How Light Rail Could Work In NYC
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- Опубліковано 11 вер 2024
- Light Rail has been a proven transit mode in various cities across North America, but would it work in NYC?
Bx12 Footage from M4N1FEST
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If it is decided to put in trams NYC needs to follow Paris footsteps and completely redesigning every street a line is being put on, making it people-friendly and people-oriented. It's amazing how the most urban place in the US is still such a car hell hole traffic sewer.
Won’t work on Fordham road
A redesign of the road to fit in trams would mess it up completely
Thank you. What they need to focus on is to bring the 8 3rd Avenue Elevated line back. Leave the light rail alone. Bad enough they have the Bx 15 41 buses replacing the Bx55 buses that had got replacing the 8 3rd Avenue Elevated line. Put the light rail between Brooklyn and Queens. They would need two or three buses to go between Fordam Road and 207 street. The Bronx does not need no Light rail service because it's is to many cars and trucks and buses. Focus on bringing back the 8 3rd Avenue Elevated line back between Gun hill road and Clearmount Avenue Webster through 149 street 3rd Avenue or Queens plaza connecting with the 7 Flushing line and the N W trains 🚃. People need to stop talking about putting the light rail in the Bronx. That is not gonna ever happen. Talk about bringing the south Bronx 3rd Avenue Elevated line back. South Bronx is definitely suffering without the 8 3rd Avenue Elevated line really really badly. They are definitely gonna start tairing down the old houses between Gun hill road and Clearmount Avenue Webster Ave Bronx and putting up the affordable houses. I'm just letting you know that right now.
@@Bobspineable yea but they designed their cities to accomodate that, most US cities were built and/or rebuilt with ONLY cars in mind
@@Bobspineable not a lot of cars when compared to their population
Automotive travel won't be gotten rid of completely, for obvious reasons (food and other goods still have to be delivered by trucks or vans,all of New York can't be covered by light rail, and handicapped people have to be driven to their appointments (case in point: my late father had to be driven to his dialasys appointments;him taking public transit was out of the question.) Different people have different needs, and not all people want to have said needs met by mass transit.
I’m mad at how our generations have been denied trams by the oil and auto maker lobbies.
NYC is a unique case in that the bus came very early. 5 Avenue in Manhattan was buses from Day One.
Check out San Francisco tram routes in the 1940s. GM bought out all those lines and removed the tracks and turned them into bus routes in the 50s. Same thing happened across many cities.
Interesting but what if there was a blackout
@@AEMoreira81 And there’s no space for trams
Not in the Bronx or any other borough by that fact
@@ninofromkitchennightmares1497 In suburban Queens and suburban Staten Island maybe.
Just a note.....NYC never called their streetcars...streetcars (I don't like that oxymoron of a name myself). They called them Trolleys like Boston and Philly does. Up till about 1999, there use to a little sign at the corner of Ditmas and McDonald hanging off the el pillar saying "Trolley Stop". It was later removed when they repainted the Culver El. I believe McDonald Ave was the last trolley line that ran, as then 50 Line.
So many names. Light rail, street cars, trolleys and trams. In Australia we call them trams.
Nope, Church Ave Line was the last.
Your plan to cut half the lanes in roads if not all lanes on roads for BRT and light rail is an amazing ideas that would tottally change NYC for the better. More greenways are always good and inter borrow mass transit is deffinetly needed but NYC also needs to build multiple radial heavy rail lines that ark around the city and their should be at least 3-5 of them to connect all the lines that go downtown to Manhattan. They also need to build the half a dozen or so bridges and tunnels they never built across waterways so you can get directly to destinations and there is a more circular flow to traffic that would totaly change the city!!
Less than a subway lol
@Mr.DeStylez That really doesn’t mean we should not have light rails in NYC. There are plenty of other locations that have light rail, such as New Jersey (one such location in the state is directly across the river in Hudson county).
@Mr.DeStylez How is it irrelevant when these other cities and states may have some lessons on how NYC can do light rail, especially for winter operations? You should really use some case studies from other cities, starting with New Jersey, which has one literally across the river from Manhattan.
@Mr.DeStylez What are you talking about? I’m not dismissing anything. Rather, your arguments are silly when you fail to realize that Boston also has a light rail/trolley system and guess what: IT WORKS DURING WINTER WEATHER. If Boston can do it, so can NYC. Hell, even New Jersey can do it right. You really need to stop with the “not invented here” syndrome.
@Mr.DeStylez That is not true. No one is being selfish, and you are just making laughable excuses. Plus a light rail can work well for NYC, similar to how it works well in Boston.
A Light Rail 🚈 would definitely be beneficial, especially like you said in the undeserved Areas. Especially in The Bronx where I grew up at, the main Streets that go Crosstown like Fordham Rd and Tremont Ave could definitely use them! Hell I would even toss in Gun Hill Rd in the mix until the MTA decides to finally extend the D Train Crosstown to Co-Op City which I'm still pushing for.
I definitely agree. Light Rail would be incredibly useful along many of the Crosstown streets in the Bronx.
I’d say the same about queens. We can use that on main st and on northern blvd, maybe union turnpike as well or some other major street in eastern Queens
The third Ave El Bronx route should have a light rail line. It ended at Gun Hill it could be extended to Coop
@@Not_Sal I definitely agree with Union Turnpike because I graduated from St. John's University back in the Mid 90's, before the Metro Card was ever created. And traveling from The Bronx where I grew up was a Beast!! No free transfers, 2-Fare Zones, and slow buses, etc. Especially going out to at least the Nassau County border because the F Train ends at 179th Street and the E Train ending at Jamaica Center, there is no subway service out in Eastern Queens. I'm sure some MTA Buses are very reliable, there are some that are not! So I totally agree with you there as far a Light Rail on the sections of Queens.
