nerdy.nelOver the last several months, I’ve revised my plans for the enhanced NYC subway in an attempt to formalize them. I wanted to take the plans out of beta (latest: v0.7.0) and mold them into something official (v1.0.0) – as official as a lay transit advocate’s plan can be, anyway.
Although the updates are nearly complete, recent subway developments have given me pause.
[how come?]On today’s INSIDER, I’ll discuss delivery delays plaguing the R211 order and why they shouldn’t preclude service increases. I’ll also explain why the remaining updates for v1.0.0 v0.8.0 of the enhanced NYC subway are taking so long.
Welcome back to my NYTIP series! This post serves as my brand-new introduction to “regional rail” improvements on NY’s commuter rail systems – Metro-North (MNR), Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), and NJ Transit (NJT). Many advocates – myself included – use the term “regional rail” to describe systemwide improvements such as lower fares (and fewer fare zones), service increases, and “through running”; an excellent report by the Tri-State Transportation Campaign (TSTC) describes each of these elements in detail.
While it’s true that COVID-19 has decimated weekday commuter rail ridership in NY, a different picture is beginning to emerge on weekends:
[Figs. 1, 2] Screenshots from MTA’s website taken on 10.14.2022 showing MNR and LIRR ridership over the last 7 days.
That’s right – weekend commuter rail ridership has not only fully recovered – it is now exceeding pre-pandemic levels! Surprisingly, I have not heard MTA or local politicians highlight or celebrate this fact. (If they did, I must’ve missed it.) In this post, I will explore ideas for using these weekend ridership gains to jump-start regional rail improvements in – and through – NY.
[Let’s begin!]This post describes three key ideas for improving NY's commuter rail network. These three ideas are reducing fares, increasing service, and through-running. Weekend ridership now exceeds pre-pandemic levels, which affords an opportunity to implement these ideas. In doing so, the Tri-State Area can begin the transition from commuter rail to regional rail.
Welcome back to my NYTIP series! In my updated South Brooklyn redesign post, I proposed a J extension to Bay Parkway. How would that extension affect J service in North Brooklyn and Queens? I will discuss that in this post.
[Let’s close the loop!]UPDATE (03.05.2022): Post lightly edited for clarity.
On this edition of the NYTIP INSIDER, I will discuss forthcoming updates to the enhanced NYC Subway that provide even greater improvements over the status quo.
[Read On!]UPDATE (03.13.2022): Images now reflect v0.7.0 of the enhanced NYC subway.
You might’ve noticed that I’ve temporarily unpublished most of my subway extension posts. The main reason is my evolving stance on regional rail – a hot topic in the transport advocacy space and on Transit Twitter. Find out what this means for NYTIP on this edition of the INSIDER!
[Read On…]Welcome everyone! If you’ve read my blog over the last few years, you know I’m working on a personal project called NYTIP. While work on that project continues, I’d like to devote a miniseries to my current locale, New Rochelle. Introducing NROTIP (pronounced NEW-ro-TIP) – a collection of ideas for improving transport, walking, and biking in New Rochelle!
[Read on…]On this edition of the NYTIP INSIDER, I explore a controversial topic – the proposed LaGuardia Airport (LGA) AirTrain. If you’ve read my SAS/LGA extension post, you know that I strongly prefer a subway extension. However, I must consider the very real possibility that Governor Cuomo gets what he wants regarding this AirTrain. If it gets built, what does that mean for NYTIP?
[Read on…]