|
|
| Re: Re-Open LIRR 'White Pot Junction (583490) | |||
 |
|||
| Home > SubChat | |||
|
[ Read Responses | Post a New Response | Return to the Index ] |
|
||
|
Re: Re-Open LIRR 'White Pot Junction |
|
|
Posted by Kew Gardens Teleport on Sun Mar 9 10:05:36 2008, in response to Re: Re-Open LIRR 'White Pot Junction, posted by GP38/R42 Chris on Sat Mar 8 23:03:33 2008. Only if the line ran like a "shuttle". If it ran as a subway line connected to Manhattan, it's ridership would be good.That assumes one of two things: 1) Ridership from beyond the section in question would be high enough to bridge the gap (unlikely, given how poorly the Rockaway Park Branch performs; and anyone going from QB to JFK would transfer at Sutphin/Archer anyway). 2) The stations would suddenly see a massive boost in ridership because of a transfer being changed from one from the disused level at Roosevelt to one across the platform at Roosevelt. (It's laughable to think you're getting an express run with *that* branch.) Let's try to place stations and see if we can think of analogs elsewhere. Here's the best distribution I can come up with: 66th Avenue - Fleet Street Metropolitan Avenue Myrtle Avenue Jamaica Avenue Atlantic Avenue 101st Avenue Liberty Avenue - Rockaway Blvd Now let's try to comment on the following things: 1) What's the neighborhood like, and how much of one is there before you run into near-infinite parkland? 2) What transfers are available, how good are they, and how useful are they? 3) Are there already better routes to similar destinations available nearby? 66th Avenue - Fleet Street - good mix of housing types (albeit not particularly high-density), continuing a reasonable distance in all directions - no transfers, but maybe the Q46 could be extended to this station - very near Forest Hills LIRR and Subway stations, which riders are channeled toward by the Q23 bus Metropolitan Avenue - fairly desolate around the station, but quickly turns into a reasonable low-ish density neighborhood, but that gets hemmed in by parkland and cemeteries too quickly in too many directions - transfer to the Q54 bus (and also the Q23, not that there's much point) - maybe this would take some ridership off the M train Myrtle Avenue - practically nothing there, apart from a few houses in one direction - transfer to the Q55 bus, which hasn't really got served very much away from the Jamaica Line to pick up significant transferees Jamaica Avenue - well, it's Jamaica Avenue, so you can predict what's around it - transfer to the Q56 bus, or walk a block and a half to the western entrance to 102-104 Sts station on the J (Z when it's running), presuming they bothered to refurbish that - maybe this would take some ridership off the J train Atlantic Avenue - again, fairly good surroundings, apart from the former curve to the LIRR to Flatbush Avenue - transfer to the Q24 bus; it's unlikely the LIRR would bother 101st Avenue - guess - Q8 this time Liberty Avenue - Rockaway Blvd - generally similar to the last three, but there seem to be some vacant lots - Q7, Q41, Q112, or walk three blocks to the A train at Rockaway Blvd, which a lot of the bus passengers would ride on to anyway So let's now think up some parallels: 66th Avenue - Fleet Street = Whitlock Avenue (Pelham) Metropolitan Avenue = Metropolitan Avenue (Myrtle) Myrtle Avenue = Bushwick Avenue / Aberdeen Street (14-Canarsie) Jamaica Avenue = 104 Street (Jamaica) Atlantic Avenue = 104 Street (Jamaica) 101st Avenue = 104 Street (Jamaica) Liberty Avenue - Rockaway Blvd = Forest Avenue (Myrtle) So what does this result in? Using 2003 data: 405. Whitlock Ave (6) 402,958 333. Metropolitan Ave-Middle Village (M) 959,474 411. Bushwick Ave-Aberdeen St (L) 260,328 383. 104 St (J,Z) 627,813 383. 104 St (J,Z) 627,813 383. 104 St (J,Z) 627,813 336. Forest Ave (M) 947,228 TOTAL 4,453,427 In more tangible terms, that's only about 10% more ridership than there is beyond Broad Channel. Or it's roughly the same as Greenpoint Avenue and Nassau Avenue stations alone on the Crosstown Line. So the level of service that you would be able to justify would basically be 300ft trains on pretty lame headways. Seeing as Woodhaven Blvd runs parallel, has an ugly median, and passes much closer to existing stations, I would expect that LRT (or even BRT) would prove to be much better value for money, as well as annoying the NIMBYs less. |
|
|
|