@@christopherleonard247 I actually mentioned before that if the MTA was going to complete the entire T Train on Second Avenue, they should extend the Q Train in The Bronx and have it run up 3rd Ave to connect with the D Train after its 205th Street Terminus and extend both the D or Q across either Gun Hill Road or Burke Avenue into Co-Op City. That Area along 3rd Avenue in The Bronx is so underserved with the 2 or D Trains being the closest lines. Having the Q run along 3rd Avenue will be ideal!
Absolutely we need LightRail across the city! On the busiest bus routes that’s overcapacity. LightRail will provide faster speeds on its dedicated line and more capacity then articulated buses we have now. It would make the rides smooth & comfortable then the buses.
It can work for 57th street and 5th ave etc
Philadelphia never got rid of it. Still has trams/trolleys. And has light rail in the suburbs.
I’ve mapped out a number of routes, and a few SBS lines in Manhattan and the Bronx are on that list (Bx12, M15, Bx41). I’m also considering the Manhattan bus routes as well, though I have yet to map these out. Priority should be for the Bx12 and M15 to be converted first.
@@TheRailLeaguer Tram only works in Manhattan and some parts of the bronx
@@ninofromkitchennightmares1497 Not really. They can work in a number of places aside from Manhattan and portions of the Bronx.
Light rails should be built in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island in transit deserts. The light rail should have the same fare as the subway and bus and there needs to be free between light rail and subway/bus.
I support 100% that the Bx12SBS gets replaced by a light rail in addition to converting Fordham Road into a busway. The Bx12SBS is too pack and it doesn't run often. Traffic in Fordham is horrendous and drivers don't respect the bus lanes. There needs to be a dedicated lane for the light rail on the 207th bridge.
Yeah, the Staten Island should need more light rails because on the west side, it seems abandoned a little. This will be the amazing idea and for good future for Staten Island.
Fordham Road contains US 1 between Webster Avenue and Boston Post Road though, and the Pelham Parkway was supposed to be converted into a real parkway, which was thwarted by public opposition. I don't think people in the eastern Bronx would be too happy with seeing the center median replaced with any railroad system either.
Be that as It may, riding Bx12SBS isn't that great. I wanted to use it in part of a trip between Inwood, and Wakefield. The traffic, overcrowding and the repeated message not to block the doors, which nobody could've obeyed if they wanted to, got so annoying, I got off in University Heights east of the Major Deegan Expressway, and cancelled the rest of the trip.
@@ianproduction2 Staten Island is indeed the most neglected borough in regard to mass transit.
@@ianproduction2 I agree there could even be a light rail that can go to/from Staten Island into Lower Manhattan via the Verrazano and Brooklyn Battery Tunnel.
I don’t think there’s any other road to divert traffic off of Fordham
Considering it connects across Bronx Park/Bronx River to white plains road and congestion on southern Blvd and other roads would make driving hell
Adding trams would only work if that were to be implemented
This is absolutely perfect solution for New York. Numerous studies show that bush’s even express bus is no match to light rail on number of passengers per hour it serves, and overall appeal to the city. Jersey city before light rail and after are two different cities- it provided economic boom and attracted people to ride it. Same goes for LA- in Los Angeles light rail is built actively and areas where it serves quickly give people real choice to drive or not to drive. Before, to get to Santa Monica or Pasadena, driving was the option… I am all for it!
I personally like the 42nd St - 34th Street loop idea. If you were smart you could convert one of the Lincoln tunnel tubes for LRT and connect to the HBLR.
I wouldn't mind having a 34/42 Loop tbh.
A 34-42 Loop would also make the ferry stops more relevant and useful allowing investment in those modes as well. Currently the ferries either stop 4+ ave blocks west of the subway (8 Av line) or 3+ blocks east of the 7 train entrance at 3rd & 42. Just looping to connect those would be a massive win benefiting both tourists & locals who use Penn, GCT, ferries & all the lines in between.
Interesting
@@mkkm945 And use underground 3rd rail several inches below street surface like the New York Railways and the 3rd Avenue Railway did in the 1890s til 1947.
@@luislaplume8261 only several inches below the surface ?
The city used to have tons of lines, and the tracks are still there buried underneath the roads, you can see tehm when there's potholes so a lot of infrastructure might already be there and can be cleaned up and reused
*them
I think that light rails would be beneficial to the city.
I agree.
A light rail would be really slow if it ran through Manhattan, Brooklyn or West Queens. I can only see a light rail running smoothly if it ran on the outskirts of Queens, Brooklyn, or Bronx. Like a light rail from Rockaway Park to Far Rockaway. Or from Canarsie to Flatbush or Coney Island.
A light rail would be really slow if it ran through Manhattan, Brooklyn or West Queens. I can only see a light rail running smoothly if it ran on the outskirts of Queens, Brooklyn, or Bronx. Like a light rail from Rockaway Park to Far Rockaway. Or from Canarsie to Flatbush or Coney Island.
If it can also run on the #LIRR and #MetroNorth with FRA-compliant LRVs and the 3rd rail and non-electrified segments becomes equipped with overhead 12.5 kV 60 Hz AC lines, and the light rail also serves as local service for the railroads, then I would agree.
