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Should the "A Rockaway Pk.-Manhattan 'express' run for couple trips on summer weekends?


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Have I ever seen Far Rockaway on a subway map?

 

 

S P E C I A L

 

I'll sum this up in a nutshell in case you are lazy to read the earlier posts:

 

People in Ozone Park want a 1 seat express ride to Manhattan instead of transferring at Euclid for an express which is why the (C) will never go to Lefferts. The best way to solve this is to change the letter of the Lefferts (A) leg.

 

That has been explained so many times its not even cute anymore. Furthermore, the people of Ozone Park and Far Rockaway have gone years with telling the difference between which (A) goes where. Why should that change because some railfans cant read a sign or listen to announcements?

 

Unless the MTA gets $$$$$$$$$ for its Operating Budget all of these "ideas" wont even see the light of day....

 

Just saying....

 

No offense to anyone who post their transit expansion plans here, but if the (MTA) somehow got $1 trillion in their budget tomorrow, half of these "ideas" would still not see the light of day.

 

theres been rumors about a casino opening at Belmont Park, in which case the LIRR would have to upgrade the station and service there.

 

Unless Belmont Park gets some Las Vegas style business, I seriously doubt LIRR would upgrade anything. Same goes for Aqueduct Racetrack.

 

The difference of the (A)'s express to the ©'s local is not that different. I'd say its 10 to 15 minutes different tops. This is a dramatic difference from the (E) and (R) on the Queens Blvd line.

 

No its not.....its the same 10 to 15 minute difference.

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Doesn't anyone else notice that whenever "the (A)" & "the Rockaways" is mentioned in a thread, "the ©" & "Lefferts" is GUARANTEED to be brought up in it.....

 

 

 

I've seen a world map... Doesn't mean I know enough about every country on the planet !

 

That's why it's not wise to speak on something you never experienced...

 

 

Bro(B35)if you read the start of this topic i was only trying to ask if the (MTA) should run 1-2 'special trains' from Manhattan run on the (A) on summer weekends to/from Rockaway Park?

 

The other guys went off about the (C) to Lefferts, etc.:confused:

 

I railfanned it about a month back and the (A) was SRO almost the entire trip to Broad Channel at a 3pm Saturday in late June.

 

Come to think about for now just increase weekend service on (A) Far Rock branch and (S) Rock Park shuttle as the conclusion i am getting.

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Bro(B35)if you read the start of this topic i was only trying to ask if the (MTA) should run 1-2 'special trains' from Manhattan run on the (A) on summer weekends to/from Rockaway Park?

 

The other guys went off about the (C) to Lefferts, etc.:confused:

 

yes, I know that... I didn't say you were at fault for that having happened...

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I'll sum this up in a nutshell in case you are lazy to read the earlier posts:

 

People in Ozone Park want a 1 seat express ride to Manhattan instead of transferring at Euclid for an express which is why the (C) will never go to Lefferts. The best way to solve this is to change the letter of the Lefferts (A) leg.

 

What's so bad about transferring cross-platform. So you want something like a (K) described above. Those Lefferts Blvd riders a going to have to deal with it.

 

This has already been discussed before so let's stop rediscussing it now.

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Bro(B35)if you read the start of this topic i was only trying to ask if the (MTA) should run 1-2 'special trains' from Manhattan run on the (A) on summer weekends to/from Rockaway Park?

 

The other guys went off about the (C) to Lefferts, etc.:confused:

 

I'd think those 'special's' should start at 57th Street-6th Ave like the (JFK) stopping at 34th St, West 4th Street, Chambers Street, Jay Street and then the Casino.

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At one point, that actually happened. A shuttle ran from Rockaway Blvd to Rockaway Park, then to Far Rockaway, and finally returned to Rockaway Blvd. This happened circa. late '60s - early '70s and the late '80s.

 

That would work only if it was the (A). Plus NIMBY's would probably not accept Round Robin service. It would be bad for Rock Park riders to get to Manhattan or Brooklyn and people getting to Far Rokaway.

