Jump to content

Thoughts regarding 19/7 (B) Train Service


Lawrence St

Recommended Posts

So, if you all heard recently, some passengers wanted to make the (B) run on weekends as well for two reasons:

 

Provide more local service along Central Park West.

 

And to provide express service along the Brighton Line.

 

I have mixed feelings about this, what're your thoughts?

Link to comment
Share on other sites


I'm all for it. CPW waits on weekends are frankly obscene, especially when work is being done elsewhere on the (C) line. I don't ride Brighton often, but it would make sense to run the (B) just in terms of providing express service to the line.

Also, would it be possible to extend the (B) to Stillwell on summer weekends? It would be useful for those looking for a quick ride to the beach, no? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Might as well just run the (D) local down CPW on weekends.

Then you're taking away express service from Bronxites.

 

But that wait for a local on CPW is God awful. So yeah, I'm for it - (B) on weekends. Just makes sense - especially with delays related to the Cranberry tunnel reroute.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The (Q) can be quite slow, so it would be lovely to have the Brighton Express run on the weekends. In the summer, it can provide a faster ride to Coney Island.

Quite slow is not even fair.  It used to be a 45 minute ride to Sheepshead Bay from Midtown.  It's now over an hour easily with all of the stopping and waiting.  Really annoying.  We need to create a petition to force the (MTA) to implement this service.  It is long overdue and needed. I'm actually going to create one and spread it around for signatures.  

 

----

Complaint was just filed.  I'll get a petition going in the next day or so and put it up for signatures.  The next move is to contact elected officials in various areas to get their support for this. I have to think that a lot of people would love to have the (B) service (myself included) for all of the reasons that have been mentioned here. We need people to sign the petition though for this to have a chance, so everyone complaining... Sign it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh I'm sorry, here's why I have mixed feelings:

 

On my experience; I believe 6th Avenue does not need a second express service on the weekends.

 

However, I greatly believe this would really help Central Park West local, and also for the passengers wanting to get to Coney Island, they could now have a faster trip down there since all the other lines to Coney Island are local.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One big issue with the weekend (B): General orders aka weekend work

 

As much as I may want weekend (B) service, you can pretty much guarantee that some portion of the line is having work on it on any given weekend, the same issue that the (G) had on Queens Blvd and lead to its demise. 

 

I think increased (D) train service between Bedford Park Blvd and 2 Av in Manhattan or 9 Av in Brooklyn may be a better investment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One big issue with the weekend (B): General orders aka weekend work

 

As much as I may want weekend (B) service, you can pretty much guarantee that some portion of the line is having work on it on any given weekend, the same issue that the (G) had on Queens Blvd and lead to its demise. 

 

I think increased (D) train service between Bedford Park Blvd and 2 Av in Manhattan or 9 Av in Brooklyn may be a better investment.

I disagree. The (Q) is slammed now that it runs to 96th street and getting to South Brooklyn takes FOREVER.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I mean by that argument, why have a defined weekend service pattern? Yes, some of the (B) line will probably have work being done on it -- so what? It's still more service for CPWL and Brighton Express, something sorely needeed. 

 

Also, comparing (G) on QBL to the (B) is comparing lemons to oranges. The (G) was always hobbled by the fact that it didn't go anywhere useful, requiring riders to transfer either at Roosevelt or QP. Because of the unreliability of wknd service, this took especially long, erasing any gains riders made with shortened QBL headways. 

 

The (B) would be a useful service, and even with GOs, people would use it cause it would go somewhere. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I bought up the need for (B) weekend service years ago at a Townhall meeting that Brooklyn Bus and I attended in Sheepshead Bay and others agreed, but nothing came of it, but that's because it wasn't pursued. Now that this has been discussed on this forum SEVERAL times, I think it's worth making a push for it. This will take work and time but I'm up for it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I mean by that argument, why have a defined weekend service pattern? Yes, some of the (B) line will probably have work being done on it -- so what? It's still more service for CPWL and Brighton Express, something sorely needeed. 

