by Thomas
What is a busier segment of the Lexington Avenue Line--125th street to Grand Central or Grand Central to Bowling Green?
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Thomas wrote:What is a busier segment of the Lexington Avenue Line--125th street to Grand Central or Grand Central to Bowling Green?During rush hour, it's packed the whole way (I used to commute from 86 to Fulton St. every day).
Thomas wrote:I just hope that the Second Avenue Subway does a good job of relieving congestion issues on the Lexington Avenue Line. I also hope that Phases 2 and three of the Second Avenue Subway get built, too.It will certainly help, as I'll be taking it downtown instead of the 4/5/6. They just need to hurry up!
Thomas wrote:I just hope that the Second Avenue Subway does a good job of relieving congestion issues on the Lexington Avenue Line. I also hope that Phases 2 and three of the Second Avenue Subway get built, too.
CComMack wrote:The worst crowding happens in the AM rush, heading downtown approaching Grand Central. This is why people aren't too worried about East Side Access overcrowding the Lex; there's more space leaving Grand Central in the AM, in either direction. (Also, most ESA riders will walk to their final destinations.) The stations in the GCT-Bowling Green segment may have overall higher ridership than the 125th-GCT segment, however, but that ridership is more evenly distributed by direction and time.I actually thought that the south segment was busier...
Thomas wrote:Nothing I said precluded the GCT-Bowling Green segment being busier, defining "busier" as "higher total ridership". If you want to define busier some other way, Mr. Humpty Dumpty, that falls on you.CComMack wrote:The worst crowding happens in the AM rush, heading downtown approaching Grand Central. This is why people aren't too worried about East Side Access overcrowding the Lex; there's more space leaving Grand Central in the AM, in either direction. (Also, most ESA riders will walk to their final destinations.) The stations in the GCT-Bowling Green segment may have overall higher ridership than the 125th-GCT segment, however, but that ridership is more evenly distributed by direction and time.I actually thought that the south segment was busier...
But with what you just said, is Phase 2 funding (and construction) likely to be included in the MTA's 2015-2019 capital plan?
JoshKarpoff wrote:he MTA has made no public announcements about any forward motion on phase 2 of the SAS.That's a real shame. But isn't it true that preliminary engineering and environmental impact statements were completed for phase 2?
They have not allocated any funds to start any preliminary engineering designs or anything else that would be required.
The current stated plan is to finish all the current mega-projects, pay off some debt and work on smaller capital projects for the next capital plan.
With the current unfavorable fiscal climate in Albany and Congress and the still shaky economic recovery, there isn't much money to be had for another large capital project right now.
The only option currently left open to the MTA is to borrow more capital improvement money from the bond markets, but their credit rating is pretty bad because of their already huge debt load and debt service already eats up something like 30% of the MTA's operating budget.
In short, even though it would probably be comparatively easier to build than any of the current mega-projects, because of the expense, schedule over-runs and lack of available funds, any progress on phase 2 is going to be back-burnered for at least another 5 years.
Backshophoss wrote:MTA Capital Construction is basicly MAXXED out right now.ESA and SAS Phase 1 will be much more winded down by the time that 2016 rolls around... Is that really an excuse for Phase 2 not to get built?
Some of these projects will have to wait awhile for funding,etc...
Let ESA and SAS wind down before starting anything new,the timeline is open ended for now.