Department of Subways - Proposals/Ideas

[Snowblock]

If my final destination is any local station between 51-116, I will transfer to the at 42 if it's coming in, just to save myself the extra stairs to exit/transfer.

[paulrivera]

The other day coming back from VA, I took the from the Port Authority and transferred to the to the Bronx at 59th during the PM rush.

 

Made triple the stops I should have, but it was much more comfortable and roomy especially considering I had 3 bulky pieces of luggage with me. And the first that came by on the express at 110th didnt pull away until 155th...

[Snowblock]

The is always less crowded. Only time it ever really gets crowded is that run between Fordham and 145 when the is bypassing those stations in that direction. Just remember that if the is terminating at 145 and you are going there, ALWAYS transfer at 125 if something comes in on the express track because the is notorious for having to hold at 135 since there's only one terminal track it can use.

[trainfanrod]

From what i understand the express only beats the local by a minute or 2 half the time the express is delayed

Depending where like if the A and C is leaving nostrand and the A is delayed its gonna meet at Utica

[BxM4Woodlawn]

That's a special kind of idiocy to ignore you mentioning the hold, but larger than that, the notion that the Lex express is faster than the Lex local uptown is very iffy. Too many times I have been dumb enough to hop off my at 14th for the express, transfer back at 86th, and get on the exact same I was on before. At most, there is a one train time savings, and even that's rare. As for the (A)/©, the is always comparably fast if not faster within Manhattan, and it always amuses me watching throngs of people race from the to the for no good reason. The only express that makes a big difference is the 7th Ave. 

And on the line

[Union Tpke]

And on the line

and on QBL without construction

[BxM4Woodlawn]

and on QBL without construction

yes, very true

[Snowblock]

Oh I burned some customers tonight on the 4 Av. Made a connection with the at Pacific, and then tk 3 gets hit with a track circuit so we crawl the whole way to 36 St. That first is long gone and we actually have a second pass us! And there were enough people who got off my train at 36 and then went across the platform to wait that I just had to shake my head.....

[S78 via Hylan]

That happened to me before. Last year, my friend and I transferred to a from the at 36 St. I kept wondering why the train kept slowing down. Turns out the were track workers on the middle express tracks. I was mildly disappointed when I saw the same pass us.

Edited July 1, 2014 by S78 via Hylan

[bobtehpanda]

Would it be possible to link the at Court Square with the Astoria Line before QBP so you could have Crosstown trains through-running to Ditmars?

Edited July 1, 2014 by bobtehpanda

[Lance]

Almost impossible. Here's the area in Google Maps:

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7483265,-73.9432919,16z/data=!5m1!1e2

 

In order to physically connect the tracks between the Crosstown line and those of the Astoria line, the area would practically have to be build from the ground up. The only way I could see this done would be to build a new tunnel branching off from the current Crosstown line under Vernon Boulevard and somehow connect it with the emerging 60th Street tubes before that line branches off between Astoria and Queens Boulevard. However, would it really be worth the expense for such little gains? I would think not. It'd be much easier to institute an out-of-system transfer or even build an in-system one between Queens Plaza and Queensboro Plaza.

[CenSin]

Would it be possible to link the at Court Square with the Astoria Line before QBP so you could have Crosstown trains through-running to Ditmars?

There were plans to do it, and it would be possible if you could figure out where to branch off from the Crosstown line. Somewhere between Court Square and 21 Street seems like the least trouble as one track at a time can be shut down to facilitate installation of new switches branching off to Astoria. The tracks would probably have to emerge from underground going over the Queens Boulevard line and under the Flushing line before using the lower-level structures on the Astoria line to merge into the local tracks.

[MTA Dude]

Almost impossible. Here's the area in Google Maps:

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7483265,-73.9432919,16z/data=!5m1!1e2

 

In order to physically connect the tracks between the Crosstown line and those of the Astoria line, the area would practically have to be build from the ground up. The only way I could see this done would be to build a new tunnel branching off from the current Crosstown line under Vernon Boulevard and somehow connect it with the emerging 60th Street tubes before that line branches off between Astoria and Queens Boulevard. However, would it really be worth the expense for such little gains? I would think not. It'd be much easier to institute an out-of-system transfer or even build an in-system one between Queens Plaza and Queensboro Plaza.

 

Wait, what exactly are out-of-system transfers anyway? They're not really free like they say they are at Lexington Av-63rd Street, are they?

[TrainFanInfinity]

Wait, what exactly are out-of-system transfers anyway? They're not really free like they say they are at Lexington Av-63rd Street, are they?

 

I think that an out-of-system transfer is like a transfer from a train to a bus. It's sort of confusing since if you transfer to the and then get off at a station to transfer to a bus, then you have to pay $2.50 more (that is it I am correct).

[MTA Dude]

That's a special kind of idiocy to ignore you mentioning the hold, but larger than that, the notion that the Lex express is faster than the Lex local uptown is very iffy. Too many times I have been dumb enough to hop off my at 14th for the express, transfer back at 86th, and get on the exact same I was on before. At most, there is a one train time savings, and even that's rare. As for the (A)/©, the is always comparably fast if not faster within Manhattan, and it always amuses me watching throngs of people race from the to the for no good reason. The only express that makes a big difference is the 7th Ave. 

 

I have two stories. First of all, I've heard that the is always getting delayed in Brooklyn now, and train always catches up. Now, my two stories on the 6th Avenue Line:

 

So, I was riding the from Grand Street. That time, I was still a noob, and I had the express thing stuck in my head. Plus, I think I thought that the was faster, so I was trying to avoid an that pulled up at West 4th Street. I was gonna transfer at 34th Street or something, but then my parents made me ride it, and my got to 34th Street first. Weird. Plus, it pulled out of Rockefeller Center before the got to open its doors.