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I believe that the Round Robin service that you're speaking about actually terminated at Euclid Avenue, not Rockaway Blvd. While that station may have been the last stop to catch the Round Robin service or trains bound for the Rockaways, it was not the last stop of the shuttle operation.

 

The Euclid Avenue station is one of the few stations (besides Bowling Green) to regularly terminate one route coming from one direction, and to terminate another route (coming from the other direction).

 

Mike

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Cheapest way to increase Rockaway service in the summer is just to run each branch at 24-30 minute headways(split existing service into 3). This way everyone gets (A) express service for a one seat ride. The (C) can stay at Euclid, Rockaway Park shuttle can still run year round with 4 car trains. Rockaway Park seems to have more summer weekend riders, so most trains would run to the Rockaways during the summer. It's not like the few Lefferts only stops are packed on summer weekends anyway. Far Rockaway (A) riders can transfer to the (S). As long as Lefferts riders get to keep their (A) they will probably be happy with 1/3 of the service that the (C) has.

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Unless Belmont Park gets some Las Vegas style business, I seriously doubt LIRR would upgrade anything. Same goes for Aqueduct Racetrack.

 

That actually is expected for Aqueduct, even with VLTs. A lot of people will want to be able to do in many cases a one-seat ride to Aqueduct as opposed to heading to Atlantic City. That's why I think you will see that, and it may force changes on the Lefferts branch may not like, but may need to realize are necessary because of the casino at Aqueduct.

 

Renaming the Lefferts branch the (K) might work, but even then, I think ridership to/from the casino will dictate the (C) being extended to Lefferts and the (A) going only to the Rockaways, at least on weekends and Friday evenings.

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This Is Not That Difficult

So Let's see:

 

The Rockaways can be difficult places to get to, involving long rides and long waits for service.

 

So you guys wish to:

 

a) Lengthen the wait times again at the various stations from 24 to 30 minutes apart for each train, and at the same time call this an improvement.

 

Just how does making folks wait longer for train service an improvement?

 

B) Let's change the name of the A-train branches, maybe to the letter K, as if that is really an improvement. Or how about re-naming the shuttle train to H, as an improvement. What's improved? Nothing, but gee it's a different letter than before!

 

c) Shut down a basically well-running shuttle service, and to replace that service with all train service coming to/from Manhattan - even though there are train delays and other happenings. Such that if there are any problems with train service to from Manhattan - everybody is screwed.

 

d) Extending C-train local service that basically runs well enough on its own tracks in Brooklyn (until the Hoyt-Schermerhorn station) to have to mingle again with A-train service on the elevated portions of the line. How does this help riders at the local stations in Brooklyn - none in the slightest, except for increasing the potential for train problems.

 

Okay, okay some have decided to leave the C-train alone at least for now. But not really since some want to cut down on C-train for more A-train express trains. Ah, its the fanatical love of the express - by some transit fans that just so predictable.

 

d) Using complicated contraptions to try to "solve" a simple problem. A-trains already stop at a station called Aqueduct which serves the to be opened casino. That same train that takes riders to/from the Airport - there's no need to mess with that service.

 

Adding a few A-train runs to Rockaway Park is really not that big a deal - the MTA could just do it.

 

e) Why is there the need to create complicated "solutions" to what are simple problems? Why - some transit fans love complicated, that's the interesting part.

 

f) The rest is not that difficult.

 

Mike

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I'm seeing this on the MTA website:

 

Posted: 07/21/2011 5:18PM

 

MTA Service Notice

 

Due to crowd control at the Broad Channel Station, select downtown trains will be running on the line between the Broad Channel Station and Rockaway Park-Beach 116th Street Station.

 

Please allow additional travel time.

 

How big do those crowds get, and, is this because of the current heatwave?

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As someone who has to use the (R) to connect between the (S53) and (N), I don't think it would be a good idea at all to extend the (C) to Lefferts Blvd. It's the same situation where you would ride the local a couple of stops only to have to transfer and I'm sure Ozone Park residents wouldn't want that.

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As someone who has to use the (R) to connect between the (S53) and (N), I don't think it would be a good idea at all to extend the (C) to Lefferts Blvd. It's the same situation where you would ride the local a couple of stops only to have to transfer and I'm sure Ozone Park residents wouldn't want that.

