How will the Bleecker Street Transfer affect riders?

[Rutgers Tube]

This may have been discussed in another thread, but I didn't see it after doing a search. Although the free transfer between Broadway-Lafayette and Bleecker Street is still a few years from being completed, it's been anticipated for a long time. What does everyone think about how this will affect ridership on the Lexington and 6th Avenue lines, the usage of these stations and other already existing transfers between these lines (53rd - 51st Streets, Atlantic-Pacific Streets, etc.) and other lines as well?

 

I personally feel that the will be more crowded between Brooklyn Bridge and maybe like Hunter College, the gut of that line, and I wouldn't be surprised if some the Broadway line riders stuck to 6th Avenue to avoid a transfer at crowded Union Square. I'm not sure!

 

What does everyone think?

[R62A 1991]

Bleeker St. will become like Canal St. during the weekends: super crowded. But it's going to be great for everyone actually, that transfer is quite warranted. Can't wait for it.

[via White Plains Road]

Bleeker St. will become like Canal St. during the weekends: super crowded. But it's going to be great for everyone actually, that transfer is quite warranted. Can't wait for it.

 

Agreed I'm sure the passengers get tired of taking a downtown all the way to Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall for Uptown and The Bronx Lexington Avenue service!

[Brighton Local]

Easier access to Lexington Av from the ( & now... Its going to work out well.:tup: (at least I hope it will)

[Rutgers Tube]

Bleeker St. will become like Canal St. during the weekends: super crowded. But it's going to be great for everyone actually, that transfer is quite warranted. Can't wait for it.

 

The Canal Street complex is like the M.C. Escher of subway stations in the way that the transfers are arranged. I'll give the credit for posting so many signs in an effort to limit the confusion caused by transferring from one train to another via another train's platform in certain cases. And yes, that station can get very annoying with all of the tourists, especially on weekends. Perhaps it'll lose popularity once the Bleecker transfer opens, especially from outer borough riders.

[hoodciti]

I'm so happy this is happening. I use the transfer at least once a week from the to the . Its definitely going to be a long over due benefit.

[LRG]

I'm glad you brought this up. This has been an interest of mine for the last few years. I even attended the MTA and Community Board 3's presentation of the Bleecker Street Rehab back in June of 2007. The Bleecker Street transfer would reverse the 2001 63rd Street Service Change by once again providing an and uptown connection. In addition, ( & in Brooklyn don't have to transfer to the & just to transfer to the uptown . From what I've gathered, the connection would bring an additional 100,000 riders annualy.

 

Seeing I've been keeping track of this rehab since late-January, its long overdue. In the coming weeks, the tunnel walls will be torn down to begin building the new 290 foot long southward extension on the uptown 6. At the same time, it would actually help ease the need to transfer at Canal Street. riders would take the , , & to Canal Street. The uptown connection would then eliminate that need. Lastly, the TA could remove that Metrocard transfer at 59th & 53rd Street stations.

 

Are you sure about that last bit? What about passengers that want to connect between the , , and ? Oh wait, never mind, they could use 34th Street. But something tells me that the MetroCard transfer may STILL be needed, especially for residents who live right along Lexington Avenue in Midtown; they may want to take the at 63rd Street and Lex still.

[Forest Glen]

This will reestablish a real transfer between the F and Lexington Avenue IRT

[R32 3348]

I could see the TA eliminating the Metrocard transfer at Lexington-59th and Lexington-63rd Street stations in the coming years. That's why the TA is building a free transfer between the and lines at Court Square.

While the Bleecker St. transfer is beneficial for Brooklyn riders and deems the 63-59 transfer unnecessary for them, the same is not so for Queens riders. If I am on a pay-per-ride Metrocard I don't want to take an all the way to Union Sq. to get a transfer with the uptown . Same goes for the (but if I had an unlimited I would just walk to 68th St....)

 

Anyway, this transfer will also be very important in reducing crowding at Lexington Ave. - 53rd St., because Manhattan riders don't have to take the up to Lexington Ave. to transfer to the , since they can go downtown and get the from Bleecker now (this works especially well for stations below 51st St.).

[R32 3348]

Simple, riders could transfer at 71st or Roosevelt Avenues and take the to Lexington-59th Street. There is no excuse why they can't transfer to a local. When it comes to the Bleecker Street Rehab, don't bother wasting your time trying to disagree with me. I attended the MTA's presentation back in 2007. I've seen the plans and benefits of the new connection.

I'm not arguing the benefits of the connection itself. The isn't losing any money keeping the connection available to riders. If riders transfer to the at 59th St., that will increase crowding at 59th St., which is just as bad if not worse than Lex and 53rd.

[R32 3348]

Which is?

[7LineFan]

That the pros outweights the cons. Like I said, Queens riders have no excuses to take the into Manhattan. The majority of the riders who would benefit greatly from the Bleecker Street connection are Brooklyn residents.

 

What about those riders that live on the Upper East Side or the Bronx that don't live close to the ( or but use the Lex every day to get to the ? If you take away that transfer how does it help them at all?

[7LineFan]

It does help, they get to keep their transfer intact on their Metrocards.

 

But timewise? They now have to go all the way down to Bleecker, which is 8 local stops below 59th. Add in delays just because it's the Lex, even for those transferring from the express. And then, if they have to go to any stop between Lex and Lafayette on the 6th Avenue Line, they now have to go back UPTOWN instead of making the transfer at 59th and going straight downtown. I don't think that's worth keeping a transfer intact.

 

And the same goes for those transferring to the Broadway Line at 59th, needing to go to any station between Lex and 14th.

 

And before you use the as your out card, do people want to transfer again and again to different trains to get where they want to go? Wouldn't they want to use as few trains as possible?

[Urbanfortitude]

That the pros outweights the cons. Like I said, Queens riders have no excuses to take the into Manhattan. The majority of the riders who would benefit greatly from the Bleecker Street connection are Brooklyn residents.

 

don't forget lower manhattanites benefit from this as well.