The more I think about this idea the more I like it
On the Pelham Parkway section the light rail could even run on the southern part of the greenway to make it a truly beautiful transitway
I think we could definitely use light rail I the parts of the Bronx, queens and Brooklyn where the subway doesn’t reach.
Streetcars are tempting because they’re initially cheaper, but in the long run it would be worth it to have a Fordham rapid transit line run elevated for total grade separation
Put the light rail in Brooklyn and Queens. Not the Bronx. The south Bronx definitely needs this 8 3rd Avenue Elevated line back because it's to many buses trucks cars on the road . The Bronx is very busy. City island Bronx could used light rail.
@@leecornwell5632 don't forget Staten Island, which only has SIR and buses.
You cannot put no light rail in the Bronx anymore because the south Bronx is very busy and traffic jam so they minds well better put this 8 3rd Avenue Elevated line back between Gun hill road and 149st connecting to the 2/5 trains and 138 street 3rd Avenue connecting to the 6 trains.
Another thing to if they put a light rail on there the light rail would have to run across the metro North and come back down on the street s. That would not make sense . I would definitely see the light rail in Brooklyn and Queens not the south Bronx hell no. Just put the 8 3rd Avenue Elevated line back where it was call it a day. I'm telling you this to the 8 3rd Avenue Elevated line is coming back I'm telling you that now. You hear this on a lots of comments about it on you tube.
@@sylonisupport68 Put the light rail at Staten island also that definitely needs to happen to at Staten island I'm keeping it 100%, real on that .
Light rail/light metro is also what I've been proposing for the Interborough Express route. With either Stadler GTW or Siemens S700 units, the line could be extended from Brooklyn Army Terminal to Industry City using the existing tracks. Elsewhere on the line, it could reach speeds of around 55 mph and the low level stations would cost less to build.
having light rail on Pelham Parkway & Fordham Road would actually help my traveling since the Bx12 is always delayed when i wait for it on White Plains Road
Capacity is a matter of quality of service. Fully grade seperated systems and high frequency may even be more important than the mode. That is why I prefer grade separated BRT because it is:
A. Cheaper.
B. Less of a waste if the route is later converted to a subway line,
C. Like LRT, helps redesign streets to implement greenery and separated bike lanes. Although, these should be unidirectional along either sidewalk.
Grade-seperated BRT? Lmao delusional.
I don't know much about how the transit system works. But watching your video, I thought about putting a Light Rail where the M50 runs. I feel like the M50 needs some improvements in general because (despite being a crosstown bus) it doesn't run very often, so I'm 100% sure there's like 4 buses in circulation for the M50 line *IN TOTAL.* But the M50 does connect to, or provides easy travel/access distance to a lot of train lines and popular bus routes.
Add more service and use the E train instead add a busway by eliminating parking on the right side
Love the thumbnail! They are the exact trams they use here in Sydney Australia.
The Alstom Citadis 305’s are a good LRV :)
Great channel by the way, i’ve been binge watching it :)
I feel like we do need light rail/trams in NYC for more outside service. I mean look at SEPTA operating their trams with their bus routes mainly providing extra service with underground connections with the Market Frankford Line and NJT with the River light rail line in trenton which has connections to the Northeast corridor and downtown trenton. LA has their own tram system which connects the outer subs to Downtown LA which provides faster service than taking 3 buses and paying more which the MTA in my opinion wants people to waste money on transfers. Trams in NYC would be a great help becuase it would be a great way to connect underserved areas around NYC like throgs neck, Co-Op City, Outer Queens, etc.
It's kind of wild to me that so many US cities are going all in on Light Rail (just look at Seattle's system being built ENTIRELY out of LRT for better or for worse), while New York, THE "train city" in the US, doesn't have any LRT AT ALL. Getting Inter-borough service down in Queens and Brooklyn, parts of the city with clear transit deserts, would be transformational for the entire city and ease congestion on every other modality. Plus they just look so damn good quietly slipping past greenways
Really liked this video as it reminded me of the Bronx when I used to be out there. Fordham road definitely would benefit from an LRT line and it could maybe connect from Gunn hill road. I like how you put Toronto as an example as this is where I'm from originally and currently have been living in. The one huge problem with NY is that the subway covers a Huge amount of area so you're basically like a 10 min walk from a subway station. I used to live on 233rd and White plains and I could walk to the nearest station in 2 min. Ofcourse going to Fordham on the same street where the train ran was annoying but that was kind of the only way. Idk what it's like now as I haven't been to NY in a minute so I hope it got better..
Sydney has done it.
After abandoning trams in 1962, we now he have 3 different lines, radiating from our CBD.
Our light rail utilises streets where cars have been removed or separated. Also there is an extensive use of off street running , utilising old freight rail lines.
Great presentation and idea! !
Thank you! Cheers!
Park Avenue in Manhattan would be a great road for a light rail line. It cold be sent via First Avenue to South Ferry where Park Avenue ends near Midtown.
Yes and yes. It will have to happen sooner or later. I like the way you have planned out all the details. And I definitely agree that NYCT needs to stop running competition against themselves.
I'm glad you like the idea. I've been working out the details for this routing for the past few months, and most recently, got in touch with other people who lived in the areas affected, to get their opinions and thoughts on the project.
I also had someone help me with the graphics along with getting the Bx12 footage for this video. With the Bx12 being the second-most-crowded line in the whole of the city, it would only make sense for it to be in consideration for a Light Rail Line.
