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MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route

Posted by Bounad Hanhic on Tue Apr 10 15:28:41 2012

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Today our state committeeman published a blog entry on the Queens Courier with regards to getting Lower Manahttan service on the QM20. We thank him for his support on this issue as well as the person leading the efforts to get QM20 Wall Street service, Ali Fadil.

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Matthew Silverstein, Member NY Democratic State Committee for NY's 26th Assembly District (Bayside, Whitestone, Little Neck, Douglaston, North Shore Towers, Glen Oaks)

A few weeks ago I wrote about the mystery of the weekly unlimited express bus MetroCard. As a follow up to that post, I wanted to make everyone aware that I did send MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota a letter asking him to address the problem. I am still waiting for a response. As soon as I hear back from the MTA, I will update you all.



This week I would like to address another issue with the express bus service in Northeast Queens. My friend Ali Fadil approached me about the possibility of creating a new express route that would travel into lower Manhattan. When you think about it, all express bus that currently travel into Manhattan from Northeast Queens go either up Third avenue or up Sixth avenue to 59th Street. Ali is right, there are no express busses from Northeast Queens that go to lower Manhattan.



I do know a few people that take the express bus with me and get off at 42nd street and then take the 4, 5 or 6 train to lower Manhattan. If the MTA created a new express route in Northeast Queens that went into Lower Manhattan that would make the commute of many riders much easier and cheaper.



As I have said before Northeast Queens is a community that depends on surface transit. Adding a Lower Manhattan express bus route to the QM2 or QM20 would make a lot of sense. I am confident that there are enough riders in Northeast Queens who would ride this bus to sustain the route for the MTA. So my message to MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota once again is please consider creating this new express bus route and provide Northeast Queens with the express bus service we need.



http://queenscourier.com/blog-entry/mta-create-a-ne-queens-to-lower-manhattan-express-bus-route/

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(258544)

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Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route

Posted by New Flyer #857 on Tue Apr 10 15:34:12 2012, in response to MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route, posted by Bounad Hanhic on Tue Apr 10 15:28:41 2012.

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All Queens express bus routes should have a branch to Lower Manhattan at least during the rush hours, or at least a staging point before leaving Queens on the way into the city where people can change between Downtown and Midtown buses (like at Church Ave / E 7 St for the BM routes).

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(258555)

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Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route

Posted by Edwards! on Tue Apr 10 19:12:53 2012, in response to MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route, posted by Bounad Hanhic on Tue Apr 10 15:28:41 2012.

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hmm..are these the folks that shot down every new rail proposal sent their way for new subway service? NOW they want an express bus to lower Manhattan?

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(258558)

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Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route

Posted by Bounad Hanhic on Tue Apr 10 19:47:55 2012, in response to Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route, posted by Edwards! on Tue Apr 10 19:12:53 2012.

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But there is widespread support for this and sufficient ridership for such a service. It is not a matter of ridership, but it is a matter of the magic that Matt Silverstein, Tony Avella, Ed Braunstein, Dan Halloran, et al could work towards our favor.

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(258559)

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Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route

Posted by E and F and sometimes J on Tue Apr 10 20:35:54 2012, in response to MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route, posted by Bounad Hanhic on Tue Apr 10 15:28:41 2012.

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I think these people would be better served with a LIRR extension over the LIE and the Horace Harding Expressway.

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(258570)

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Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route

Posted by Edwards! on Tue Apr 10 23:26:32 2012, in response to Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route, posted by Bounad Hanhic on Tue Apr 10 19:47:55 2012.

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understandable..but why not advocate something more substantial,like a true rail connection in the mean time? A route along the LIE or GRAND CENTRAL would serve north Queens exceptionally well.

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(258594)

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Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route

Posted by Bounad Hanhic on Wed Apr 11 05:19:26 2012, in response to Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route, posted by Edwards! on Tue Apr 10 23:26:32 2012.

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But do you know how longit would take to build and how much more money it would cost compared to buses, look how long it has taken to build SAS. Buses are a much more immediate solution to transit problems. Especially in a place such as NE Queens.

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(258595)

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Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route

Posted by Bounad Hanhic on Wed Apr 11 05:21:49 2012, in response to Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route, posted by E and F and sometimes J on Tue Apr 10 20:35:54 2012.

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How do we build that. How long would it take and would we make any enemies (NIMBY's). Keep in mind we may have to deal with NIMBY's here; however, they definitely want better bus service and are in support of this move as this would be a branch along an existing bus route (the QM20).

