C train and Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts station

[MAA89]

Really? I don't think transit really cares about full-time through service to Rockaway Park due to low ridership (Beach 105th Street is REALLY low). I'm just surprised they haven't closed the branch, maybe because Rock Park riders would bawl. But as to Lefferts Boulevard service, make the operate as the shuttle during late nights between Lefferts Boulevard and Euclid Avenue. But there really should be two weekday Eighth Avenue expresses and two locals, just like how Sixth Avenue has two locals and expresses on weekdays. Make the and go express and the and local.

I don't think Rock Park riders have much to complain about. They already have rush-hour peak-direction service, an 8-car shuttle (running R44s) during summer weekends, and round the clock service, as well as the Q22 bus which runs parallel to the branch on Rockaway Beach Boulevard. I have used the shuttle often myself, and a connection to the at Broad Channel (Manhattan-bound) takes just 2-3 mins to arrive. Late-night service can be erratic, however.

 

Not sure about the need for the and an express though. The and already provide local service below 50th St and ( and north of that, so there isn't as much congestion on the in Manhattan. I think it is the Lexington Avenue Line that needs a fourth service, especially on the local during rush hours (narrow IRT trains don't help either).

[Far Rock Depot]

a fourth line on Lex???? For the last couple of decades that line bearly handles the 3 it has now! hence the NEED for SAS.

[LRG]

I don't think Rock Park riders have much to complain about. They already have rush-hour peak-direction service, an 8-car shuttle (running R44s) during summer weekends, and round the clock service, as well as the Q22 bus which runs parallel to the branch on Rockaway Beach Boulevard. I have used the shuttle often myself, and a connection to the at Broad Channel (Manhattan-bound) takes just 2-3 mins to arrive. Late-night service can be erratic, however.

 

Not sure about the need for the and an express though. The and already provide local service below 50th St and ( and north of that, so there isn't as much congestion on the in Manhattan. I think it is the Lexington Avenue Line that needs a fourth service, especially on the local during rush hours (narrow IRT trains don't help either).

 

I'm not saying that the Rockaway Park riders would complain, only wondering if it's necessary because ridership on the Rockaway Park Branch is not has heavy as the Far Rockaway branch is.

 

My thought would be to have the remain as it is and the terminates at the World Trade Center and operates local in Manhattan on weekdays above and below 50th Street. During weekends the runs local, and I've been thinking about having the be a full-time express.

 

So on weekdays below 50th Street the pattern would be and local, and and express; above 50th Street it would be and express and and local. I'e also thought about bringing the back on weekends because the is bad enough as it is on weekends, so below 50th it would be and local and only express; above 50th it would be and local and and express. My service for late nights is a totally different topic so I would rather not get into detail about it too much, other than say that the would be express but stops at 155th and 163rd. The would be local above 50th Street during this time.

[VinnyBrooklyn]

The reason Rock Park ridership is low is the Shuttle runs every 20 minutes and if the is late or the bridge is open it could take 40+ minutes to go 2 stops.

 

The express out of Rock park is also useless as it starts too late. Most of the people I know are in Manhattan at work before the thing even starts.

[MAA89]

The reason Rock Park ridership is low is the Shuttle runs every 20 minutes and if the is late or the bridge is open it could take 40+ minutes to go 2 stops.

 

The express out of Rock park is also useless as it starts too late. Most of the people I know are in Manhattan at work before the thing even starts.

 

The first three trains from Beach 116th St start, according to the schedule, at 6:39, 6:59 and 7:19 AM. Your friends must have really early starts to their workdays, although the journey from the Rock Park stations is rather long.

[VinnyBrooklyn]

So if you start at 8am and have to travel to Manhattan these trains from Rock park are useless.

[Maserati7200]

What does a 4th line on Lex have to with anything here???

[Zman]

The reason Rock Park ridership is low is the Shuttle runs every 20 minutes...so if you start at 8am and have to travel to Manhattan these trains from Rock park are useless.

 

Don't know what schedule you're following, but the first A departure at 6:38 am is scheduled to arrive at 59th St at 7:48 am. Even with some congestion that train will still get to 59 before 8 am.

 

And you've got it wrong. It should be "the shuttle runs every 20 minutes because the Rock Park ridership is low." It's a narrow island with a niche clientèle. Where do you expect the people to come from? The ocean?

