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North Shore Rail Discussion


checkmatechamp13

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No the best idea is to have the (MTA) sell Metrocards on their main website mta.info. That would help a lot of people, and allow people with credit cards, and cash to buy it. They could do the same thing as Amtrak. Buy, and have it shipped or go to the nearest station to pick up your card. I am sure it would be popular providing public ads, and TV ads.

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At a substantially higher operating cost.

 

The age old debate between buses and rail continues. People prefer rail because rail is often run better than buses. That is why they carry more people. The investments that agencies make with rail are not usually replicated in local bus service. Sometimes, they are made in express bus services.

 

How about the MTA allowing everyone to reload their MetroCards via the internet? The biggest problem on Staten Island is refilling your MetroCard while there. Turn every computer and smartphone into an MVM. That will cut down on cash handling. Then, you can allow people to get those SBS style receipts online from their computer and take them on the S40. That would allow double door boarding on the route and improve reliability. Considering that the MTA probably uses some sort of internet processing already for MVMs, creating a home interface to move transactions off the buses is not a big leap. That could be as much as 40% of the time savings right there.

 

I believe an articulated bus can carry 130 people, whereas a 10 car train can carry 1,500 people. If you plan to support anything of moderately high density, you are going to need a rail line.

 

Also, what about the people who don't have Internet or a phone, or a credit card to purchase the ticket? Remember, you're talking about Richmond Terrace, and the people around there aren't exactly loaded with money. That area isn't the poorest area in NYC or anything, but there are plenty of people who don't have Internet, and are living paycheck-to-paycheck and don't have a credit card.

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That was what I suggested:

When the Goethals Bridge is replaced, build it with provisions for a rail line so that the North Shore Rail Line can be extended to connect with the Northeast Corridor and/or Raritan Valley Line (maybe with a few stops in Elizabeth and Roselle Park along the way)

 

:cool:The North Shore SIR could then go to/from the Meadowlands & Newark Airport too:tup:

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This is my Staten Island Transit Map. It has went through multiple beatings from multiple people, but I finally feel confident enough that it won't get bashed. In this map there is a light rail running from Bay Ridge-95th Street (R) to the Staten Island Mall via the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. There is the West Shore Light Rail connected to the HBLR, and the SIR has gotten platform lengthening, and has a connection to NJ, and on to Newark Liberty International Airport. This map should appease most people, and I do like to see someone do this by 2030.

5467268196_ce69834618_b.jpg

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Meadowlands is too far for any SIR extension. That is west of Secaucus, but a good idea would be to link it to Newark Liberty International Airport.

 

:cool:That'd be AWESOME!:tup:

 

This is my Staten Island Transit Map. It has went through multiple beatings from multiple people, but I finally feel confident enough that it won't get bashed. In this map there is a light rail running from Bay Ridge-95th Street (R) to the Staten Island Mall via the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. There is the West Shore Light Rail connected to the HBLR, and the SIR has gotten platform lengthening, and has a connection to NJ, and on to Newark Liberty International Airport. This map should appease most people, and I do like to see someone do this by 2030.

5467268196_ce69834618_b.jpg

 

Very interesting:tup:

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Roadcruiser: You may not know about the street layout on Staten Island, but I'd just like to offer a comment:

 

You have the light rail from Bay Ridge running down Arlene Street and Signs Road, which are both residential streets. You're better off having it run down Richmond Avenue, which is wider and is more commercial, rather than residential.

 

And I assume you intended for the HBLR extension to run down the MLK Expressway, not cut through Mariners' Harbor and Graniteville.

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The North Shore Rail should be more than just going from Arlington to St. George. Just as the south shore is "SIR", the west shore is soon to be part of the "HBLR", the north shore should either be part of the NJT commuter rail or NYC subway. I prefer option 2 :P but i don't live in staten so it's there call

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By the way, if anybody has comments they want to send in, email them to Patrick Jordan, who is the supervisor of Planning and Studies. His email address is: PJordan@zetlin.com

 

Or, if you want to send them in by regular mail, send them to:

Zetlin Strategic Communications, Inc

314 West 71st Street

New York, NY, 10023

Phone: (212)-799-8803

Fax: (212)-799-2206

 

Would he be responsible for both rail and bus service in S.I.?

