![]() ![]() ![]() Still, in many areas new tunnels are the only option. Cost still remains the biggest hurdle for subway expansion so new routes need to be considered that take advantage of existing rights-of-way or reconfiguring existing lines for better service. A great inspiration for some of the new routes came from a New Yorker article looking at under the radar dollar van routes. ![]() New commuting patters from western Queens and an increase in reverse or off peak commuting means that a totally Manhattan-centric subway system should be rethought. Growth in northern Brooklyn, an area which faced similar large scale depopulation in the 1970s as the Bronx, has not only recovered from the recession but continues at a pace which has seen subway stations ridership throughout Bushwick increase by double digits. Today the Bronx is seeing a population resurgence so constructing the 2nd Ave Subway with no express tracks seems short sighted. The 2nd Ave Subway, as it is being built today, was designed at a time when subway ridership was stagnant and urban growth, especially in the Bronx, was small at best. Much of the previous plans were built off of ideas that came from another era in New York’s history. This has led me to rethink what I had proposed in the last version of the FNYCS. A think tank called ReThinkNYC led by Jim Venturi has released a far reaching plan which would greatly expand LaGuardia Airport and involve new subway lines to the Bronx and a massive new train terminal to connect the region to the new LaGuardia. Maybe de Blasio, continuing with his support of rezoning East New York, Brooklyn for more affordable housing, has proposed building the Utica Ave Subway, a subway which predates the 2nd Ave Subway and one which has been proposed in various forms many times over the last 100 years. This includes money for Phase 2 of the 2nd Ave Subway which would continue the line (under construction currently) to 125th St. The MTA released its new 5 year budget and is $15 billion short. As has been widely reported (and obvious to anyone who rides the subway) the ridership numbers throughout the system are up and especially along the L and M trains through Williamsburg and Bushwick as gentrification there continues at a breakneck pace. Since then as I have spoken to more people about my ideas and as ridership on the MTA has hit all time highs I began to see the need for a new plan. Version 3 came soon after as a stripped down, budget conscience concept. Version 2 sought to create an updated and more realistic vision from that of the first FNYCS. Two years ago I released an update for my futureNYCSubway series. ![]()
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