MTA Subway Service Cuts 1975-1977

[EE Broadway Local]

During the fiscal crises, the MTA did this over a three year period, and IIRC, these were the subway service cuts:

 

1975:

*Sunday May 11th: 70(SS) Culver Shuttle closed.

*Monday September 1st: Tokens rose from 35 to 50 cents;

Rockaways double fare eliminated

 

1976:

*Second Avenue Subway left out of capital buget; Four sections were under construction

*Friday August 27th: 70(EE) cancelled; 70(N) extended to Continetal Avenue-71st Avenue

70(K) cancelled

70(E) and 70(CC) switch southern terminals; 70(E) begins running to World Trade Center and 70(CC) begins running to Euclid Avenue/Beach 116th Street

70(F) Brooklyn express (Jay Street-Borough Hall to Church Avenue) cancelled; 70(GG) shortened to Smith-Ninth Streets

 

1977:

*Metropolitan Transportation Center (planned for East 48th Street and Third Avenue) left out of capital budget and cancelled; LIRR via East 63d Street now would run to Grand Central Terminal

*Sunday January 1st: Trains shortened during off hours

*Sunday February 13th: Bowling Green- South Ferry 70(SS) cancelled; South Ferry Inner Loop station closed; 70(5) trains would now terminate at Bowling Green and at East 180th Street; 70(6) trains would now terminate at 125th Street

*Saturday September 10th: Jamaica El closed between Queens Boulevard and 168th Street-Jamaica Terminal (Not really a service cut in this era).

 

Minor Subway Servic Cuts:

*Closure of part-time token booths

*Closure of the subway late nights (considered but not implemented)

[jmazz77]

and 35yrs later, they still can't manage a budget and get their shit together.

[Eric B]

It seems to be a 20 year cycle, where the middle of an odd numbered decade you have this budget crunch, and then it gets better in the even numbered decade. It seems this time, it came about five or so years early.

 

I don't know if the 50's was like that too (though I notice that is when they began scaling down a lot of stuff they had, such as the Summer Sunday specials, Saturday "weekday" type service patterns, etc).

It seem in the 70's that a massive wave of greed hit on all levels (business, govt.), so now we have these crashes as the money all flows to the top, some then "trickles down" every other decade, but then that suddenly dries up.

[ladyjay114]

 

1977:

*Metropolitan Transportation Center (planned for East 48th Street and Third Avenue) left out of capital budget and cancelled; LIRR via East 63d Street now would run to Grand Central Terminal

 

*Sunday February 13th: Bowling Green- South Ferry 70(SS) cancelled; South Ferry Inner Loop station closed; 70(5) trains would now terminate at Bowling Green and at East 180th Street; 70(6) trains would now terminate at 125th Street

 

*Saturday September 10th: Jamaica El closed between Queens Boulevard and 168th Street-Jamaica Terminal (Not really a service cut in this era).

 

 

 

I was born in '78 so this was before my time. But I gotta ask:

 

1. What was the Metropolitan Transportation Center and why was it over on 48th and Third???

 

2. What happened to the LIRR E 63rd track?? If LIRR could go to Grand Central, then why didn't they keep it? Maybe I'm confused - Is the East Side Access project (GCT to Penn Sta) about getting LIRR customers to GCT or Metro North customers to Penn Sta?

 

3. Shuttle from Bowling Green to South Ferry... Is this why there's that random third platform at the Bowling Green stop? Where did this train stop at the South Ferry station?

 

4. Jamaica El between Queens Blvd & 168th St... is this the J train or was this another connection??

[lilbluefoxie]

I was born in '78 so this was before my time. But I gotta ask:

 

1. What was the Metropolitan Transportation Center and why was it over on 48th and Third???

 

2. What happened to the LIRR E 63rd track?? If LIRR could go to Grand Central, then why didn't they keep it? Maybe I'm confused - Is the East Side Access project (GCT to Penn Sta) about getting LIRR customers to GCT or Metro North customers to Penn Sta?

 

3. Shuttle from Bowling Green to South Ferry... Is this why there's that random third platform at the Bowling Green stop? Where did this train stop at the South Ferry station?

 

4. Jamaica El between Queens Blvd & 168th St... is this the J train or was this another connection??

 

I can answer 3 and 4 for ya

 

3) Yea, that random third platform was for a special shuttle train, that went from there to the old South Ferry station, if you remember the circular one, it stopped in the inner track.

 

 

http://nycsubway.org/perl/show?2648 heres a photo of it from the 70s

 

http://subway.com.ru/avem2si/images/080.jpg another photo from the 70s at South Ferry.

 

4) Yea the Jamaica elevated line is what is now called the train. Part of it was torn down in the late 70s but then later rebuilt as an underground line to connect to Jamaica LIRR station.

[checkmatechamp13]

I was born in '78 so this was before my time. But I gotta ask:

 

1. What was the Metropolitan Transportation Center and why was it over on 48th and Third???

 

2. What happened to the LIRR E 63rd track?? If LIRR could go to Grand Central, then why didn't they keep it? Maybe I'm confused - Is the East Side Access project (GCT to Penn Sta) about getting LIRR customers to GCT or Metro North customers to Penn Sta?

