Local Groups Hit Atlantic Station to Push Ravitch Plan
Faced with a $1.2 billion deficit, the MTA has threatened to hike fares from $2.00 to $2.50 and institute severe cutbacks to outer-borough service; in Brooklyn, which would be particularly hard hit, the M train would lose 28 rush hour trains and the Z train would be eliminated altogether. In the face of this crisis,…
Faced with a $1.2 billion deficit, the MTA has threatened to hike fares from $2.00 to $2.50 and institute severe cutbacks to outer-borough service; in Brooklyn, which would be particularly hard hit, the M train would lose 28 rush hour trains and the Z train would be eliminated altogether. In the face of this crisis, several groups set up shop in the Atlantic-Pacific station to urge riders to let Governor Paterson know that they support the recommendations of the Ravitch Commission (which include a toll on East River bridges). Citywide groups NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign, Environmental Defense Fund, Regional Plan Association, Transportation Alternatives and the Tri-State Transportation Campaign joined the Brooklyn-based UPROSE, Pratt Center and Downtown Brooklyn Partnership in handing out fliers and collecting signatures on a giant plea to the governor.
Second Avenue Subway? I’ll believe it when I see it.
And before the Second Ave. El was torn down in 1942 and the Third Ave. El in 1956 the UES had a lot more transportation.
And has anyone thought about the total traffic nightmare that would result from the installation of toll plazas before each East River bridge? Not to mention the ungliness of all those toll booths, etc.
there is already a bus line running down 2nd avenue and crosstown lines at 79th, 86th, and 96th.
Much better access to public transport than most.
They should quit complaining.
Who asked that they develop the area so densely up there?
And why are they paying all that money to live there if transportation is so bad?
11215- benefiting one specifc area, especially with a $15 billion dollar benefit is a waste. Mass transit is much more densley concentrated in Manhattan and having walked all over the city, I do know how long a walk it can be. But it isn’t nearly as long as the trip tp stations in the Bronx, Brooklyn or Queens, which also do not have the same good bus service either. And that I can speak of from much personal experience. So when someone needs to drive to a station, or has to take a bus and 3 trains (there are times I need 3 trains just to get to a stop in manhattan, please don’t expect me to wax enthusiastic over the convenience of people on the UES. They’ve gotten around quite well up to now- the new line is not nearly as crucial to the overall health of the system as improving mass transit everywhere. Or don’t you think there are no old people, children or sick who live in those boroughs also?
I am not so shortsighted that I can only see one small area to fix. That’s why I won’t give you a specific neighborhood- bcause the question you’re asking is totally inadequate to what the real problem is. And FYI- you are right that the subway maps are out of scale and misleading. The transit stops are often far more distant and hard to reach than the map gives you reason to believe. trust me on this one- I learned it the hard way.
I’d have to agree with SnappyName. The map may not be drawn to scale, but as one who lived in Canarsie for a long time (southeast brooklyn off the last stop on the L train) I can tell you that there are PLENTY of people in the neighborhoods out there who would benefit from subway service. I don’t have statistics, but I have lived it, walked it, driven it. The houses in that neighborhood were originally intended to be 2 family homes with 2-car garages. For various reasons, many of the owners have closed down the garages and created illegal basement apartments. DOB and the City look the other way…
I digress. The point is that all these extra apartments contain people in a neighborhood where bus service is spotty…to the point where there are illegal cabs that take people from this neighborhood to the Flatbush Ave. 2/5 train stop. It takes the B6 about 20 minutes (if you get a Limited bus) to get from there to the Flatbush Ave. stop. Or it will take you about the same amount of time to walk to the Canarsie stop on the L train.
But that’s only one example of one neighborhood. There are others, and there are plenty of people living in them. Try hanging out at Franklin Ave. or just going from some point in Brooklyn to some point in Queens using mass transit, without passing through Manhattan…you will want to slit your wrists. There are plenty of people who do those commutes everyday. I’ve lived in Brooklyn, worked in Queens and Manhattan, gone to school in the Bronx and Manhattan, and spent liesure time at all points in between. I will agree that it would be great to have a subway running down 2nd Ave. but I think other places could benefit just as much, if not more,from having improved transit.
Give them all a bus and let them all be happy with that. Fine? That solves the issue. Everyone gets a bus and nothing more (I’m being serious) and that is cheaper than digging out a new line.
Why not give the people YOU are talking about a bus and let them be happy with that?
I told you before I don’t have numbers, etc to back me up, so no, I can’t answer that. If what you say about population density is correct, then so be it, but I still think an expensive subway line in that area is worthless. Give them a bus and let them be happy with that.
The more important part of my argument was the second one, RE: the density, but if that’s where you want to bring it (i’m assuming because you have no response to that part)
And yes, I do find it to be a long walk (I used to live on 89th and 1st and have also walked from there to 86th st literally hundreds of time). I would imagine that old people, children, and the disabled find it to be pretty long too.
My best friend used to live on 91st between 1st and York and I’ve walked from there to 86th St station on Lex literally hundreds of times. If that’s what you consider a very long walk I don’t know what to say to you. I didn’t even find that to be a long walk in winter.