How come the LIRR doesn't capitalize on the Queens market?

How come the LIRR doesn't tap into the huge ridership market in Eastern Queens? I mean, the Port Washington and SE Queens Lines have HUGE potential. My thinking is the West Hempstead Branch should serve those stops. Have one service via the Laurelton side and one via the St Albans side. build stops at Springfield Gardens and Addlesgleh Park on the St Albans side, and a stop at South Jamaica on the Laurelton side. Then run WH trains along the lines.

The Port Washington and Hempstead lines should have their headways drastically increased. Run express buses from Pokoma, Oakland Gardens, Fresh Meadows and Utopia to the Hempstead line. While providing feeder bus and parking lots along the Port Washington line.

The reason I bring this up is this could go a long way into bringing in revenue into the system. More riders=more representation in Washington. And not to be racial, but they'll listen to Long Island people than Bronx people (even though it should be the other way around).

What do ya think?

There was a Springfield Gardens stop before Saint Albans. In fact, the gap in the tracks where the platform once stood is still there. The station was officially closed due to low ridership, but I'd have to think that it had something to do with the fact that crime is quite rampant in that area. This is also why you will never see a South Jamaica stop; most of the area is covered in graffiti and it would not be long before the train station is as well.

I don't think crime is the issue in 2005. It may have been 20 years ago when Springfield Gardens was closed, but not today. Case in point -- the rebuilt St. Albans station looks just as good today as the day it opened.

The issue in Eastern Queens is ridership and demographics (which are intertwined). The demographics of that area are overwhelmingly middle class with a higher than average share of civil servants -- bus drivers, teachers. Many of these folks don't need to go to Penn Station -- they need to go to other parts of Queens and the city. Taking a fast train to Penn doesn't do anything for them if they just need to supplement with a long subway ride from there. Even for those who do work in Manhattan, there are Express Buses that get to Midtown and Downtown faster than the LIRR/subway combination gets them there.

That all being said, Rosedale and Laurelton get pretty good ridership -- especially during the rush hour (but not at a level that demands considerably more service). There's already one train in the AM that starts at Valley Stream so that people at Valley Stream through Locust Manor can get seats.

Ridership at St. Albans has gone up since the station was re-done, but it still is one of the lowest in Queens/Nassau.

Ridership at Rosedale has increased since June, 2004 when the NYPD's Queens South Task Force and other special units were moved into the new police station next to the LIRR station on N. Conduit Ave.

Lirr168 wrote:There was a Springfield Gardens stop before Saint Albans. In fact, the gap in the tracks where the platform once stood is still there. The station was officially closed due to low ridership, but I'd have to think that it had something to do with the fact that crime is quite rampant in that area. This is also why you will never see a South Jamaica stop; most of the area is covered in graffiti and it would not be long before the train station is as well.

What did the Springfield Gardens station look like before it closed?

Springfield Gardens looked a little like Richmond Hill. When it was closed, it had 2 daily riders. One was a Railroad employee.

Elmhurst had 12 daily riders when it was closed.

Woodhaven had 15.

The entire Lower Montauk had two riders out of Glendale; one was an employee.

Most Queens residents use the subways and buses; they are cheaper. The capacity during peak periods doesn't exist on the Railroad's trains, and the City of New York doesn't want to pay the $150,000/year upkeep for each station.

The Port Washington Branch presently has the busiest schedule on the Railroad, and Penn Station's tunnels are run virtually at capacity.

Yes, there is a market for Queens service, and the Railroad introduced the weekend City Ticket to try to tap that on the weekends when the capacity exists.

Clemuel

La-Qwanda wrote:scuse me clemules i begs to differ! u been bussin on my mans mr septa rider for fa 2 long. now i been gone off dis bored for a while cuz u try run me off but i back. u jus racist n dont wanna give the same servise to the peoples that bilt the railroad wit they blood and tears so guy like u can have a job, mr clemules.

on another note i finds the isles on m7s wayyy to narrow. i was considerin liposucktions anybody have any advise?

Uh Oh....here we go again!!!

Almost every PW line has bus service already. However, I do agree that Queens needs to be recognized. Springfield Gardens, Elmhurst, and Corona are just a few stations that should be re-opened. The PW line should have a subway-like service from NYP to Bayside, in which all stops are made, including Elmhurst and Corona. Fare would be city-ticket $2.50.

To increase PW line service(which actually is DECREASING headways), they'd probably have to build a bypass track at Murray Hill for the expresses.