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Discussion relating to the past and present operations of the NYC Subway, PATH, and Staten Island Railway (SIRT).

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 #1588694  by nomis
 
Governor Hochul Announces Plans to Move Forward with Major New Expansion of Transit Service in Brooklyn and Queens: The Interborough Express
https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/govern ... ooklyn-and (Full Quote from the Press Release)
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Governor Kathy Hochul today announced plans to move forward with the Interborough Express as part of her 2022 State of the State. Governor Hochul is directing the MTA to immediately begin the environmental review process for this transformative project, the first step in building this major infrastructure investment that would connect communities in Brooklyn and Queens to as many as 17 subway lines and the Long Island Rail Road.

"It's time to invest in the bold, cutting-edge infrastructure projects that will make a real difference in the lives of everyday New Yorkers," Governor Hochul said. "New Yorkers deserve reliable public transit that connects them from work to home and everywhere in between. The Interborough Express would be a transformational addition to Brooklyn and Queens, cutting down on travel time and helping neighborhoods and communities become cleaner, greener and more equitable."

"This project would smartly repurpose existing infrastructure to add mass transit and create access to jobs, education, and opportunity for so many residents of Queens and Brooklyn," said MTA Acting Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. "I applaud Governor Hochul's leadership, and we are enthusiastic to work with her, and Federal and State partners to advance the Interborough concept."

Governor Hochul will direct the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to begin the environmental review process for the Interborough Express. This historic project would use the existing right of way of the Bay Ridge Branch, which is a freight rail line that runs through Brooklyn and Queens, connecting the ethnically and economically diverse neighborhoods of: Sunset Park, Borough Park, Kensington, Midwood, Flatbush, Flatlands, New Lots, Brownsville, East New York, Bushwick, Ridgewood, Middle Village, Maspeth, Elmhurst and Jackson Heights with several new stations in communities not currently served by rail transit.

If adopted, this new service would improve transit and job access to underserved communities along this corridor that is currently home to about 900,000 residents and 260,000 jobs, and with growth expected by at least 41,000 people and 15,000 jobs in the next 25 years. For many residents along this corridor, crossing from neighborhood to neighborhood is slow and tedious because existing subway lines are oriented towards Manhattan, even as many new work opportunities, schools, and services are located in the outer boroughs. The project would provide critical mobility, creating better links for travel to and from Manhattan as well as key connections among neighborhoods, across boroughs, and opening up new opportunities for reverse commuting into Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

Each day, more than 100,000 commuters make daily trips within or across Brooklyn and Queens, often relying on buses that get caught in traffic along a tangled and crowded street network. Results from this historic and necessary step could lead to a new service that would provide end-to-end travel time of less than 40 minutes, although most trips would be along shorter segments of the line. This would provide significant time savings for interborough Brooklyn and Queens trips compared with existing transit options.

In addition to transit service, the existing Bay Ridge Branch corridor can service cross harbor rail freight and would dramatically reduce truck congestion regionally and expand goods movement facilities, thereby fortifying supply chains still struggling to recover from the pandemic. Transportation planners believe that cross harbor rail freight and passenger service on the Interborough Express can work together in concert, which could be a game-changer for the region. To that end Governor Hochul is also directing the Port Authority to complete environmental review for the Cross Harbor Rail Freight Tunnel.
 #1588716  by ConstanceR46
 
It's not a horrible proposal. I'm not a fan of framing one of the most important freight routes in the city as "old and unused", though. Any service on these lines would have to co-exist with freight, doubly if the cross-harbor tunnel was put into place - and anyone acting like we can just sever the Bay Ridge branch needs to be shut down ASAP.

I do think there's potential here, as an onlooker, for a regional rail system with subway frequencies like a S-Bahn, but especially considering the looming threat of climate change we have to value the rare freight infrastructure in the city equally.
 #1588763  by Sudburian
 
Assuming the Cross Harbor freight rail tunnel gets build, what are the barriers to operating passenger service through it as well?

Would it be feasible to temporally segregate freight service from passenger service between Brooklyn and New Jersey?
Would it be cost effective to add an additional tube for such circumferential passenger service (obviating the need for temporal segregation)?
 #1588833  by workextra
 
This is a funny political joke.
I want to see them deal with their own political kind in those neighborhoods.
Try cutting down one tree there to allow this to happen. Madame environmental in queens by the Conrail north of Pond will likely self destruct.
Imagine the subways/railroad bringing undesirable people into her neighborhood? The noise of rapid rail traffic plus freight! OMG! She may need to move.

On a more serious note why not show us you can fully restore the old Rock first?? That’s much more viable and was beaten up many times here.

They can tie this into that and run via lower Montuak to Parkside on the old rock one parking lot/business facility would need reclaiming and re construction around the new lead.
This would be their best bet, using metro north via hell gate for the north section.
Continuing with this fantasy why not connect SIRT to this? This gives them a one seat ride to o anywhere on LI and into midtown or ESA
This might make it more realistic.

That said. Let’s build the freight tunnel, to Greenville fix the wye for 6 axel power. Re-educate LI folks that 6 axels can indeed fit on their rails and to cut them the crap.
That’s my rant. Don’t get all bent over it. I’m just having fun with this. No harm no foul intended.
 #1588866  by Tom V
 
I here for two mile long manifest trains with DPU power running from the Lehigh Valley line to Queens via the Cross Harbor Freight tunnel.

For the passenger Interborough express I'm thinking some kind of DMU, EMU or BMU.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siemens_Desiro

This line would end in Jackson Heights, that is also where I believe the committee the Governor and the Port Authority set up to study LaGuardia Airport Airtrain options will recommend the Airtrain connect. The Airtrain from LGA can connect to 5 subway lines, the LIRR and the Interborough express at Jackson Heights.
 #1588941  by 4behind2
 
As many of you know, there was rapid transit service on the branch until 1924. The platforms at Myrtle Ave. and Cypress Ave. still exist between tracks two and four. The stairs leading down to these roads were capped and filled over. And of course, the high level platform at East New York is there too.

There is no mention of who the operator of this proposed service would be. Like the Airtrain, it would just connect to other forms of transportation with no one seat ride into Manhattan. I see plenty of work for the usual consultants and grants going to them to "study" the issue.

The report states the new line would benefit "under-served" communities, but Governor Kathy forgets all those citizens in southeast Queens who would greatly benefit the reopening of the Rockaway Beach line from at least JFK back to White Pot on the LIRR main line. Those citizens primarily have bus service only. And we can't forget the long awaited (almost ninety years and counting) tunnel at Owls Head Park to connect the rails between Brooklyn and New Jersey.

It seems this concept came from some visioning/re-imagine session at the MTA. I'm surprised the usual retired transit pundits who disgorge articles in print media aren't seeing through this charade.