@@MysticTransit, I fully support this idea, and I've also got to say, I loved how you mentioned (and showed) one of our streetcars (Bombardier/Alstom Flexity Swift) running down Spadina Avenue here in Toronto.
Excellent idea and for the trains there are two choices if you want them to be made in New York by New Yorkers CAF Urbos and Alstom Citadel. Big question is this where would the Depot for the trams be 1st choice is 207th st Kingsbridge bus depot or Gun Hill Road depot? You can probably start creating the Brooklyn Network as phase II. However this will get news coverage because in Philadelphia Pa SEPTA Network instances of trams hitting buses. Best solution might be copying Boston tram tunnel
A Tram Depot would be constructed next to the Gun Hill Road bus depot.
Light rail can be a great form of transit that can really well serve neighbourhood trips. You can look at Toronto's extensive and well-used, but flawed Streetcar system for examples of what, and what not to do.
Do's:
- Integration with the subway. The Toronto Transit Commission does a great job of integrating the streetcar system with the subway system. Most streetcar lines terminate at subway stations where there will be streetcar terminals within the station, sometimes underground, allowing for an easier transfer.
- High frequency. Toronto streetcars often run every 10 minutes, making them a reliable and useful form of transit.
- 24-hour operation. Many Toronto streetcar routes have nighttime equivalents, making them useful during all times of the day.
Don'ts:
- Mixed traffic operation. Most Toronto streetcar routes do not have dedicated lanes, meaning they get chronically stuck in traffic, making them slower, less frequent, and giving them less of an advantage against other forms of transportation.
- Low-quality stops. Toronto's streetcar system does the bare minimum in terms of stops, with most stops being no better than a bus route, and streetcar riders having to cross a traffic lane to board the vehicle.
- Poor infrastructure. The Toronto streetcar system still uses old-fashioned switches, and no signal priority, leading to slower and less reliable operation.
I definitely agree with you on the light rail being a crosstown route for the Bronx but I also still favor in the street car from Red Hook to Astoria that can eventually get extended to the Hub in The Bronx especially if the TBR is only terminating at Jackson Hts
It would be also be a great idea to put light rail/trams on the rockaways as well because both the Rockaway Park Shuttle and A trains have bad frequencies
OMG I agree with you about the BX12!
Absolutely beneficial to the city we all love! Subway lines are mostly serving Manhattan and cross town travel is often a pain.
Maybe in The East Bronx & East Queens.
Yes, definitely. I'd say Crosstown Bronx Trams are needed, along with Eastern Queens (around Main St).
Yeah a light rail from Flushing to Glen Oaks/LIJ Hospital. Or from Flushing to Great Neck.
Living next to the BX12 sbs I would love to have a light rail line, I always thought about a tram line way before watching this
The BX 12 is a great choice for a LRT and especially with a pedestrian mall between Webster and Jerome Avenues. I have, like most people. Walked faster than the BX 12 between the two streets.
Same.
I believe Tremont Av also needs a light rail as well
Tell me about it! By the time the 12 hits Webster I'm already at the park at Kingsbridge and Fordham 🤣
I personally would love a complete outer borough circumferential line that goes cross Bronx, to queens, to Brooklyn, to Staten Island and maybe even into jersey through Staten Island that connects to the path. With links to Newark airport and la guardia. Ahh the dream to not have to step foot in Manhattan if I don’t want to just to get somewhere else.
I agree with new light rail lines since they can serve corridors where subways don't make sense. I also do propose that these lines could also replace highways as well. In particular, I do have routes that would replace the BQE and Gowanus Expressways in Brooklyn and Queens en route to Astoria and LaGuardia Airport as lower volume supplements to the Astoria Line extension (I know Frederick will try to come at me for that). I also have a Belt Pkwy replacement line from Bay Ridge to JFK Airport. All three routes will take a somewhat different alignment from the highways as well.
Replacing highways with Trams is an absolute huge plan (which I don't oppose), that will be EXTREMELY difficult to get past NIMBY's & Car-Owners.
Bad idea
@@apexhunter935 How?
@@MysticTransit True, though it can be done.
I have yet to map out the BQE and Gowanus Light rail routes.
@@apexhunter935 yea it's definitely not happening to many car owners that would stop that from becoming a reality
We shouldn't build LRT in NYC right now. It's better to build BRT in the short term because it is easier, cheaper, and more flexible. When roads are redesigned to have grade separated bus and bike lanes, throughput capacity increases considerably and induces demand. When BRT lines prove to have high ridership, the MTA can then consider constructing subway rights of way beneath or above said BRT lines.
BRT is a scam. To get it to be any good necessitates making it basically as expensive as light rail. At least light rail can offer capacity with low running costs once the tracks are put down. Those buses will always need an operator, and the roads here will always be a jigsaw puzzle of potholes strung together by a thread.
@@mmhoss Obviously rail is better than tires on asphalt, but what is most important is full grade separation, which is a rarity if at all existing in American LRT systems. LRT requires drivers when it isn’t fully grade separated. Frequent, high capacity, fully grade separated BRT systems can have incredible ridership while costing less than an LRT system to construct. Any investment into rail in NYC should be focused on improving the subway network, not new light rail lines.
@@TorneHeichou Much of Pelham Pkwy is suitable for light rail, which will be more smoother compared to any bus rapid transit network. Using the center roadway, that can be closed off to car traffic and narrowed to two lanes in each direction, providing this portion of the line with a lot of grade separation you desire, with frequent service too.
