Jamaica - New Platforms?

After a rare "change at Jamaica" yesterday 4/6.. I noticed construction south of Track 8.. that looks like new platform structures going up possibly for two more tracks? Is this for real?

Mark: What you saw is the new Jamaica Platform F for Tracks 9 and 10 under construction.
When ESA begins service shuttle trains between Jamaica and Atlantic Terminal-Brooklyn
are planned that will begin operation ending through service from the east. MACTRAXX

I don't use it every day, but I do find the Brooklyn through trains very handy. I predict a bunch of pissed off Brooklyn riders.

...But the Highly Paid Consultants said there was no other way...

DB: I agree with you...I was going to put that into my reply to the OP but did not out of respect
to the Forum. Atlantic Branch riders to AT losing direct service will be a significant change and
will not be received well by the affected riders. ESA literally does nothing for them...MACTRAXX

I think riders from the port Jeff beach diesel territory are loosing out as well. I like the one seat ride to hunters point and then switching to the subway. Once esa is complete I will now have to do an additional transferable from my understanding hunters point will be closing.

The Brooklyn passengers are getting screwed; losing the cross-platform transfer to have to go up and over to and from Platform F. Ridiculous.......

Rumor has had it in recent years that MTA may try to spin-off the Brooklyn Service to either the subway system or a kind of separate division of LIRR. We'll see. But either way it stinks for those riders.

Once the tracks from Brooklyn are reconfigured to serve tracks 9 and 10, will through service be possible/practical if needed? Meaning that if at some future date, population shifts or economic growth dictate that direct service from points east to Atlantic Terminal should be restored, will it be easily possible?

DaveBarraza wrote:I don't use it every day, but I do find the Brooklyn through trains very handy. I predict a bunch of pissed off Brooklyn riders.

...But the Highly Paid Consultants said there was no other way...

I generally use the cross platform transfer in Jamaica on Mondays, using tracks 2/3, when I have to go to Bowling Green.
Heading into Flatbush Terminal then taking the 2/3 subway 1 stop to Nevins street and doing the 4/5 transfer. I find it easier.
I contacted my Assemblyman who I know quite well, to complain that there would be NO escalators/elevators on the west end of the platforms in Jamaica to ease my commute.
He spoke that he too raised that concern with the LIRR/MTA and was told that as long as there is at least one elevator/escalator on the platforms in Jamaica, then the LIRR/MTA is in compliance. The fact that I get on the train on the west end of the platform now means I have to walk the entire length of my home station platform in order to make the escalator/elevator in Jamaica so I can make the new transfer to the new Atlantic Terminal/Barclays Centre train.
MADDOG

The configuration brings the Atlantic Avenue service one step closer to operation by the Transit Authority, which is a long term goal of the State. Also, the Atlantic Branch between Jamaica and Rosedale is configured for subway operation with with the Archer Avenue subway as well.

Whether any of this ever happens or not is dependent on mostly politics and money. From time to time the MTA sees replacing FRA heavy rail with light rail wherever possible as a huge cost savings, much as they view automatic fare collection on the Long Island. Usually plans gain momentum, a considerable amount of research and planning is made and then a change in management or politics or influx of cash puts the whole thing on a back burner until its next resurrection.

As commuterjoe suggested above, the MTA/LIRR would be very wise to maintain thru service capability between Jamaica and Atlantic Terminal, even if making the current changes. In addition to the reasons he cited, there will be occasional service suspensions to both Penn and GCT just like happens now. It would be useful to be able to re-route some of those trains to/from Brooklyn when that happens, to maintain the best possible commuter service during emergencies of that sort. Or (hiss!!) is that not a priority for the Railroad?

Kelly&Kelly wrote:The configuration brings the Atlantic Avenue service one step closer to operation by the Transit Authority, which is a long term goal of the State. Also, the Atlantic Branch between Jamaica and Rosedale is configured for subway operation with with the Archer Avenue subway as well.

Whether any of this ever happens or not is dependent on mostly politics and money. From time to time the MTA sees replacing FRA heavy rail with light rail wherever possible as a huge cost savings, much as they view automatic fare collection on the Long Island. Usually plans gain momentum, a considerable amount of research and planning is made and then a change in management or politics or influx of cash puts the whole thing on a back burner until its next resurrection.

Kelly, what do you mean by the bolded copy?

We didn't put that in bold. Don't know why it's showing up that way. Doesn't look like that on our screen.

Kelly&Kelly wrote:We didn't put that in bold. Don't know why it's showing up that way. Doesn't look like that on our screen.

You misunderstand, Budd is asking, "What do you mean 'configured for subway operation'? I have bolded your post to clarify where my question is."

Now I understand. The Archer Avenue subway was built with a tunnel stub that crosses under the LIRR Main Line embankment so that in the future, if the planets align, a ramp can be built to connect with the Atlantic Branch (The Avenue, as it's called) for service to Rosedale via Laurelton and Locust Manor. That was the plan at the time the Archer line was proposed and the sub was built.

I'm sure now it's in the soup with hundreds of other "future expansion" dreams. Some NYC mayors were very bullish about rapid transit expansion to eastern Queens, as the LIRR continually claims to have no peak period capacity for Queens riders.

Elmhurst has been another political football. With a funded proposal to reopen that station, the railroad continues to claim no available capacity on their Great Neck peak trains. There has been some speculation that East Side Access will provide new Penn Station capacity, which will permit more frequent Great Neck service. Great Neck is among the top three or five busiest suburban stations and Flushing is the fastest growing.

Very interesting. So the plan was to extend the Archer Ave. subway onto the Atlantic Branch to terminate at Rosedale. Sounds like one of those MTA pipe-dreams from the early 1970's, but still a good idea if it ever comes to pass. On the other hand the LIRR would lose routing flexibility if this were done, so maybe not a good idea for LIRR.