RR503

I like the RBB idea. It solves fumingation at 71st ave also, which is a BIG + Both to you and to pringle505, I don't like via bypass, because of a lack of connections in Manhattan. You want to make the fast service useful for the greatest # of people. should use it, with the becoming QBL normal express, and all other routes staying the same. And also, what is the need for the on QBL. It makes no sense.

Sometimes I feel that people here make up schemes JUST to ressurect the train. I agree about the bypass and the tail tracks. Changes need to be made. However, creating a new 6th ave route is ridiculous. Get the new capacity from 2nd ave when phase 3 is finished. Also, Jamaica Center can't turn that many trains.

IMH(and biased)O, my proposal is a lot simpler and easier than CenSin's. No city hall mess, and simpler service patterns.

Hmmm. Could you get rid of the at night (and maybe on weekends too) and run the Astoria-CI local? Then you have 96th-CI exp (via Brighton) 71st - 95th lcl Ditmars-CI lcl (via Sea Beach) (maybe via bridge nights/weekends?)

My problem is that the way you've set things up, QBL riders don't get easy 2nd avenue access, and QB bypass ones don't get good rest-of-manhattan access. Switch the and and you patch some of that up. In response to your points: QBL bypass will stop at 61-woodside, allowing riders service. riders wanting 6th avenue can...stay on the . riders can either transfer to the or just stay on into Manhattan, as the is never *too* far from the 6th avenue lines. I see your point though. I will ruminate.

Becuase why? Explain the need. Also, the would presumably be a local, giving West End riders longer rides to Manhattan. This is to say nothing of the tortured journey of trains using the Montague Street tubes through Downtown Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan.

This has been said before. Whitehall can't turn nearly enough trains to allow the to replace the . You'd have to change the (W)'s terminal.

That makes no sense. People using the bypass want connections too, which is why I think it would be much better to put 1 good connection train on the bypass (the ), one on the main QBL line (the ), and 2nd avenue trains (with eh connections/destinations) on the main QBL. Bypass passengers wanting to go to normal midtown stay on the or transfer to the at 63rd, and those wanting to go to Midtown East transfer to the at 21-Queensbridge or Roosevelt Island. Then you aren't screwing passengers on the (supposedly) faster line with mediocre destinations/transfers. Make sense?

Agreed, but I say turquoise gets QBL Express, and runs via bypass. That way you aren't making the fastest trip the one with the worst connections. (Basically what I said above)

Just extend the regular ...

If QBL bypass happens, 2nd Ave shouldn't get to use it. Reroute the or there, because connections from those lines are *so* much better than from 2nd Ave. The can use the freed up express slots on normal QBL

I live in Carroll Gardens, and I wouldn't mind express at all... I go south a lot, and getting a quicker ride would be great. I wonder if they could get it to work nicely enough to synchronize arrivals at 7th avenue.

What ever happened to express? Politics kill it? Or are they waiting for the culver rehab to finish... Honestly, if they can (assuming they rebuild Kings Highway Interlocking and buy a few extra 211s), they should just run 2/3 of trains express in the peak direction as far as KH, and extend the with 10 cars there to add service at local stops. Then rebuild Bergen's lower level, and short turn whatever (F)s can't fit in CI at Avenue X (or even better, rebuild the crossovers at CI so all service can go there). The only hitch I see is the crossings that will have to take place at Kings Highway...

I hope stays local. Lets people at all the bklyn lcl stops have a 1 seat ride to Western Manhattan. The only forseeable problem would be the merge at Hoyt Schermerhorn. Anyway, this is m a n y years down the road.

They definitely have spare rolling stock on weekends (which is what VG8 originally was talking about). And yes, 7 is tops.

The last MNR president wanted that, but then the safety crisis happened. Have they tried longer trains? Or are all already maxed out? Also remember that service isn't free. Weekends = overtime, and with generally fewer people traveling, less farebox recovery. Maybe not every 20 minutes, but bi-hourly service would be great. Anyway, y'all should be appreciative that you aren't dealing with LIRR's weekend 'service.'

I can confirm that they are C1s. The Naugatuck RR (a tourist op) purchased them for their services a while back. I guess they never got around to using them...

I think that just moving the or would be *much* easier. No need to stir the pot if nothing is wrong. Also running the as the only local for 2 stops on QB during nights/weekends seems like a recipe for angry riders. At least make it 8 (or 10 60').

.....But it listed and trains at Court Square, neither of which were running. Oh well... When were the last subway cars with the blue stripe scheme retired/rebuilt/repainted? TIA

I know I'm interrupting, but do any of you know what station on the SIRT is best for photographing large CPL signals (not the teensy dwarf ones they've begun to put in)? TIA!

Weird question, but what was the car # of the first n/b. I can't figure out if I was on that or the 2nd. Thanks!

LIRR would be a lot easier to orchestrate w/ the surplus ESA capacity, but yes, subway would mesh better. As suggested above, pie in the sky would be Queens bypass + this. If this is done, where would the trains lay up? I can't imagine that you'd run them back to jamaica yard, but then what are you're other options....

OK that I agree with. Thanks for clarification.

Yes, but then you're committing commuters from the Rockaways to both a long ride across Queens, and then local service along QB until at least Roosevelt, at which point the exp trains are quite crowded. I agree it's the most realistic solution, but I don't think it's a great one. I do agree with the fumigation thing though. As for development, Sunnyside is attractive because of its building stock, and even then, that's irrelevant as they are building things there. SI has very run of the mill, low density building stock (nothing crazily special) and therefore would be extremely susceptible to development. Also, I don't really see your point. All you're proving is that subways raise real estate prices, which is....exactly what I'm saying will happen.

QB has -1 capacity available to add , and providing riders with shorter trains for increased patronage is a bad idea. The Rockaway Beach line should be LIRR, or be part of a second IND trunk in Queens/Manhattan. As for SI, I think that you are being too negative. First of all, the line will be underground until it merges with the SIR, so aside from construction, there should be little surface disturbance. Secondly, development will definitely follow the construction of the subway. All the SIers who are complaining will shut up when they see seven figure offers for their houses. But yes, in general I agree. SI should not be priority #1 (nor 2 or 3 or 4).