incorporation   J.P. Morgan Kawasaki Rail Car  Kiewit Knorr-Bremse Rail Vehicle Systems Masabi Michael Baker International MKJ COMMUNICATIONS   The Naik Architects   Nixon Peabody LLP   Parsons Corporation Power Resources International Prysmian Samuel A. Ramirez & Co., Inc.   Siemens Mobility   Skanska STV WSP in the U.S.

The Friends of the New York Transit Museum 2024 #Gala is THIS Thursday, October 17th! Limited tickets are still available to join us in celebrating 120 years of the #subway at Tribeca Rooftop. 🚂 For ticket purchases and more information visit https://lnkd.in/er68KZjp

Friends of the New York Transit Museum thanks Accenture for your generous support as a Benefactor Sponsor of our 2024 #Gala! Together we will celebrate the 120 years of the New York City subway – and look forward to the next 120. Join us at the Gala on October 17th! For more information, please visit: Gala - New York Transit Museum (https://lnkd.in/eDf7jMQy)