[Zman]

By 2008 subway ridership numbers, a total of 6,178,284 passengers used the stations on the Rockaway line (both branches, and including Aqueduct-North Conduit, Howard Beach-JFK and Broad Channel), of which just over 1 million was on the Rockaway Park branch. It would make perfect sense to keep the Rockaway Park shuttle and rush-hour peak direction trains to and from Rockaway Park, as it is now.

 

The remaining 5 million riders could greatly benefit from increased service to Far Rockaway. By comparison, the Lefferts Boulevard line carried 3,748,744 passengers in 2008, of which 2.4 million was at the last stop. 104th St is ranked 404th out of 422 stations for 2008 ridership. A greater number of people transfer from Lefferts Blvd trains to Rockaway trains at Rockaway Blvd than those that transfer to the Lefferts line. The late night Euclid Avenue shuttle (to Lefferts) often runs virtually empty. This is why I say that Lefferts Blvd doesn't deserve regular service any more than Rockaway Park does. The 5 million riders on Aqueduct, Howard Beach, Broad Channel and the Far Rockaway branch deserve proportionally more service in my opinion.

 

So you're advocating throwing 3.4 million people per year onto a shuttle? 3.4 million people which, according to the statistics that you have provided, equals a little over 40% of the line's ridership in the borough. I've been on the A numerous times at 7am and I can tell you that it is very difficult to get a seat on the Lefferts branch at 104th St.

 

Needless to say that a job at TA Operations & Planning is not in your immediate future.

[MAA89]

So you're advocating throwing 3.4 million people per year onto a shuttle? 3.4 million people which, according to the statistics that you have provided, equals a little over 40% of the line's ridership in the borough. I've been on the numerous times at 7am and I can tell you that it is very difficult to get a seat on the Lefferts branch at 104th St.

 

Needless to say that a job at TA Operations & Planning is not in your immediate future.

 

Err, no, I didn't say the shuttle should become full-time. I do find myself agreeing with those who propose to extend the to Lefferts Boulevard, as well as special rush-hour peak direction trains (maybe more than the 5 trains that Rock Park riders get).

 

Also, a huge number of people (often more than 40%) get off and transfer at Broadway Junction from all Manhattan-bound (and presumably ) trains, both morning rush-hours and middays. Getting non-rush-hour Lefferts riders to transfer to the or the from a shuttle at Euclid Avenue, or just using the shouldn't tax the Fulton line trains much, as a large segment of the riders will be discharged at Broadway Junction. (Of course, the trains fill up as one approaches Manhattan, but that is inevitable). The opposite happens on the Queens-bound ride at PM rush-hour and evenings (lots get on at Junction), but the is nearly empty by the time one gets to Junction and should be able to handle it. Extending the to Lefferts will also prevent overcrowding on the Rockaway Boulevard platform.

 

AM and PM rush-hour trains in the peak direction should be able to absorb the excess demand. The current system isn't broken, and the provides a valuable service to Lefferts during rush-hours (whether it's any use to Rock Park riders is another story), but I feel that shuttle and/or service should be adequate late nights, middays and evenings. (I have on occasion waited on the Rockaway Boulevard platform late at night returning from a 4PM-12AM job I had last year, and I found the Lefferts shuttle runs virtually empty at nights).

 

I understand it may not be feasible to extend the due to issues with turn-around times and getting the trains back to Pitkin Yard, but as an earlier user said, "If they could manage that, the Rockaways could benefit from the extra service to Lefferts by the and you could run more trains to the Rockaways."

 

I am certainly not planning (or hoping) for a career in rapid transit planning, all my posts on this thread are simply an expression of my (amateur) interest in the subway and my concerns as a rider.

[MAA89]

Don't know what schedule you're following...that train will still get to 59 before 8 am.

 

This one:

 

http://www.mta.info/nyct/service/pdf/tacur.pdf

 

And I am sorry I wrote 6:39, it should have been 6:38, hence the confusion.

[MAA89]

What does a 4th line on Lex have to with anything here???

 

Nothing, just went off on a tangent there after another user suggested reintroducing the . I have no personal experience of using the Lex at rush-hour, just heard anecdotes about the congestion on the line.

 

I am entirely neutral about the (return of the) , and about service to Rockaway Park. For all future posters, this thread is about service to Lefferts Blvd and Far Rockaway.

 

I do feel Lefferts Boulevard riders get preferential treatment sometime, but I live in the Rockaways, so I may be biased.