Could light rail connect neighborhoods between Long Island City and Jamaica, Queens?

[N6 Limited]

http://pix11.com/2017/05/17/could-light-rail-connect-neighborhoods-between-long-island-city-and-jamaica-queens/

 

The project is still in the beginning stages but neighbors and city leaders are getting together to talk about a possible light-rail service along tracks owned by Long Island Rail Road in Queens.

The line runs from Long Island City to Jamaica and is mainly served by freight traffic.

NYC Council appropriated $500,000 for a study which was completed earlier this year. You can read the some of the outreach presentation from the NYC Department of Transportation here.

It acknowledges decisions would have to be made about track usage, power, and train car type.

NYC Councilmember Elizabeth Crowley, who represents a large part of the area, says it would help serve a transit desert.

Because the track (also known as "right of way") already is in place, potential costs would be less expensive than some other new transit proposals.

Neighbors along the tracks have attended some community meetings and will continue to be a part of any project, officials say.

PIX11 News stopped in a Glendale, Queens neighborhood where neighbors said they were interested to hear about a project. They wanted additional information about traffic and noise and the current garbage trains that travel on the tracks.

 

That would be interesting

[Deucey]

Does any city with LRT run 10-car train sets? I think LA and San Diego run 6-car sets at most. And I'm pretty sure that this would get a pretty decent amount of ridership being in between and .

 

What would be really interesting is if this route ended up being combined with the Williamsburg to Redhook Streetcar.

[BreeddekalbL]

LA runs 3 mostly 4 i've seen

[Eric B]

So that must be the Montauk branch. So then it could even connect with a revived Rockaway line, since there is a connecting ROW.

[QM1to6Ave]

I'm glad they are re-visiting ways of capitalizing on existing freights ROW's--I've seen these tracks in LIC and often wondered why they never seem to be used!

 

I wonder if there is a way to divert trains from Jamaica LIRR station to these tracks, even as a back up if the main tracks from Jamaica have a break down or whatever. Do these tracks connect to Jamaica?

[bobtehpanda]

Does any city with LRT run 10-car train sets? I think LA and San Diego run 6-car sets at most. And I'm pretty sure that this would get a pretty decent amount of ridership being in between and .

 

What would be really interesting is if this route ended up being combined with the Williamsburg to Redhook Streetcar.

 

There is an old freight line that leads to Montrose L, so you could run light rail down to Williamsburg if you really wanted to.

[bobtehpanda]

 

 

Well this is just downright encouraging...

[QM1to6Ave]

 

 

Well this is just downright encouraging...

 

This is why I was thinking this line would make sense as an additional way to get trains from LI/Jamaica into the city, rather that seeing this as a way to improve transportation within LIC. I'm also curious how many people are actually traveling from Jamaica to LIC as their final destination. Given all the construction within LIC, perhaps there will be more need for LIC-->Manhattan transit options.  

[paulrivera]

I would have used the ROW as a stepping stone to extend the JFK AirTrain closer to the city, but that's just me...

[FLX9304]

I would have used the ROW as a stepping stone to extend the JFK AirTrain closer to the city, but that's just me...

That would be a PA issue, it costs more to build tracks than what it would do to build this light rail.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using NYC Transit Forums mobile app

So if this pans out, we in the future could be seeing not one but two light rail routes, both in Queens and Brooklyn. My question is though, who will operate this LIC-Jamaica system? It should go to NYCDOT, not MTA, they got enough problems keeping up with today's demands unless they wanna lend a hand.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using NYC Transit Forums mobile app

[bobtehpanda]

This is why I was thinking this line would make sense as an additional way to get trains from LI/Jamaica into the city, rather that seeing this as a way to improve transportation within LIC. I'm also curious how many people are actually traveling from Jamaica to LIC as their final destination. Given all the construction within LIC, perhaps there will be more need for LIC-->Manhattan transit options.  

 

Sunnyside is supposed to be the be-all end-all to this, if they ever actually build it.

