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Crowded A, C subway lines slated for study by MTA


Lance

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I guess nobody (except Culver) likes my idea because while not being the most fantasy-esque, it's still the most practical:

 

(A) - From 0500 to 2200, every other train will run to either Far Rockaway or Howard Beach JFK. The Rock Park showcase specials will run as they always did. After 2200, every train to Far Rock. Express except when the (C) isn't running (and the (C) will run later)

(C) - From 0500 to 0030, every train runs 168 to Lefferts via the local. 0030-0500 the shuttle from Euclid to Lefferts will run (note that this depends on the line having R160 or R179's available for OPTO). Some (C) 's will drop out at Euclid as needed for layups/putins.

(H) - Runs 24/7 as it does now

 

Lefferts doesn't need a direct express, Rock Park doesn't need direct service all day, and we can't send EVERY (A) to the Rockaways as we don't have the equipment and the cost of crews would sky rocket since each job would be over 8 hours.

 

I agreed that the (C) should serve lefferts 

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I guess nobody (except Culver) likes my idea because while not being the most fantasy-esque, it's still the most practical:

 

(A) - From 0500 to 2200, every other train will run to either Far Rockaway or Howard Beach JFK. The Rock Park showcase specials will run as they always did. After 2200, every train to Far Rock. Express except when the (C) isn't running (and the (C) will run later) (C) - From 0500 to 0030, every train runs 168 to Lefferts via the local. 0030-0500 the shuttle from Euclid to Lefferts will run (note that this depends on the line having R160 or R179's available for OPTO). Some (C) 's will drop out at Euclid as needed for layups/putins. (H) - Runs 24/7 as it does now

Lefferts doesn't need a direct express, Rock Park doesn't need direct service all day, and we can't send EVERY (A) to the Rockaways as we don't have the equipment and the cost of crews would sky rocket since each job would be over 8 hours.

 

Heh who you been talking too? :)

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I think this is the most positive feedback I've ever seen on here in response to anyone proposing to extend the (C) to Lefferts. Past proposals of extending the C there were met with mostly negative feedback. That's why I'm a bit surprised to see this many posters agreeing. Count me in for being in favor of Snowblock's proposal. Yes, the C runs local in Brooklyn and Manhattan. But if the results are more frequent (A) service to the Aqueduct Casino and Kennedy Airport, ending the confusion of airport-bound riders getting on the wrong A train...AND shorter waits for riders at the three Lefferts branch stations, then what's not to like about it?

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Times are changing now. The Aqueduct stations are getting a ton more ridership (and I wouldn't be surprised if we see a southbound Racetrack platform built in the near future) and tourists are getting dumber and dumber, and more of them end up at Lefferts every day. Whatever political clout the Liberty Ave people seemed to have is not enough to prevent progress that will affect the system as a whole. And they'll be getting a new service with tech trains, which seems to be enough to shut some people up. Face it, 16-30 minutes during the DAY is too much for travelers to have to wait at the airport, especially with all of the other traveling they have to do. Both Aqueduct and JFK need to have regular service, not this "every other train" stuff. Furthermore, sending every (C) to Lefferts will also give that branch regular 10 minute service, rather than the 16-30 minutes they get now (which even with the express run, isn't doing them any favors if they don't have the schedule memorized). Also, a minor point, but this will also give riders at Grant-Rockaway Blvd the same headways that Chambers-Hoyt riders currently get, since they'll have both (A) and now the (C) stopping there. And since the Cranberry tube can handle those headways, it would be the same (slightly less if some trains drop out at Euclid) with that stretch.

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So what? What makes people at THREE stations so much more important than anywhere else in the city? It's already overkill that they get nearly 50% of the (A) service during the day, meanwhile JFK airport and the casino have 16+ minute waits all day. I say send the (C) to Lefferts during the day, send every other (A) to JFK for a short turn (and end all of this confusion with out-of-towners ending up on the platform at Lefferts because they weren't paying attention), and keep the Lefferts shuttle at night when the (C) stops running. And yeah, have the (C) run an extra hour later.

Also if the (C) went to Lefferts, then customers on that branch would get 10 minute service instead of 16+, so it would actually be an IMPROVEMENT. And for those who can't stand to ride the local, let them wait at Rockaway Blvd for either the next (A) coming from either JFK or the Rock.

 

Thank you! What I've been saying for years...

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Times are changing now. The Aqueduct stations are getting a ton more ridership (and I wouldn't be surprised if we see a southbound Racetrack platform built in the near future) and tourists are getting dumber and dumber, and more of them end up at Lefferts every day. Whatever political clout the Liberty Ave people seemed to have is not enough to prevent progress that will affect the system as a whole. And they'll be getting a new service with tech trains, which seems to be enough to shut some people up. Face it, 16-30 minutes during the DAY is too much for travelers to have to wait at the airport, especially with all of the other traveling they have to do. Both Aqueduct and JFK need to have regular service, not this "every other train" stuff. Furthermore, sending every (C) to Lefferts will also give that branch regular 10 minute service, rather than the 16-30 minutes they get now (which even with the express run, isn't doing them any favors if they don't have the schedule memorized). Also, a minor point, but this will also give riders at Grant-Rockaway Blvd the same headways that Chambers-Hoyt riders currently get, since they'll have both (A) and now the (C) stopping there. And since the Cranberry tube can handle those headways, it would be the same (slightly less if some trains drop out at Euclid) with that stretch.

