A park — instead of rail — inches forward in Queens

[Drag0nflamez]

 

Good find. It's true that there are people opposed to both ideas. What was interesting is that Ed Wendell of the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association said that he would be open to restoring the Rockaway Line up to Atlantic Ave and having them turn west there. That sounds better than letting the whole thing continue to sit there unused or be turned into a Queensway. However, that would require turning the entire Atlantic branch from Flatbush Avenue to Jamaica over to NYC transit. And it would require a track connection to one of the existing B-Division tunnels between Brooklyn and Manhattan (Montague , Cranberry , or Rutgers ). That will be expensive. Though I would prefer doing that over letting the line sit there unused for another 50 years or be turned into a glorified High Line without the tourist appeal.

What's the problem with a LIRR metro frequency?

[T to Dyre Avenue]

Getting into and out of Penn Station would be one problem. Sharing tracks with the existing train to the Rockaways would be another due to both third-rail voltage issues and FRA regulations. LIRR is a main line railroad subject to FRA regulations.

[Vistausss]

Getting into and out of Penn Station would be one problem. Sharing tracks with the existing train to the Rockaways would be another due to both third-rail voltage issues and FRA regulations. LIRR is a main line railroad subject to FRA regulations.

 

Penn Station would not be a problem because by time this would reopen there would be room in Penn because of ESA which makes some trains go to GC instead of Penn.

[qjtransitmaster]

Penn Station would not be a problem because by time this would reopen there would be room in Penn because of ESA which makes some trains go to GC instead of Penn.

here is a better idea leave atlantic ave LIRR alone. Then connect this line to the LIC connector add new stations on LIC connector connect tracks directly to grand central MNRR to tracks that link to the LIC connector. Extend enough MNRR trains via the branch so that frequency resembles that of a subway line. Even the fare structure between grand central and JFK via LIC/rockaway ROW would cross-honor with subway/bus fare to guarantee maximum usage. Those going north of manhattan will still need tickets to reach the suburbs and CT. This will put pressure on reactivating the (X) faster. 

[Drag0nflamez]

here is a better idea leave atlantic ave LIRR alone. Then connect this line to the LIC connector add new stations on LIC connector connect tracks directly to grand central MNRR to tracks that link to the LIC connector. Extend enough MNRR trains via the branch so that frequency resembles that of a subway line. Even the fare structure between grand central and JFK via LIC/rockaway ROW would cross-honor with subway/bus fare to guarantee maximum usage. Those going north of manhattan will still need tickets to reach the suburbs and CT. This will put pressure on reactivating the (X) faster. 

LIRR/MNRR use different third rail designs. Not gonna happen.

[Vistausss]

LIRR/MNRR use different third rail designs. Not gonna happen.

 

You mean car designs. Rail design is not really the problem since MNRR is also using NJT cars for the Meadowland service. It's mainly the third rail shoes that causes differences but with the M9's that is gonna change since both would be built the same way for MNRR and LIRR (no 'A' version anymore).

[N6 Limited]

They don't have to have it turn west at Atlantic Ave, they could connect it to the Broadway Line.

to Metropolitan, To Jamaica, to Far Rockaway or Rockaway Park, though it's better off connecting to the QB line.

[Vistausss]

They don't have to have it turn west at Atlantic Ave, they could connect it to the Broadway Line.

to Metropolitan, To Jamaica, to Far Rockaway or Rockaway Park, though it's better off connecting to the QB line.

 

Qj was talking about LIRR and the Broadway Line is subway.

[T to Dyre Avenue]

Its funny, how I remember reading about this abandoned line about a year ago on here and there were users arguing so strongly that it be turned back into service. But look at this way, Queens has been doing fine with the subway service it has now for years and is constantly getting additions added to their service, for example, the extension. Why do we need another subway line added when a park that everyone can enjoy and keeps the peace and quiet can be preserved in the area? I'm for the park.

Queens is absolutely not doing fine with service it has now and it hasn't been doing fine with the service it has now for years. Transferring from one of the two dozen bus routes to the train at Main Street-Flushing is far from a pleasant experience. I did it for two years and never once had a good thing to say about it. I would have loved to have a extension to Bayside, where I used to live. Had such an extension been built, there most likely would have been a stop at Northern and Francis Lewis Boulevards, just two blocks from my house. But since there is no such service, I had to make due with the transit options that existed. I usually took the Q12 or Q13 bus to Main St to the because that was the fastest route that was not the LIRR. A monthly Zone 3 LIRR pass costs a budget-busting $193.00 (it will go up in March), not including transfers to the subway or buses. I work in Lower Manhattan, so it would have been a very expensive commute - and entirely within NYC limits. Imagine that. That's why I put up with Main St on weekdays for two years and only used the Railroad on weekends when the City Ticket price ($3.50 per ride) was in effect. Now that I live within walking distance to the and at 67th Ave in Forest Hills, my commute is much shorter and easier. That's how it should be in eastern Queens. Right now it feels like there's a phantom wall that doesn't allow subway trains to go east of Flushing or Jamaica. It's ridiculous. The current extension west to the Javits Center will do nothing for Queens commuters. Nothing.

 

Yeah sure, Queens is doing absolutely great w/ it's subway service! Oh no, we don't suffer packed subway rides and numerous delays, we're doing absolutely great!

 

What additions? That "addition" you call of the line extensions is really just there to prop up Bloomberg's Hudson Yards Project. Unlike Manhattan, we're not getting a new subway line built or extended - and Queens needs more subway mileage, not less. You really want to serve Queens - extend the further east to Bayside or Little Neck. Extend the Archer Ave Line to it's intended termini, SE Queens. Extend from 179th to Little Neck Pkwy - in short, Queens is vastly underserved by subway service in it's outer reaches, and those areas are growing rapidly. The area of the proposed QueensWay was always intended to be converted to subway use - which is why the LIRR never formally filed the paperwork to legally abandon it. Where it traverses through, those areas are heavily car dependent, and rely heavily on buses - hello, Q53, Q52, Q11, and Q21! You build this thing out, not only will Queens have better North-South Connections - but it will also provide the Rockaways (if and when the crossings across the Flats come back into service) faster subway service into Manhattan - something they've been clamoring for and rightfully deserve.

Even just one of those lines being extended eastbound will do wonders for the long, difficult commutes that eastern Queens residents must put up with if they can't drive to Manhattan and park there or can't afford the Railroad. If there can only be one line that gets extended east of Flushing or Jamaica, it should be the .

[TwoTimer]

Actually, I heard that LA isn't that bad with the carbon footprint. People talk about the suburban sprawl out there, but it's dense sprawl, and the streets are fairly grid-like, which means transit use is actually fairly high.

Yeah transit use is high, its just its mostly buses cause of the seismic activity (yes i do realize theres some subways too).  With better designed buses these days its improving however.

 

Further tunneling in eastern queens is near shovel ready (lots of tail tracks ready to go), just very very expensive and its difficult to justify the cost to the rest of the city   Of course new structure is NIMBY-hell although cheaper.