 

LIC at this point is not turning into a major office hub, it's more residential in nature. This city already has an oversupply of office development as it is, with WTC, Midtown East, and Hudson Yards sucking up all the demand.

[LIRRMedford]

I'm glad they are re-visiting ways of capitalizing on existing freights ROW's--I've seen these tracks in LIC and often wondered why they never seem to be used!

 

I wonder if there is a way to divert trains from Jamaica LIRR station to these tracks, even as a back up if the main tracks from Jamaica have a break down or whatever. Do these tracks connect to Jamaica?

The railroad use to use the lower montauk line to run 1 oyster bay train each way highlighted in green every weekday that would bypass hunterspoint ave station and go straight to jamaica.

 

This is why I was thinking this line would make sense as an additional way to get trains from LI/Jamaica into the city, rather that seeing this as a way to improve transportation within LIC. I'm also curious how many people are actually traveling from Jamaica to LIC as their final destination. Given all the construction within LIC, perhaps there will be more need for LIC-->Manhattan transit options.  

The problem with using this LR to get into the city with the line is that in order for them to get into the city they would have to use the flyover highlighted in blue in and pull a reverse move since the tunnels into the city start at around hunterspoint ave which is circled in black.At best you can get off at LIC and take the 7 in to the city. I think thats gonna put more load on an already rider heavy 7 during the rushes.

 

[RR503]

If you keep going straight from the end of the cutoff, you can use the reversing loop to get into both the penn tunnels and ESA. 

[Mtatransit]

Don't think LRT Train and FRA LIRR are compatable with each other as per FRA

[QM1to6Ave]

The railroad use to use the lower montauk line to run 1 oyster bay train each way highlighted in green every weekday that would bypass hunterspoint ave station and go straight to jamaica.

 

The problem with using this LR to get into the city with the line is that in order for them to get into the city they would have to use the flyover highlighted in blue in and pull a reverse move since the tunnels into the city start at around hunterspoint ave which is circled in black.At best you can get off at LIC and take the 7 in to the city. I think thats gonna put more load on an already rider heavy 7 during the rushes.

 

Thanks for the info! This seems like it could at least be a good contingency plan, albeit a slow one with a reverse move, to have available. Theoretically, can't LIRR run a train on these tracks today so long as it doesn't stop at those abandoned stations?

[bobtehpanda]

Don't think LRT Train and FRA LIRR are compatable with each other as per FRA

 

They are not.

 

If you keep going straight from the end of the cutoff, you can use the reversing loop to get into both the penn tunnels and ESA. 

 

And add a couple minutes to the trip, sinking this as a commute option?

Thanks for the info! This seems like it could at least be a good contingency plan, albeit a slow one with a reverse move, to have available. Theoretically, can't LIRR run a train on these tracks today so long as it doesn't stop at those abandoned stations?

 

No, because Lower Montauk was abandoned to reduce the LIRR's PTC mandate requirements. I don't know if PTC has since been stalled by NY&A, but if it hasn't then that would be quite a bit of money.

[QM1to6Ave]

They are not.

 

 

And add a couple minutes to the trip, sinking this as a commute option?

 

 

No, because Lower Montauk was abandoned to reduce the LIRR's PTC mandate requirements. I don't know if PTC has since been stalled by NY&A, but if it hasn't then that would be quite a bit of money.

Ahh, that is unfortunate. Oh well. Thanks for the info!

[RR503]

They are not.

 

 

 

And add a couple minutes to the trip, sinking this as a commute option?

 

No, because Lower Montauk was abandoned to reduce the LIRR's PTC mandate requirements. I don't know if PTC has since been stalled by NY&A, but if it hasn't then that would be quite a bit of money.

 

If you look at the presentation linked last page, it looks as if they'll have to install PTC to deal with freight anyway.

 

As for the loop routing, I still think it'd be viable -- commute times from areas along that line to Manhattan are obscene -- regularly 1+hrs to/from midtown.

[FamousNYLover]

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/lower-montauk-rail-study-jan2017.pdf