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Why It's So Hard to Get From Brooklyn to Queens

m.theatlanticcities.com

1–10 of 118 posts

Re: Why It's So Hard to Get From Brooklyn to Queens

#7
post #3
post #2

You really can't overstate the differences between trams and busses. Trams are more like a moving sidewalk, a physical part of the city.

Don't you mean 'can't overstate'?

Several cities in UK are bringing trams back.

They call them 'the metro' usually to sound more modern.

I use one twice a week, but it only runs on actual roads for a small part of the journey (Birmingham to Wolverhampton) so it is more of a light railway really. The extension at the Birmingham end will bring the trams back onto main city streets.

Re: Why It's So Hard to Get From Brooklyn to Queens

#8

Did they forget about the G train??

When I was a kid, that might have worked -- the G stopped at Queens Plaza (with local service all the way to Continental Ave.), so you could take an E or F down Queens Boulevard, make a quick transfer, and be on your way. Sadly, the MTA seems to have it in for the G; the line now terminates at Court Sq., the trains are shorter than before (which was already shorter than other lines), and some of the stations are in very poor shape.

Also worth mentioning is the J, which is mostly a Brooklyn/Queens train.

Re: Why It's So Hard to Get From Brooklyn to Queens

#9
post #2

You really can't overstate the differences between trams and busses. Trams are more like a moving sidewalk, a physical part of the city.

The meaningful difference is not between rails and tires. It is between dedicated rights-of-way and one shared with automotive traffic.

When buses get dedicated right-of-way, as in Curitiba they provide similar service levels to subways.

Re: Why It's So Hard to Get From Brooklyn to Queens

#10
post #5

How to fix it: - Improve G train service. - Use the Pulaski bridge. - Take care of the BQE infrastructure. - Public jetpacks!

Another possibility would be to build all the planned subway extensions in Queens; Brooklyn already has good subway service, and a few more lines connecting the two boroughs would not hurt:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IND_Second_System

While we are at it, let's actually make use of this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockaway_Beach_Branch

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