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| Re: Future expansion wish list? (877758) | |||
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Re: Future expansion wish list? |
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Posted by AEM-7AC #901 on Fri Dec 25 15:58:34 2009, in response to Re: Future expansion wish list?, posted by trainsarefun on Wed Dec 23 17:36:54 2009. I would like to see a 34 St light rail someday, from river to river.I'd like to see one on a number of crosstown streets as well. The 34th Street Crosstown streetcar would probably be a better bang for buck for connecting those coming from Penn Station or Herald Square to Javitz and the mythical office developments projected for that area. This proposal quickly runs into a branching problem. Despite the ridership of the Q43, I've always felt that a line should be slightly to the North around Jewel Avenue since Hillside is too close to Union Turnpike. I've looked at a new line in the area as a tool to kill off the express buses in an area that's far from the commuter rail equivalents and subway service. I view restoration of the LIRR Rockaway Branch as disfavored. The general theory behind the development in that branch is that it should provide a faster route to MIdtown for Rockaway residents, while providing Midtown service for those in Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, and southern Rego Park. Mind you, I've viewed turning over the branch to NYCTA to be a complete abortion given that by the time the M-1s arrived, we'd probably have an 80 mph MAS in lieu of NYCTA's "scenic route" to Midtown at 35 to 45 mph. Given the cost of the tunnel, how many years for this move to approach anything like payoff in reduced commuting time? If you view transit as simply a policy tool, and your goal is simply to reduce commuting time regardless of the costs and ridership counts, then yes, but if you demand some degree of efficiency, then it remains to be seen if there's any real payoff in construction a multi-billion dollar tunnel for 485,000 residents. I think this is one of those issues that requires professional studies to what alignments, routings, and schedules lead to the increased ridership away from cars, express buses, normal buses, and the ferry to achieve maximum ridership to justify the tunnel. Otherwise, extend HBLR over the Bayonne Bridge to Staten Island, and consider a bus over to Perth Amboy NJT... |
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