As one comment said a lot of the crosstown bus routes in the Bronx would benefit from light rail. Mostly because…all crosstown bus routes are descendants of the TARS system. The bx12 and 41 SBS would be great contenders for this as they operate in a straight line.
I agree with the Bx41 SBS Routing, but there are also some routes that might not currently be SBS that Light Rail can serve. One that immediately comes to mind is the Tremont Avenue corridor with the Bx40/42 Buses, and 149 St with the bx19.
@@MysticTransit the bx9 pops up in my head too. Major route between riverdale and Fordham.
Queens can use some light rail/street cars if not subway lines. One is Woodhaven blvd/cross bay Blvd heading towards the Rockaways. Another option can be for it to run on Rockaway Blvd to JFK airport.
You always have great ideas.
Thank you! 🙂
A light rail from Astoria Ditmars Boulevard, passing by Astoria Park then going all the way down Vernon Boulevard to Hunters Point would be nice. Maybe it can be extended across the Pulaski Bridge to Greenpoint but, it would be very slow because of traffic.
This, I agree with. I talked to some people not long ago about running a tram through Greenpoint, and it was a popular idea.
@@MysticTransit Yeah Greenpoint and LIC seem really suitable for trolley or light rail service. The only problem would be running it over the Pulaski Bridge. It would take up a lane of traffic.
Yeah. I was trying to find a way to avoid it running over the bridge, but it would be too costly to do otherwise.
@@MysticTransit They can use one lane southbound towards Brooklyn on the Pulaski Bridge, send it down to McCaren Park then have it make a circle back to Greenpoint Avenue. Next they can use one lane on Greenpoint Avenue Bridge to send it to Sunnyside, then up north to Astoria Park where it’ll make a loop back down to LIC and the Pulaski bridge.
Bring back the streetcars my parents and grandparents spoke of fondly. They still have them in Philly and other cities!
One thing that makes me weary of light rail on some former routes is the constant double parking that is commonplace in NYC. Around the time streetcars were in their prime, parking on the street was more or less prohibited for long periods of time, which meant that cars were able to co-exist.
Today, double parking is so rampant, that it impedes bus traffic and causes bunching. Webster Avenue, for example, has so much double parking in the bus lane that it defeats the purpose of SBS for the 41.
Even today, places like Boston are able to have streetcars in (limited) mixed traffic with no issues, but I would imagine without a tightening of traffic enforcement, most potential light rail corridors in NYC is not going to be a improvement of current SBS service.
@Mr.DeStylez Perhaps that can be solved by median transit ways or closing the street off or banning parking. Just because there’s a potential issue with parking or weather DOES NOT mean we should discard the whole concept entirely.
Think of the solutions, not the problem.
I think you should present your videos to the MTA, since these are good ideas for developing the city's public transport.
Unfortunately, I know of no ways to present them to the agency.
@Versatile Wolf NWO What are you talking about?
They don't care !.. you think they're going to make a meeting and meet with this cat.. we all know he should be running the NYC railway system but they don't care about this they just want to make their money
The M102, like all Manhattan bus lines that start with M100 were Third Ave Railway System (TARS) routes. They ran on Third Ave, terminating at the old Post Office (now City Hall Park). It operated until 1947. The Lexington Ave car line was operated by New York Railways from South Ferry. It operated until 1936 and was replaced by the M21 bus, which was operated by New York Omnibus. Separate services on Lex and Third Aves were combined when these avenues were made completely one-way, in 1960. The present M102 operates only to Cooper Square.
The subways killed the streetcars economically. All Manhattan streetcars came under the private control of the Metropolitan Street Railway in 1902, two years before the subway was opened and when the el's were still steam operated. Metropolitan Street Railway went bankrupt in 1907 and was separated back into its separate constituent companies.
Trams/Street Cars/Light Rail crossing through Brooklyn and Queens supplementing the purposed IBX would be a great place to start
Oh yeah, the trams, I hope they look like the R40 subway fleet. I really miss those 😞
Whenever I see ridership lists for light rail and subway on Wikipedia, I always wonder if New York City had a light rail, then it would be one with the highest ridership.
I think that a great idea for a tram line could also be one that runs in co-op city, from Pelham Bay Park 6 station to Baychester Avenue 5 station, while making stops at several points in co-op city.
I can see New York City having trams and light rail. Even London as well which already has the Tramlink that serves South London (including Wimbledon and Croydon).
Elevated, subway and streetcar/tram's are needed. They all serve their niche in providing cities rapid transit. Tram's are the perfect last mile solution along busy corridors where buses aren't going to cut it but you need to make a ton of local stops... Even my hometown of Edmonton plans on reintroducing them along all major streets in the inner city in the next while according to their last vision document... On top of the high floor German-style LRT and the new/existing low-floor tram line that just opened last year...
This was well written and thought out.
I'm glad you think so.
Yay, finally an actually reasonable use of trams.
Many North American cities have tried to use trams as a discount subway system but this just doesn't work all that well. Trams are bad at running subway-style services (cough cough IBX) (i.e. lots of ultra busy stops on a grade-separated corridor and wide station spacing) but they are an excellent option to increase capacity on relatively short but busy routes. Trams belong on streets or on tramways, not on a viaduct or deep in a tunnel.
Also FYI: The Toronto Streetcar system is a legacy tram system (i.e. it has a grid-like network with lots of different services and not much separation from traffic) but TTC and Metrolinx are constructing new Light Rail lines out in the suburbs (such as the Line 5 Eglington). Though this route does fall under the category of "discount metro system" as it's in a tunnel for half of the route.