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Also, what about the people who don't have Internet or a phone, or a credit card to purchase the ticket? Remember, you're talking about Richmond Terrace, and the people around there aren't exactly loaded with money. That area isn't the poorest area in NYC or anything, but there are plenty of people who don't have Internet, and are living paycheck-to-paycheck and don't have a credit card.

 

Kiosks can go up at major stops like SBS.

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In this post, he said he would be happy that the S40 would be split up, as long as each half of the split was decently served: http://www.nyctransitforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=389524&postcount=100

 

In this one, he's debating about whether it is a good idea to keep the S90 or expand the hours of the S96: http://www.nyctransitforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=389918&postcount=116

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In this post, he said he would be happy that the S40 would be split up, as long as each half of the split was decently served: http://www.nyctransitforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=389524&postcount=100

 

In this one, he's debating about whether it is a good idea to keep the S90 or expand the hours of the S96: http://www.nyctransitforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=389918&postcount=116

 

He's never been wild about the S40 since it's usually MIA, but in other threads he's argued for keeping the S90.

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Check again.

 

According to my count, the S96 has 11 buses in the AM and 17 buses in the PM, whereas the S98 has 12 buses in the AM and 22 buses in the PM.

 

The problem with these buses is that they are scheduled in a weird fashion, especially in the PM rush. At certain points, there are 2 S98s meeting the same ferry. I know they get crowded, but I think they should be spread out a little bit, so there aren't big gaps in service on Forest Avenue. I think buses coming every 7-8 minutes at the height of rush hour would be better than buses coming in pairs every 15 minutes.

 

Personally, I think it would be a better use of resources (as a short-term plan) to just implement the all-day limited-stop service on the S96, and leave Forest Avenue with slightly improved S48 service (traffic signal priority, which would speed up the buses and allow off-peak headways to be 12 minutes rather than 15 minutes). Remember: The S96 would be accomodating displaced S40 riders in Mariners' Harbor and Elm Park, whereas the S48 ridership would remain fairly constant (in fact, I would expect a slight shift in ridership from the S48 to the S46/S96).

 

Also keep in mind that the expanded S96 service would basically cost nothing. Basically, Castleton Avenue would see 6 buses per hour, rather than 5 buses per hour, but some buses would be converted into faster limited-stop buses (saving slightly on labor costs), and 2 buses per hour would be turned back at Forest Avenue.

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Check again.

 

According to my count, the S96 has 11 buses in the AM and 17 buses in the PM, whereas the S98 has 12 buses in the AM and 22 buses in the PM.

 

The problem with these buses is that they are scheduled in a weird fashion, especially in the PM rush. At certain points, there are 2 S98s meeting the same ferry. I know they get crowded, but I think they should be spread out a little bit, so there aren't big gaps in service on Forest Avenue. I think buses coming every 7-8 minutes at the height of rush hour would be better than buses coming in pairs every 15 minutes.

 

Personally, I think it would be a better use of resources (as a short-term plan) to just implement the all-day limited-stop service on the S96, and leave Forest Avenue with slightly improved S48 service (traffic signal priority, which would speed up the buses and allow off-peak headways to be 12 minutes rather than 15 minutes). Remember: The S96 would be accomodating displaced S40 riders in Mariners' Harbor and Elm Park, whereas the S48 ridership would remain fairly constant (in fact, I would expect a slight shift in ridership from the S48 to the S46/S96).

 

Also keep in mind that the expanded S96 service would basically cost nothing. Basically, Castleton Avenue would see 6 buses per hour, rather than 5 buses per hour, but some buses would be converted into faster limited-stop buses (saving slightly on labor costs), and 2 buses per hour would be turned back at Forest Avenue.