 

Also, comparing (G) on QBL to the (B) is comparing lemons to oranges. The (G) was always hobbled by the fact that it didn't go anywhere useful, requiring riders to transfer either at Roosevelt or QP. Because of the unreliability of wknd service, this took especially long, erasing any gains riders made with shortened QBL headways. 

 

The (B) would be a useful service, and even with GOs, people would use it cause it would go somewhere. 

Exactly, the (W) is hogged by construction and still managed to get through. (Both when the (7) was shut down and during the Astoria construction.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I mean by that argument, why have a defined weekend service pattern? Yes, some of the (B) line will probably have work being done on it -- so what? It's still more service for CPWL and Brighton Express, something sorely needeed. 

 

 

The (B) would be a useful service, and even with GOs, people would use it cause it would go somewhere. 

 

If the (B) ran on weekends normally, it would be the first thing to get suspended to allow for G/Os and work movements and I can guarantee it would probably only run half of the weekends in a year, at best. Are you sure you want that?

 

 

I bought up the need for (B) weekend service years ago at a Townhall meeting that Brooklyn Bus and I attended in Sheepshead Bay and others agreed, but nothing came of it, but that's because it wasn't pursued. Now that this has been discussed on this forum SEVERAL times, I think it's worth making a push for it. This will take work and time but I'm up for it.

 

As you should and I wish you well. I'll definitely sign your petition as I would agree that the service is in many ways needed. 

 

I guess I'm just a bit pessimistic because the MTA has shown no interest in making these kinds of changes...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If the (B) ran on weekends normally, it would be the first thing to get suspended to allow for G/Os and work movements and I can guarantee it would probably only run half of the weekends in a year, at best. Are you sure you want that?

 

 

 

As you should and I wish you well. I'll definitely sign your petition as I would agree that the service is in many ways needed. 

 

I guess I'm just a bit pessimistic because the MTA has shown no interest in making these kinds of changes...

That's the problem. Weekend service has worsened over the years. That needs to change.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If the (B) ran on weekends normally, it would be the first thing to get suspended to allow for G/Os and work movements and I can guarantee it would probably only run half of the weekends in a year, at best. Are you sure you want that?

Yes.

 

I also doubt it would get suspended that often. Its entire line is multi-track, so I can see truncation/service variations, but not full suspension. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes.

 

I also doubt it would get suspended that often. Its entire line is multi-track, so I can see truncation/service variations, but not full suspension. 

Exactly, if something were to happen with construction on CPW, you could just easily send (B) trains to 96th Street.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Exactly, if something were to happen with construction on CPW, you could just easily send (B) trains to 96th Street.

Yup! Or CPW Express for that matter -- almost all lines run 6tph on weekends, so even if the local tracks are shut but service isn't reduced, you should be able to continue running the same # of trains. Same works the other way too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've always hoped that all the highrise construction around Brighton Beach would bring more riders to the station to justify express service. (would help if this happened at Sheepshead Bay and Kings Highway as well). 

There's a building boom in South Brooklyn, but those people are buying properties as investments or they live there but they're driving. My barber and I talk about it regularly since a luxury building was just constructed nearby. That building sold out quickly but very few units will be lived in.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's a high rise under construction that's moving along nicely like two blocks from Sheepshead Bay, in addition to the other apartments in Brighton Beach.

As someone who lives off the (B) and (Q) (if it isn't obvious already) I would greatly appreciate weekend (B) service.  I think the other reason besides weekend work that the (B) doesn't run on weekends is historically when the (B) was a weekday-only IND route.  That said, neither are an excuse given the increase in ridership across the board and the atrocious wait times on CPW.  And construction work plays a role in crappy CPW service too--especially when the (C) is express in one direction, and that's not factoring in all the work on the (1).  Even if the (B) ran 12 minute headways on weekends, it would make a world of difference.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One big issue with the weekend (B): General orders aka weekend work

 

As much as I may want weekend (B) service, you can pretty much guarantee that some portion of the line is having work on it on any given weekend, the same issue that the (G) had on Queens Blvd and lead to its demise.

 

I agree with this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.