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(258599)

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Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route

Posted by Bounad Hanhic on Wed Apr 11 08:00:00 2012, in response to Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route, posted by Bounad Hanhic on Wed Apr 11 05:19:26 2012.

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In addition to being far from our residents in Bayside, Whitestone, and North Flushing.

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(258600)

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Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route

Posted by Bounad Hanhic on Wed Apr 11 08:00:44 2012, in response to Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route, posted by Bounad Hanhic on Wed Apr 11 05:21:49 2012.

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Also the LIE is too far from our residents.

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(258604)

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Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route

Posted by andy on Wed Apr 11 11:52:31 2012, in response to MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route, posted by Bounad Hanhic on Tue Apr 10 15:28:41 2012.

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Makes sense because Forest Hills (QM11) and the Fresh Meadows-Union Tpke-Glen Oaks areas already have express service to Lower Manhattan. A new route from NE Queens could use the Van Wyck to the LIE and then either the Midtown Tunnel-2nd Ave or the BQE to the Willy B or Manny B. Need to do dry runs to get the best route.

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(258625)

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Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route

Posted by RailBus63 on Wed Apr 11 13:31:12 2012, in response to MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route, posted by Bounad Hanhic on Tue Apr 10 15:28:41 2012.

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Have any studies been done to estimate the potential ridership? It's easy to drum up interest in a direct transit route because people imagine it will run exactly when they need it to - if they find out that service is limited or operates on long headways, they may just keep to their current travel patterns.

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(258633)

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Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route

Posted by JAzumah on Wed Apr 11 13:49:32 2012, in response to Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route, posted by RailBus63 on Wed Apr 11 13:31:12 2012.

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Personally, I think they ought to hire a bus and find out.

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(258671)

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Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route

Posted by NIMBYkiller on Wed Apr 11 20:26:44 2012, in response to Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route, posted by Bounad Hanhic on Wed Apr 11 05:21:49 2012.

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The bus would be a temporary solution while a new subway line gets built

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(258672)

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Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route

Posted by NIMBYkiller on Wed Apr 11 20:33:19 2012, in response to Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route, posted by E and F and sometimes J on Tue Apr 10 20:35:54 2012.

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Anything on the LIE should be a subway. Where would you send a new LIRR line when they say they couldn't even do a rockaway line?

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(258682)

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Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route

Posted by Bounad Hanhic on Thu Apr 12 03:56:25 2012, in response to Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route, posted by NIMBYkiller on Wed Apr 11 20:26:44 2012.

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I say let's worry about SAS first before worrying about an NE Queens Subway, probably people in the area will be opposed to it anyway for quality of life reasons.

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(258694)

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Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route

Posted by NIMBYkiller on Thu Apr 12 14:19:52 2012, in response to Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route, posted by Bounad Hanhic on Thu Apr 12 03:56:25 2012.

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Subway extension is more efficient than a bus line. They want better transit then subway it shall be

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(258699)

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Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route

Posted by jasonbellamy on Thu Apr 12 15:41:17 2012, in response to Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route, posted by Edwards! on Tue Apr 10 19:12:53 2012.

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No they're not.

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(258702)

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Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route

Posted by Bounad Hanhic on Thu Apr 12 16:29:02 2012, in response to Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route, posted by NIMBYkiller on Thu Apr 12 14:19:52 2012.

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Then how do we run the line into Lower Mahattan? How long will it take to build (SAS anyone)? In the non railfanning world and political world, NIMBY killing is hard to do unless you have some good political connections and even then your political career could be damaged.

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(258718)

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Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route

Posted by NIMBYkiller on Thu Apr 12 21:46:25 2012, in response to Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route, posted by Bounad Hanhic on Thu Apr 12 16:29:02 2012.

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How about extending the 7 down west side highway to the wtc/fulton st area. I've always said that'd be a good extension

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(258726)

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Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route

Posted by checkmatechamp13 on Fri Apr 13 01:34:31 2012, in response to Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route, posted by Bounad Hanhic on Thu Apr 12 16:29:02 2012.

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If you're goingto kill NIMBYs you're going to need more than political connections: You're going to need mafia connections.

I'm sorry, I had to.

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(258729)

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Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route

Posted by NIMBYkiller on Fri Apr 13 03:59:31 2012, in response to Re: MTA; Create A NE Queens To Lower Manhattan Express Bus Route, posted by checkmatechamp13 on Fri Apr 13 01:34:31 2012.

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Sometimes they're one in the same ;)

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