Seriously mta needs to hire you for your ideas
Another side question do you believe that Staten Island would be open to having a light rail/tram go throughout the Borough....even have it connect to the one in NJ where they seem to have a closer relationship to anyway than nyc
That wouldn't be a horrible idea tbh. I'm pretty sure residents would be more open to that idea than any Subway/SIR extension.
Hey I've been living in NJ for the past 9 years now and MysticTransit Filmed our Hudson-Bregen Light Rail!!! 😃😃😃
As a matter of fact can you do a video about our Light Rail route? In particular why until this day it stops in North Bergn but does not advance north into West NY in Hudson County? I asked around but there is no definitive answer like it's being kept quiet. 🤔
Lol I didn’t film it. It’s stock footage. I do plan to create a video on improving transit in NJ.
@@MysticTransit Nice! we're alike!😂 I moved to NJ because it is more affordable than staying in NYC and we can use some king-sized improvements. I look forward to these future videos! 🙂
YES.
New York Should have a LRT system connecting all five boroughs And Long Island
The quality of your content and your thoughtfulness behind all of this brooooo…!!!! The city needs to pay attention to the shit you’re saying for real.
I try and do my best to deliver quality content, and propose useful additions to NYC’s Transit Network.
I feel like light rail will benefit so many riders in lots of areas, including current crosstown routes and areas with a lack of transit services. I believe light rail should connect to at least 1-2 subway stations and connect to isolated areas in all boroughs, such as a route from Jamica to Springfield/Floral Park Light rail service, and even as far as making 125th St crosstown a light rail line in manhatten. Or there can be a tram service which serves Utica av along with the B46 as that bus is super busy, I think even a light rail that serves cropsey and bath Aves in Brooklyn can also help out south Brooklyn services such as when the D or N have problems in Brooklyn, the light rail services will be great alternatives to Coney Island as well
Plus think how much cleaner the streets would be and look without all the traffic
@Falcon Adam especially the current crosstown bus routes, those are usually packed too
Light rail is best for quieter routes that go around city center areas, especcially in dense places like NY, however with road priority and segregated lanes they could be used in places like downtown manhattan on old El alignments
I've wondered if light rail could run in the outer boroughs and connect the subway lines. Ideally they could build it to go across the Throgs Neck or Whitestone Bridge to connect the Bronx to Queens.
I really like your idea for the Bronx. West of Southern Blvd, tho, would be a challenge
I agree, but even if it is a challenge, it would be worth it, considering how congested that corridor is.
@@MysticTransit maybe have it be elevated from Bathgate Av to Grand Concourse. It would avoid the steep grade after Webster and avoid the intersection at the same time
And much of these old street cars have been restored and are operational in San Francisco, used by both local commuters and tourists alike.
A light rails are cheaper to build than subways that’s why I see a lot of cities have them
To be fair, a lot of cities are either lower in population or have lower volume corridors and even lower density.
However in a metropolitan area home to 19 million people, light rail should be a supplement to subway extensions, not a replacement.
@@TheRailLeaguer I wish Toronto knew that, we’re building an underground light rail line where a proper subway line is clearly justified.
sydney light rail on the front, nice
The M102 and the M7 was my bus route as a kids I didn’t know it was a light rail line
I agree with the Bronx light rail suggestion, since the Bronx is underserved. What do you think of elevated light rail to avoid car traffic?
I wouldn't put it past them. NYC is a public transport haven! Heck, according to statistics, one of the most popular industries to work in when living in New York City happens to be public transport. I live in DC and we got a light rail system not too long ago.
If this does happen with the Bx12 SBS+ getting replaced by trams/light rail hopefully they have the same announcements as the buses have!
Wasn’t a fan of the BQX proposal, but to say it did not serve underserved areas is disingenuous. Red Hook is one of the most underserved and this would have directly brought better connections to that neighborhood. Greenpoint also lacks service that this would have greatly improved. And that this intersected with a large number of subway lines downtown bklyn is a good thing for the underserved areas. But this line was too heavily intended to serve already affluent areas with a gleaming new tram line and increase property values. The line itself makes a lot of sense to provide connections for these communities that just wouldn’t be feasible with a subway line but putting this at the top of the list was always slap at other unserved areas.
Agree. My first thought of that line was it was just catering to to property interests. Red Hook, though, despite good press, is still a no man’s land in terms of transportation options and the community is still largely underserved not just transit-wise but in other economic areas such as food. It’s a fine line between gentrification and actually serving the community already there.
In my opinion, the MTA should build a light rail that goes from WTC in Lower Manhattan, crosses the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel into Brooklyn and then crosses the Verrazano Bridge to Staten Island. A light rail should be a cheaper option than express bus. There needs to be a dedicated lanes on the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and the Verrazano Bridge for buses and the light rail. Also, they should build a light rail from Coney Island to Staten Island via the Verrazano Bridge. Keep in mind that Hochul wants to extend the R to Staten Island by building a tunnel under the Verrazano. Therefore Coney Island would be a feasible terminal than Bay Ridge.
I’m not really sure if the bridge can handle light rail trains. However I will admit that a 4th Avenue Subway route would make much of the light rail redundant, though a light rail between Manhattan and Brooklyn is something worth considering (I do have one mapped on the Brooklyn Bridge).
@@TheRailLeaguer I think the bridge can handle light rail or be retrofitted to handle light rails.
Hochul's wants to extend the R from Bay Ridge to St. George Terminal, which will only benefit the people who travel from Brooklyn to Staten Island.