 

On Monday, I took the , and I saw the pull up at Rockefeller Center. So I transfered, and it kept getting delayed between 34th Street and West 4th Street (IDK why). So the pulled into West 4th Street, and just about 8 seconds later, the pulled in. I believe it was the same .

 

Is there something wrong with the 6th Avenue line that keeps getting the delayed?

[MTA Dude]

I think that an out-of-system transfer is like a transfer from a train to a bus. It's sort of confusing since if you transfer to the   and then get off at a station to transfer to a bus, then you have to pay $2.50 more (that is it I am correct).

 

But they say there is an out of system transfer between the  and the  , the  , the , the , the , and the . What transfer is that?

 

[RollOver]

I have two stories. First of all, I've heard that the is always getting delayed in Brooklyn now

 

What? It most likely depends on the time of the day and the dwell times caused by the 75 feet cars, and ridership on the is relatively low.

 

Also, if I'm not mistaken, the peak load point on northbound trains every morning is Broadway Junction. Remember, the doesn't just fill up along Fulton. It's already crowded with its own riders coming from eastern Queens, and yeah that also includes Euclid and the junction, since virtually all of those passengers wait for the express.

[MTA Dude]

What? It most likely depends on the time of the day and the dwell times caused by the 75 feet cars, and ridership on the is relatively low.

 

Also, if I'm not mistaken, the peak load point on northbound trains every morning is Broadway Junction. Remember, the doesn't just fill up along Fulton. It's already crowded with its own riders coming from eastern Queens, and yeah that also includes Euclid and the junction, since virtually all of those passengers wait for the express.

 

Okay... but how do you explain the on 6th Avenue Express?

[RollOver]

I rarely used the other lines in the system, aside from the , , / and .

[bobtehpanda]

 

 

But they say there is an out of system transfer between the  and the  , the  , the , the , the , and the . What transfer is that?

 

 

If you walk aboveground between Lexington Av-63rd St and Lexington Av-59th St within the two-hour transfer limit, it uses up whatever free transfer you had. Normally, you cannot use a pay-per-ride transfer between two subway stations.

 

I personally wouldn't use the transfer unless absolutely necessary, because normally it's usually better to transfer to an and go to Lex-53rd to transfer, especially since many Queens riders have another leg of their trip to make by bus.

Edited July 3, 2014 by bobtehpanda

[Snowblock]

Okay... but how do you explain the on 6th Avenue Express?

It only bypasses TWO STOPS and is between two of the city's busiest stations. So station timers will be in effect if you have something in front of you.

[Wallyhorse]

It only bypasses TWO STOPS and is between two of the city's busiest stations. So station timers will be in effect if you have something in front of you.

And as I understand it, there are provisions that allow stations to be built at 14th and/or 23rd Street if deemed necessary.

 

As for the situation, I think in retrospect they wished they had NOT torn down the other half of Queensboro Plaza as today, it probably would be heavily used, and the could have been had to run to there and terminate.

 

To have the run to Queensboro Plaza, using Google Maps as a guide, you would likely have to after Court Squre build a new portal that would come out somewhere on Jackson Avenue, and then continue as an elevated to ABOVE the current structures for the and trains to a new, two-track island platform next to the current track on the lower level of QBP and expanding the existing mezzanine at QBP to accommodate the new platform.  From there, connections could be made so perhaps in the future a train can operate from this new track via the 60th Street tunnel to Manhattan, at least in an emergency.

 

 

Edited July 4, 2014 by Wallyhorse

[Union Tpke]

Yup there are provisions on the sixth avenue express to allow for stations at 14th and 23rd.

[CenSin]

As for the situation, I think in retrospect they wished they had NOT torn down the other half of Queensboro Plaza as today, it probably would be heavily used, and the could have been had to run to there and terminate.

 

To have the run to Queensboro Plaza, using Google Maps as a guide, you would likely have to after Court Squre build a new portal that would come out somewhere on Jackson Avenue, and then continue as an elevated to ABOVE the current structures for the and trains to a new, two-track island platform next to the current track on the lower level of QBP and expanding the existing mezzanine at QBP to accommodate the new platform.  From there, connections could be made so perhaps in the future a train can operate from this new track via the 60th Street tunnel to Manhattan, at least in an emergency.

I highly doubt such a structure could possibly be built given the number of lines running above and under. Don't forget the pre-existing tunnel structures around Queens Plaza and the bi-level structure around Queensboro Plaza. To have enough leeway to connect the to the elevated structure in any manner would probably require engineers to consider pulling back the portal south of the Court Square station.

[Mysterious2train]

Speaking of the Man do I wish the Franklin Av shuttle could be connected to the Crosstown. It would primarily benefit people on Brighton and Eastern Pkwy and Fulton St that backtrack at Hoyt-Schmerhorn. Assuming that a train travels from Franklin & Fulton to Bedford-Nostrand in 2 minutes you could get from Prospect Park to Court Square in only 22 or 23 minutes.

 

At least during AM Rush, a direct Franklin-Crosstown route to Court Square would save 7 or so minutes on average over walking from Atlantic-Barclays to Fulton St on the and 10-15 minutes over going into Manhattan and transferring to the to get to Lorimer St or Court Square. At 0.7 miles, the distance is shorter than any of our current capital projects, but there are important projects out there unfortunately. I just think it's fascinating how this would save a nice amount of time for the aforementioned riders for such a relatively short distance.

Edited July 4, 2014 by Mysterious2train