I'm in favor of it.

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All I know is that the (C) does need increased service, ridership is growing in those areas in brooklyn and its gonna keep on growing, they should just increase the headways on the (C)

 

Is the (C) really that crowded?

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Is the (C) really that crowded?

Ugh... Yeah... For starters, a lot of the areas along the (C) that were seedy and run down are or have been built up.  Back in the day 8th Avenue was definitely seedy.  Now it's a lot more built up and thus you have more people riding.  They would be wise to add more service and soon.

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Is the (C) really that crowded?

 

A big factor in the crowding is the train length, which gets to be a problem since a lot of IND stations only have exits on their ends and not in the middle... but yes, (C) trains are fairly crowded during the rush.

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Exactly. This idea has come up on here in the past and people who suggested it got dismissed as "foamers" and got told it'll never happen. Either times have changed or the folks on here who were against extending the (C) to Lefferts have either changed their minds about it or are staying silent.

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Exactly. This idea has come up on here in the past and people who suggested it got dismissed as "foamers" and got told it'll never happen. Either times have changed or the folks on here who were against extending the (C) to Lefferts have either changed their minds about it or are staying silent.

 

The thing is, unless the R179 and R211 orders are sufficiently big, it probably won't happen.

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The problem is that the (A) is slowed down too much in Manhattan. I have ridden the (A) from the Rockaways, and in Queens, and Brooklyn it is not inefficient. Once it gets to Manhattan it crawls due to the excessive amount of timers. The timers don't make sense in some areas. The train is practically a local in Manhattan. The service needs to be sped up. I get how the (MTA) wants the system to have safety, but we can't just slow down our entire system, because of some accident in Union Square by some drunk Train Operator. This is just plain dumb.....

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The problem is that the (A) is slowed down too much in Manhattan. I have ridden the (A) from the Rockaways, and in Queens, and Brooklyn it is not inefficient. Once it gets to Manhattan it crawls due to the excessive amount of timers. The timers don't make sense in some areas. The train is practically a local in Manhattan. The service needs to be sped up. I get how the (MTA) wants the system to have safety, but we can't just slow down our entire system, because of some accident in Union Square by some drunk Train Operator. This is just plain dumb.....

One thing to keep in mind is that timers help to prevent station overuns, excessive speeds at radial curves or steep downgrades, head on collisions at bumper blocks and protect switches. Along the IND CPW there are switches in in the form of flying junctions at many areas installed that are not immediately noticed.

 

http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/caption.pl?/img/trackmap/pm_west_2.png

 

http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/caption.pl?/img/trackmap/pm_west_1.png

 

(Credits: 'NYC Subway Track Maps' Peter Dougherty,Matthew Shull, Patrick Michel, nycsubway.org, Uptown Manhattan, Midtown)

 

These are the many reasons why we have these things in place. If I may add, many serious accidents did occur after the Union Square Wreck. In many cases the T/O was not intoxicated and not negligent, but that's another unrelated issue I guess.

 

As annoying it can be for some, it sure beats ending up in a derailment like what recently occurred on Queens Blvd. It is what it is. Its an aging system that cannot accommodate for as high speeds as it used to when newly built.

 

Can CBTC improve these problems with such slow zones? Its something I ponder upon from time to time.

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Well with the Queens Blvd derailment if they would have invested into continuously welded rail in time as they should, trains in that broken rail area between Roosevelt Avenue and 36th Street can run at normal speeds without a sudden derailment. There is a sharp radial curve (actually two) right after 65th Street. Usually express trains can hang the turns at 35 MPH as designed slowing down from 40+MPH. That was the way the subway was designed.

 

I understand that when you stated if they even have to shut down for weeks to get the job done it was meant as a tongue in cheek statement, cool. But the main thing is that its an aging system well over a century old, parts of it which is extremely challenging to maintain for a passenger base probably 20 times or more it was originally designed to handle. Understandably a challenge, with political bullshit, red tape and money wrangling factored out. (Or is it?)


Solutions? I'm sure it is very hard to find real practical solutions in order to stay technologically competitive with other newer regional or global rapid transit systems

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Fewer T/Os on the (A) express ignore the timers midway/east of Franklin and fly into Nostrand at 46 mph. That also includes east of Kingston-Throop, where they enter Utica at about 33 mph or 36 mph (?) without applying the brakes at all.

 

As for the Manhattan section of the route, going uptown, the only stretches where the (A) can go smoothly without braking at all is between Canal and W4, and between 145 and 168. Uptown (A) trains can center W4 at 36 mph.

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