This R train extension won't benefit the people in Manhattan because the R is local and from Lower Manhattan to Bay Ridge is a very long ride on the R.
Having a light rail from WTC to Staten Island, will be faster than the R, since it will cross the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and Verrazano Bridge and it will be cheaper than the express bus and the light rail can go deep in Staten Island.
@@sylonisupport68 I do believe that if the routes were changed up or if the R ran more frequently, then we can have an extension to Staten Island. In fact, installing two new switches should allow for the D and R routes to switch routes, with the R going via West End at increased frequencies and the D train switching to the local tracks and heading to Bay Ridge and Staten Island. Since the D is making express stops via the Manhattan Bridge, extending that route would be faster overall.
I still think there should be a SI-Brooklyn light rail.
@@TheRailLeaguer That's a great idea.
@MT
Agree with you 100%. While I grew up in Brooklyn, I've lived in St Paul, MN for 35 years and have witnessed the marked improvement in transportation thanks to the LRT system. Such an addition would vastly improve traffic flow while significantly reducing traffic congestion in NYC as it has done elsewhere.
I had an argument with someone on another channel who insisted that the ideal solution to traffic congestion is to increase the amount of subway lines. No matter how much I proved to him that such an investment is costly and that LRT is far more efficient, he would not be convinced. Perhaps he owns stock in companies that build subways and is seeking to have the City pay his company more money so that his stock value may increase. Expanding the subway is not the solution. LRT is.
So you’re saying build subways AND light rail?
Also you need to stop accusing people of “owning stock in companies that are building subways”. Nearly everyone in NYC agrees that building more subways is one of the many solutions to the transit network, especially when some lines have poor turnaround capacity. By your logic, do all 8 million NYC residents own stock in subway construction companies.
Are you also suggesting shutting down the entire subway system and replacing them with light rail as well.
@@TheRailLeaguer
If you watch the video you would see that the channel's host is suggesting more access via LRT, not less of anything else. Anything else is delusionalism.
@@merccadoosis8847 He also has suggested more subway extensions as well in other videos, including an extension of the Concourse Line on a parallel corridor. For a city of 8 million people, subway and light rail services are needed.
In essence, a light rail should act as a supplement to, and not a replacement for, a subway extension.
@@TheRailLeaguer
that's fine, too
@@merccadoosis8847 Okay.
Some of the cross town streets in Brooklyn need light rail. Church Avenue for example is a nightmare. Even the limited 35 bus is useless
great video 🚈🚋 can you please talk about more rail Staten Island to
Another good option would be to put light rail on these following areas: main st (queens) woodhaven blvd (queens)
Utica Av (brooklyn)
Myrtle Av (brooklyn and queens)
East river
Etc
the BQX set us back by not planning a better route. I see light rail perfectly as a substitute for buses in outer Queens / BK neighborhoods and cross town connections in Bronx and Manhattan.
If the MTA is considering using the Bay Ridge Branch of the Long Island Railroad, for a rail line connecting Brooklyn and Queens, they should seriously consider a Light Rail System rather than a current Subway Car system. The cost savings of using Light Rail would allow for more light rail trains and cars to be used on this line. The cost savings of a Light Rail running, without a train operator, and construction savings would allow for more stations and connections. The system similar to Newark's light rail system is a prime example of the efficiency of using light rail.
The carve-outs and overpasses already exist and this Light Rail Line would not interfere with existing traffic.
Why the Bay Ridge? It deserves conventional rail, and just because Light Rail isnt used much doesn’t mean it should be used for corridors which don’t deserve it.
New York does need a light rail to supplement for the subway in case of technical damage and you van have cellphone service on commute
This channel and it's narrator are awesome. He (the narrator) is so knowledgeable and (in my opinion) has a great voice.
I love the concepts proposed here and never really "got" the fascination with light rail solutions before seeing how it'd help in a situation like the cross town Bronx experience. I'm still going to almost always advocate for subway expansion as there are large swathes of the geography of NYC that still don't have proper access to service that should (and would no doubt get passed on if LRT options become more popular due to their relative affordability), but just imagining a world where this took off as a concession and mitigated some bus lines here in Brooklyn (imagining a full on Flatbush Ave or Utica Ave LRT in the event expansions of subways there fall through [knocks on wood]) the possibilities are endless.
Perhaps there can be a compromise. I do have subway lines as extensions of existing subway lines along some heavier routes, like lower Utica Avenue, Nostrand Avenue, etc. Meanwhile, light rail can be in places where a dedicated subway line makes no sense, such as on Pelham Pkwy/Fordham Road, Main Street in Queens, etc. Pelham Pkwy is actually a high volume bus corridor, but a subway there would make no sense given topography issues and the fact that the 8th Avenue Line, where some would want the corridor to feed off of as an extension of one of the services there, is already lengthy and at capacity. I do also have corridors where they could supplement subway service in Manhattan, such as 1st Avenue, 3rd Avenue, the crosstown streets, etc.
If the subway lines can't extend stations further south in Brooklyn such as 2, 4, and 5 lines, then we'll replace select bus service to streetcars and cars will be restricted on roads.
Great video! Is calles in the Commonwealth DTT (from Where this tea come from) as an alusión of somethung that already existes but is explained and updated
apart from serving areas that the subway doesn't go out to in the outer boroughs, as discussed, a good use for light rail trams in NYC would be to run along the waterfronts in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The fact that subways generally are run inland in firmer ground has helped contribute to NYC turning it's back on being a coastal city
There was a light rail planned for the Brooklyn-Queens waterfront but it was opposed due to service affluent areas and lack of connections.