 

There's two of them because they need them otherwise the (S98) would be crushloaded and you'd have folks having to wait for another bus, thus making their commute longer. They had two (S98)s during some parts of the evening rush going back to when I was using the ferry and that was a good 5 years ago, so I would imagine that ridership has grown on that line since then. You see some folks used to take the X16 into work and then take the ferry and the (S98) home because the (S98) became so unreliable in the morning. In the evening of course they could spare the bus being unreliable since they were coming home, although it ran better during the PM rush.

 

Now with the X16 gone, I would imagine at least some of those folks may have switched to the ferry, but not that many, but still you would have to think that in 5 years time and w/the economy that ridership would go up somewhat on the (S98) w/Forest Ave being a main corridor on the North Shore. Most of the X16 riders just moved over to the X12, x14 or X30.

 

My beef was that they gave the (S96) later limited stop runs while we'd get two (S48)s for the 21:30 boat. :P Whatever the (S96) gets the (S98) should get and then some. Forest Ave is just as important of a main avenue and a connector, as Castleton Ave. is and I'm certain from my observation that the ridership is there.

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That's why I said to check again. The S96 and S98 both have their last bus leave St. George at 10:00PM. (Also, hasn't it been a few years since you've actually commuted on the S48)

 

Also, I beg to differ with the second run being that badly needed. Whenever I take the S98 at a time when the buses come back-to-back, the second bus only has 5 people on it. I'm not saying to eliminate the second bus completely: I'm just saying to spread the buses out. Anybody who can't get onto the first bus would only have to wait an extra few minutes to get onto the next one (and that's no different than in the morning, when buses bypass you when you are trying to get to work).

 

Also, the reason why I said to expand service on the S96 is because it would literally cost nothing. The reason why headways were improved from 15 minutes to 12 minutes wasn't because of crowding along South Avenue-it was because of crowding along Castleton Avenue. Therefore, it would be a matter of redistributing buses to focus on the areas along Castleton Avenue.

 

Also, this is part of splitting the S40-you need a fast alternative for passengers who live in Mariners' Harbor (who don't want to transfer from the S53 to the S59), and aside from people near South Avenue, expanded S98 service isn't going to help.

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That's why I said to check again. The S96 and S98 both have their last bus leave St. George at 10:00PM. (Also, hasn't it been a few years since you've actually commuted on the S48)

 

Also, I beg to differ with the second run being that badly needed. Whenever I take the S98 at a time when the buses come back-to-back, the second bus only has 5 people on it. I'm not saying to eliminate the second bus completely: I'm just saying to spread the buses out. Anybody who can't get onto the first bus would only have to wait an extra few minutes to get onto the next one (and that's no different than in the morning, when buses bypass you when you are trying to get to work).

 

Also, the reason why I said to expand service on the S96 is because it would literally cost nothing. The reason why headways were improved from 15 minutes to 12 minutes wasn't because of crowding along South Avenue-it was because of crowding along Castleton Avenue. Therefore, it would be a matter of redistributing buses to focus on the areas along Castleton Avenue.

 

Also, this is part of splitting the S40-you need a fast alternative for passengers who live in Mariners' Harbor (who don't want to transfer from the S53 to the S59), and aside from people near South Avenue, expanded S98 service isn't going to help.

 

Over the past 5 years I haven't used the (S48) or (S98) that often... Maybe a few times due to a snow storm or something where I was forced to take the ferry like the time I got stranded during the snow storm in 2007... :mad:

 

Here and there I've used the (S48) to connect to the X10, but I haven't done that in a few months. However, since I live right near Forest Avenue, I do see how the (S48) and (S98)s are running and it certainly is obvious that ridership is growing.

 

And yes, I would argue that both are needed at the same time because the idea is not to have one (S98) get bogged down with too many people. As you noted the first (S98) was packed and since most people will not wait for the next one, having them run together will help them move quicker, as they'll be able to alternate stops.

 

P.S. I never had an (S98) bypass my stop. Folks always found a way to get on because you could never be sure if the other (S98) would come or not. :mad:

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