Hello all!
Another Big Idea from sC, if you like. I am sure some of you are sick of these, but others perhaps aren't. Subways are expensive to build, so my ideas have tended to be focused on small dollars for maximum benefit. The G to Manhattan idea is one of these. Another is the R train sharing a freight tunnel to Staten Island (2 levels). And the most ambitious was the extension of the L train up 10 ave to 59 street and across to the Q (I have since heard that 10th is impossible and 11th is necessary), but this idea was an alternative to the extension of the 7 down to 34 and 11th, so at least it was somewhat practical.
HERE IS THE IDEA TO DEBATE AND IMPROVE UPON.
Manhattan is ideally suited to have a light rail network that serves two main difficulties:
- Getting across town quickly
- Getting to the extremities of Manhattan (the UN and Javitts are examples).
Here are the main routes I envision:
N/S ROUTES
West Side Highway (Bike lane is moved off to the water and tram vehicle can be free to move outside of traffic, but waterfront may not be ideal compared to 10 or 11 avenue--this is up for debate). The line would extend up to 59 and down to South Ferry.
ALLEN STREET in center median
UP AND DOWN 1st Avenue (section separated from car traffic)
CROSSTOWN ROUTES
125 Street
110 Street
86 Street (east) - 96 Street (west)
72 Street
59 Street
42 Street
34 Street
23 Street
14 Street (with service down along M14 route)
Houston Street (with service looping down to Whitehall Ferry along Allen)
Interchange at Broadway Nassau transit up
SOUTH FERRY
Crosstown Routes would loop along east and west routes (34 + 42 loop would take people from Penn Station to Central or from Penn Station to Javitts) These obviously can be adjusted.
Big issues.
>>Dedicated tramways and what that does to Parking (NIMBY issue) and the loading of goods. Where will the space be on two way crosstown routes? Change these streets to one way to accommodate light rail? What will this to do vehicular traffic? Put the LRT lanes in the center and get rid of parking? Is there space? Not great options here.
>>Fare collection. Transit works very well in Geneva where they have an honor system with inspectors. All of the buses have 4 doors to enter and exit. The MTA is trying something similar to this, but without the many doors. Prepayment will be crucial.
>>Disable access. How can this be sped up? Platform for disabled entry onto low floor LRV?
The pros of this idea is that it is relatively cheap to build an entire system of light rail compared with the cost of creating a mile of new subway and it could completely change the face of Manhattan.
The con is the complexity of implementing it. Previous ideas were for a single line. This is doomed to fail. The strength in transit networks come from the network.
ENJOY!
Another Big Idea from sC, if you like. I am sure some of you are sick of these, but others perhaps aren't. Subways are expensive to build, so my ideas have tended to be focused on small dollars for maximum benefit. The G to Manhattan idea is one of these. Another is the R train sharing a freight tunnel to Staten Island (2 levels). And the most ambitious was the extension of the L train up 10 ave to 59 street and across to the Q (I have since heard that 10th is impossible and 11th is necessary), but this idea was an alternative to the extension of the 7 down to 34 and 11th, so at least it was somewhat practical.
HERE IS THE IDEA TO DEBATE AND IMPROVE UPON.
Manhattan is ideally suited to have a light rail network that serves two main difficulties:
- Getting across town quickly
- Getting to the extremities of Manhattan (the UN and Javitts are examples).
Here are the main routes I envision:
N/S ROUTES
West Side Highway (Bike lane is moved off to the water and tram vehicle can be free to move outside of traffic, but waterfront may not be ideal compared to 10 or 11 avenue--this is up for debate). The line would extend up to 59 and down to South Ferry.
ALLEN STREET in center median
UP AND DOWN 1st Avenue (section separated from car traffic)
CROSSTOWN ROUTES
125 Street
110 Street
86 Street (east) - 96 Street (west)
72 Street
59 Street
42 Street
34 Street
23 Street
14 Street (with service down along M14 route)
Houston Street (with service looping down to Whitehall Ferry along Allen)
Interchange at Broadway Nassau transit up
SOUTH FERRY
Crosstown Routes would loop along east and west routes (34 + 42 loop would take people from Penn Station to Central or from Penn Station to Javitts) These obviously can be adjusted.
Big issues.
>>Dedicated tramways and what that does to Parking (NIMBY issue) and the loading of goods. Where will the space be on two way crosstown routes? Change these streets to one way to accommodate light rail? What will this to do vehicular traffic? Put the LRT lanes in the center and get rid of parking? Is there space? Not great options here.
>>Fare collection. Transit works very well in Geneva where they have an honor system with inspectors. All of the buses have 4 doors to enter and exit. The MTA is trying something similar to this, but without the many doors. Prepayment will be crucial.
>>Disable access. How can this be sped up? Platform for disabled entry onto low floor LRV?
The pros of this idea is that it is relatively cheap to build an entire system of light rail compared with the cost of creating a mile of new subway and it could completely change the face of Manhattan.
The con is the complexity of implementing it. Previous ideas were for a single line. This is doomed to fail. The strength in transit networks come from the network.
ENJOY!
