AM Millman Pushes For Bus Route Through Battery Tunnel
In anticipation of the commuter nightmare that’s going to be caused by the closure of the Smith-9th Station, Assembly Member Joan Millman is lobbying the MTA for a new bus route to Manhattan. Following a recent community board meeting where the MTA said it would consider establishing a line through the Battery Tunnel to Lower…
In anticipation of the commuter nightmare that’s going to be caused by the closure of the Smith-9th Station, Assembly Member Joan Millman is lobbying the MTA for a new bus route to Manhattan. Following a recent community board meeting where the MTA said it would consider establishing a line through the Battery Tunnel to Lower Manhattan once the station revamp began in 2010, Millman sent a letter (copy on jump) to the transit authority urging it to start up the bus line immediately. “We want them to start the service now, so we can see if it works,” says Paul Nelson, Millman’s chief of staff. “Why wait until the station closes down to see if there’s demand for the route?” Nelson said they want the service to be local, rather than express (which would cost $5 a pop), which doesn’t rule out the possibility of limited stops. Millman’s office isn’t pushing for specific stops aside from one at Smith-9th, though the line could conceivably serve Park Slope, Carroll Gardens and Red Hook. Seems like a no-duh idea to us; how’s it rest with commuters who rely on Smith-9th?
Man on the Street: Ready for Smith-9th to Close? [Brownstoner]
Photo by phrenologist.
If they do this, it needs to be done with busses that are “Green” (less polluting, run on alternative fuel, etc.). And since busses are much smaller then a subway, it should be some kind of double length bus, to carry more people.
Glad to see that people like this idea. I hope the MTA does it!
I guess the Smith Street busway idea didn’t grab people in quite the same way, though.
http://capntransit.blogspot.com/2007/12/red-hook-tunnel-bus-gets-some-friends.html
Millman has proven herself to be consistently useless and unhelpful on transportation issues plaguing Downtown Brooklyn. The MTA will not listen to her or do anything for her. Get on board with congestion pricing, Joan, and they might talk to you.
If the question is whether a bus that costs $5 a ride is going to absorb the impact of the closure of the Smith & 9th street station, I would have to venture a “no”. It may be a terrific idea for many people to have an alternative to the train, but that is an expensive alternative. I fear that 2010 will be the begining of a bad year for the F train and the Carroll Street stop.
Conceptually, I like 12:01’s suggestion, but a new tunnel is just not going to happen because of the cost. It’s enough of a battle trying to persuade NYCT to run the V into Brooklyn on existing track.
And 12:01, as hard as it is to resist, just ignore posts like 11:06. Were you an only child?
12:01 good idea
That’s actually a pretty good idea, since there are loads of subway lines in Lower Manhattan.
One could make the case that the neighborhood would be better served by having the B77 terminate there rather than on 9th Street so those transferring would have more options.
I think they need to extend the 2nd ave subway to governor’s issland then to red hook and then contine to sunset park. Do it right.
As for the snobs who think only Smith and 9th is used by the ghetto dwellers go F___ yourself.
Back in the early 80s when the subway system was pretty much close to total collapse, I remember signing a petition (specifically at the Carroll St station) urging an express bus from that area to Manhattan. (Believe it or not, the subway system was in dire straits and in very bad shape; with all the current problems we have with it, the system now is at least 200% better than it was then. I’ll spare you the gory details.) The express bus idea was shot down at the time because it was (according to the bus company) not cost effective. Maybe residents of RH, CG & CH should consider doing the same if the Millman proposal is put on the back burner or otherwise ignored. I hate to think of the commuting nightmare we’ll face once the Culver & Smith/9th St rehab starts.