 

What are you talking about? That's not a good comparison at all.

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c) Shut down a basically well-running shuttle service, and to replace that service with all train service coming to/from Manhattan - even though there are train delays and other happenings. Such that if there are any problems with train service to from Manhattan - everybody is screwed

 

 

 

Adding a few A-train runs to Rockaway Park is really not that big a deal - the MTA could just do it.

you wouldn't need the shuttle if the (A) went to Rockaway Park.....

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See guys this is why i created this topic. Granted the great heat wave added many more riders to the beach. However i had a similar experience a couple of weeks ago in late June when railfanning to the Rockaways the Far Rock (A) and even Rockaway Park (S) was packed.

 

Starting to think that maybe more than just a few direct trains to/from Manhattan and Rock Park is needed during the summer.:eek:

 

 

I'm seeing this on the MTA website:

 

Posted: 07/21/2011 5:18PM

 

MTA Service Notice

 

Due to crowd control at the Broad Channel Station, select downtown trains will be running on the line between the Broad Channel Station and Rockaway Park-Beach 116th Street Station.

 

Please allow additional travel time.

 

How big do those crowds get, and, is this because of the current heatwave?

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What are you talking about? That's not a good comparison at all.

 

It makes sense. You would be converting the more frequent A express line that runs to Lefferts into a local line. That would mean anyone who's traveling a far distance would lose a one seat ride and have to transfer at a certain point and who knows how long the local will take to show up. And thus it would be just like trying to reach Bay Ridge from the N. Get my point!

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It makes sense. You would be converting the more frequent A express line that runs to Lefferts into a local line. That would mean anyone who's traveling a far distance would lose a one seat ride and have to transfer at a certain point and who knows how long the local will take to show up. And thus it would be just like trying to reach Bay Ridge from the N. Get my point!

 

To be fair, the trains saved by this plan could be applied towards increasing the frequency of the (C).

 

Like I said, the (C) to Lefferts Blvd sounds good in theory, but when you look at the situation closely, you'll see that the outer branches (Lefferts Blvd and the Rockaways) get more service, but the service on the (A) west of Rockaway Blvd is reduced.

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See guys this is why i created this topic. Granted the great heat wave added many more riders to the beach. However i had a similar experience a couple of weeks ago in late June when railfanning to the Rockaways the Far Rock (A) and even Rockaway Park (S) was packed.

 

Starting to think that maybe more than just a few direct trains to/from Manhattan and Rock Park is needed during the summer.:eek:

 

Add to that the casino at Aqueduct being fully operational by next summer, and I think you will need to have all (A) service on the Rockaway branch with the (C) replacing the (A) (24/7) along Lefferts Blvd. This would eliminate both the Rockaway Park (S) and the Lefferts overnight (S) as I would do it.

 

Lefferts riders would need to understand in that scenario that severely increased ridership on the Rockaway branch between the casino and those looking for Rockaway Beach at Rockaway Park, coupled with casino patrons likely not wanting to deal with a split (A) would be why the switch would be made. To placate those along Lefferts, a few peak direction (A) trains would serve Leffers in rush hours when Rockaway (A) service would not be quite as important (at least during AM rush).

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Add to that the casino at Aqueduct being fully operational by next summer, and I think you will need to have all (A) service on the Rockaway branch with the (C) replacing the (A) (24/7) along Lefferts Blvd. This would eliminate both the Rockaway Park (S) and the Lefferts overnight (S) as I would do it.

 

Lefferts riders would need to understand in that scenario that severely increased ridership on the Rockaway branch between the casino and those looking for Rockaway Beach at Rockaway Park, coupled with casino patrons likely not wanting to deal with a split (A) would be why the switch would be made. To placate those along Lefferts, a few peak direction (A) trains would serve Leffers in rush hours when Rockaway (A) service would not be quite as important (at least during AM rush).

 

What increased ridership?! The ridership has been steady or even declining in recent years! The only reason it would increase is because of the JFK Connection, but that's been there for a while already. No Casino, especially in New York City, will have a significant impact on subway ridership.

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