That being said, should it be done correctly, we would have no issues. I have mapped out about 18 routes with two branches, and I do have a route that is somewhat a variation of the BQX, with more connections to the area subway lines. My plan has this go inland at Bedford Avenue to connect with the L train. This line also serves Brooklyn Bridge Park, but other than that, that's the only waterfront route I have planned (I'm still mapping a route along the West Side waterfront.
Couldn’t agree anymore, Fordham rd is horror during rush hour
NYC needs Light Rail, however I don't agree with the Bx12 SBS becoming a Light Rail.
I would develop a Light Rail system along Merrick Blvd, Hillside Avenue, Northern Blvd, Union Tpke, and a Riverdale to South Ozone Park Light Rail via the Bx9/Bx12/Bx22/Bx39 in The Bronx with "in-system" transfers to/from Subway lines, and a new East River Crossing Bridge into College Point Queens before travelling the Q65 route (College Point Blvd), then along the Van Wyck Expressway (from the Q58 route) to Ozone Park with a transfer to LIRR service at Jamaica Station. It won't replace Q44 SBS service due to the dynamics of that route, nor would it shorten it, however it would be a lot faster than the Q44 SBS.
Then in The Bronx, I would develop a Co Op City to Hub - East 149th Street line via Bruckner Blvd and in the center of I-278 with in-system transfers to/from the (6) at Pelham Bay Park and Hunts Point Avenue and to/from the (2) and (5) at Intervale Avenue, Jackson Avenue and 3rd Avenue. Possible extension to Manhattan above the Bx19 bus route with in-system transfers to/from the (4) at East 149th Street, the (3) at West 145th Street, (A), (B), (C) and (D) at 145th Street and the (1) at 145th Street.
In Brooklyn and The Rockaways, I would develop a line linking the Coney Island Station with Rockaway Park via Breezy Point and Roxbury.
The Merrick Blvd, Hillside Avenue and Union Tpke Light Rail lines would all extend West to Downtown Brooklyn terminating at Barclay's Center (in-system transfer to that Station), while the Northern Blvd Light Rail would begin by North Shore Towers and terminate above Queens Boro Plaza Station (with in-system transfers).
Then I would construct Staten Island to Coney Island Light Rail lines - one from Tottenville the other from Arlington with the Tottenville line travelling along and above Hylan Blvd and the Arlington line along the Staten Island Expwy and along the S40/S90/S46/S96/S48/S98 routes.
The I would construct Staten Island to Newark Penn Station Rail lines, 2 via Newark Liberty International Airport (West Shore from Tottenville and North Shore from St. George) and 1 via Bayonne (replaces the S89 LTD) from Eltingville.
It will take a century if NEPA is still around and the corrupt politicians.
@@jetfan925 So are you suggesting that the community be bypassed, because that’s not an option?
@@TheRailLeaguer That's not even a community issue. The Bx12 is doing well with LOCAL and SBS. What the MTA needs is more connectivity with the Rail lines.
these rolling stock are battery powered and would look better since theres no overhead wires being more affordable for NYC in the long run
• CAF Urbos 3 Kaohsiung [Supercapacitor]
• Huai'an tram [Supercapacitor]
• Haizhu Tram [ultracapacitor]
• Siemens Avenio Hybrid [Supercapacitor + Battery]
• Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit [Battery ~ 25 mile range]
How would battery powered trams work in NYC? Wouldn't that limit how long they can run without returning to the depot?
@@MysticTransit all of the rolling stock i suggested excluding the last one have supercapacitors which can be recharged at each stop in less than a minute.
The AART has a 25 mile range. The bx12 is not 25 mile route so that can be recharged at the end of the route.
The M15 & B82 Should also be Converted into Light Rail Since the M15 Is the Busiest Bus route in NYC & the B83 Connect a lot of Trains & The B82 need to be Extended to Coney Island & Howard Beach
Are you going to cover the Light Rails in NJ? Along with the Path train routes? Lol I noticed you talked about other transportation outside of the MTA but not NJT 👀 plz hook us up sir 😅
A light rail will be very beneficial on Fordham road
This tram should go all the way to City Island!
Agreed.
Light rail Transit would completely revolutionize NYC
Come thruuu with the Spadina Streetcar stock footage 😍
I do think trams are needed in nyc, for instance in south Brooklyn, the portion without subway lines. Like u said in the Utica av line video, those southern bk commuters NEED! more train service
Some years ago there was talk of a 42 St. crosstown tram, but it never happened.
At 5:42 I think you mixed up the Eastchester and Williamsbridge stops.
I love this idea so much
Me too. This could be a supplement to subway expansion in much of the city (I do see these being used on perpendicular corridors).
This route would be a better heavy rail subway line as a gray letter line
About 25 years ago I participated in an AIDS charity mass bike ride from Boston to Lower Manhattan and the route took us along Fordham Road. The street, although a US Highway, was utterly choked with traffic once we got past Fordham University. In fact the traffic was *so bad* we all had to filter between the cars!
So a trolley along Fordham Road would not be a wise idea. It would get stuck in traffic. So a better idea would be to build a light metro like Vancouver's Skytrain on an aerial guideway or inside a tunnel. Trolley lines can be built further out in less dense areas of the city.
This would be amazing if we have a tram in the Bronx. I tooken the Bx12-SBS to Eastchester Road from Fordham Road and there's lots of traffic.