 

3. Shuttle from Bowling Green to South Ferry... Is this why there's that random third platform at the Bowling Green stop? Where did this train stop at the South Ferry station?

 

4. Jamaica El between Queens Blvd & 168th St... is this the J train or was this another connection??

 

Lilbluefoxie answered 3 and 4. I'll answer 1 and 2.

 

I think they are using those East 63rd Street tracks to connect to Grand Central Terminal for the East Side Access project. They are under the tracks. The East Side Access project's primary goal is to send LIRR trains into Grand Central. However, this would free up capacity at Penn Station, since those trains would no longer be going to Penn Station. Using that excess capacity, the MTA plans to send some Metro-north trains to Penn Station.

 

See this article for the answer to your first question: http://nycsubway.org/articles/history-nycta1970s.html

 

The 63rd Street tunnel was designed to accommodate subway trains on the top level and LIRR trains from Sunnyside Yard on the lower level. Construction of this joint facility was considered "innovative" in its time. LIRR trains would then turn south around 3rd Ave. and run to the proposed Metropolitan Transportation Center (MTC) in the vicinity of 48th St. and 3rd Ave. The MTC would facilitate easy intermodal transfers between the LIRR, the Second Avenue line, the IRT Lexington Ave. Line at Grand Central as well as Grand Central Terminal. The double-deck, 3,140-foot tunnel under the East River was holed through on October 10th, 1972.

[Shortline Bus]

I was born in '78 so this was before my time. But I gotta ask:

 

1. What was the Metropolitan Transportation Center and why was it over on 48th and Third???

 

2. What happened to the LIRR E 63rd track?? If LIRR could go to Grand Central, then why didn't they keep it? Maybe I'm confused - Is the East Side Access project (GCT to Penn Sta) about getting LIRR customers to GCT or Metro North customers to Penn Sta?

 

3. Shuttle from Bowling Green to South Ferry... Is this why there's that random third platform at the Bowling Green stop? Where did this train stop at the South Ferry station?

 

4. Jamaica El between Queens Blvd & 168th St... is this the J train or was this another connection??

 

Welcome to the boards my friend:tup:. I am old man myself born in 1972 lol.:cry:

Since Foxie and Checkmate answered most of your question i answer the rest.

 

1)The Met Transit Center was supposed to be the oringal East Side terminal for the LIRR and also Metro North(i think there was plans to tear down Grand Central in the same era as well) but the '70s fiscal crisis killed that project and delayed the 2nd Ave subway for over 25 years.

Not sure Lady why it was on 3rd Ave. but i agree the now ongoing LIRR extension to GCT should have happened years ago.

 

The ESA (East Side access) which is extending the LIRR to Grand Central via using a separte tracks of the current line 63rd St Tunnel is indeed ongoing and taking place right now as we speak.

 

And Lady if you intrestred the old ran as a 6th Ave Local between 57th St/6th Ave (before the 63rd Tunnel was completed)and I think Broadway Jct.

weekdays only until 9pm. Correct me guys if i am wrong about the old (K)line.

 

Hope it helps Lady.:tup:

[Far Rock Depot]

Welcome to the boards my friend:tup:. I am old man myself born in 1972 lol.:cry:

Since Foxie and Checkmate answered most of your question i answer the rest.

 

1)The Met Transit Center was supposed to be the oringal East Side terminal for the LIRR and also Metro North(i think there was plans to tear down Grand Central in the same era as well) but the '70s fiscal crisis killed that project and delayed the 2nd Ave subway for over 25 years.

Not sure Lady why it was on 3rd Ave. but i agree the now ongoing LIRR extension to GCT should have happened years ago.

 

The ESA (East Side access) which is extending the LIRR to Grand Central via using a separte tracks of the current line 63rd St Tunnel is indeed ongoing and taking place right now as we speak.

 

And Lady if you intrestred the old ran as a 6th Ave Local between 57th St/6th Ave (before the 63rd Tunnel was completed)and I think Broadway Jct.

weekdays only until 9pm. Correct me guys if i am wrong about the old (K)line.

 

Hope it helps Lady.:tup:

 

 

I can fill the rest of the details:

MTC:

3rd ave will set the commuter railroad right inbetween the East Side IRT and what would have been the SAS at completion of both projects.

LIRR 63rd ST:

as Shortline and Checkmate stated, this is ongoing as ESA. Originally planne dway back then, The current F tunnels were built with larger ones under but the LL was only built to around 2Ave. TBMs currently sent these tunnels to below GCT.

 

Foxie was on the money with the South Ferry-Bowling Green Shuttle.

as far as the J to 168th st, it was first shortened to Queens Bl in the late 70s, then to 121st in the early 80s. it was then rerouted via new tunnels (along with the E) along Archer Ave to a)provide an intermodel connection to buses for S/E queens and western Nassau. Not just for LIRR. Originally the upper level of this tunnel ( E trains) was planned to serve S/E Queens as well.

 

And you hit the nose with the K Shortline. But back then it was called "Eastern Pkwy".