Published: 10/30/2014 - 10:45AM.
By: Kevin Wang.
I have been asked this question many times, the question in a collective statement is how can we overhaul the NYC In-City and Regional Transit Network. I have thought about it Long and Hard. And I have came to the conclusion that we need to make it more manageable to each respective regions and balance out each transit agency's powers. In ways, I have been inspired by transit agencies across the Nation, Canada and Europe. I believe we need better leverage power to each transit agency and not let one power over the other. Especially sort of like how transit agencies in California work. I however emphasize on a better system of operations, more streamlined and cost-efficient. We need a more a-la-carte system.
New York City & Long Island Bus and Subway Network:
For the Bus Networks, I've researched and looked at maps, I believe we should enhance Inter-County Lines, make sure MTA NYC, Nassau Inter-County Express BUS, Suffolk County Transit Bus (Consolidate Nassau and Suffolk's bus system into one company called "Long Island Inter-County Transit Systems") and Westchester County Bee-Line Bus gets a fair shot and in ways benefit from one another. Allow some Local Bronx Buses into Westchester, and allow some Bee-Line Buses into the Bronx and Upper Manhattan. Allow more buses onto the highway networks when possible. Merge some of the Nassau and Suffolk County Bus Lines (thus through the LIICTS) and remove redundancy routes, streamline across the board. Make the Default Payment Card a joint-entity between the MTA NYC, LIICTS, and WCBLB. Explore payment streamlining to Rockland Co. and CT Transit. This way, the bus network communicates and melts into one another flawlessly and in ways, gives less redundancy when not needed, especially short routes that doesn't make a lot of sense to be it's own line.
We should also explore enhanced service for Queens, and Long Island. The only part of the region that is always left out when it comes to innovative transit thinkings. If NYC could build an elevated Busway or Light Rail Line over the LIE, and have stations for some of the buses, it would be amazing! Let all MTA Express Buses use that corridor! Have a MTA NYC/LIICTS Joint Operations Bus Route that serves: Midtown Manhattan (34th St. between 5th and Madison) - Grand Ave. (Maspeth) - Queens Center Mall (Rego Park) - Main St. (Flushing) - 188th St. (Fresh Meadows) - Bell Blvd. (Bayside South) - Marathon Parkway (Little Neck South) - New Hyde Park Road. (New Hyde Park) - Mineola Ave. (Roslyn). - Glen Cove Road. (Old Westbury) - Jericho Metro MegaPark & Ride/Route 25/Jericho Turnpike (Jericho-Hicksville) - Route 135 (South Oyster Bay) - Melville Metro MegaPark & Ride/Route 110/Broad Hollow Road (Melville) ///leaves LIE alignment/// Huntington Square Mall (Dix Hill-Commack) - Landing Ave. (Smithtown Town Center) - Smith Haven Mall (Nesconset-Lake Grove). This would create a better corridor for a true Semi-Express experience for Long Islanders. The Park and Ride + Bus Rapid Transit Articulated (Accordion/Bendy) Buses w/ Coach Style Seating would work seamlessly and innovate Long Island's transit system. This would also create another corridor that would remove more cars off the road.
The NYC Subway System would be still under the MTA NYC System and WILL NOT be affected by any of this overhaul.
New York City & Long Island, Connecticut & Hudson Valley Railroads:
For the Long Island Railroad, I have always believed it should be enhanced, I have always believed each section of the network should be two tracked, other than the Greenport Branch. I think we should double track each and every section of the entire Long Island Railroad system other than the Greenport. We should maintain electrification and expand electrification of the rail network to as far as Port Jefferson Station on the Port Jefferson Branch, maintain electrification to Ronkonkoma on the Main Line, explore possible electrification up to Riverhead by the Outlets and create a new station over there called "Riverhead West" to serve the Tanger Outlets at Riverhead and the other shopping places like Costco and Walmart and let electrified trains end there, also electrify all the way to Patchogue or Speonk, this way, the Long Island Railroad can cut down on Diesel trains and enhance through service. Also, all Diesels that serve places between Ronkonkoma (or Riverhead West) and Greenport and the Patchogue or Speonk and Montauk should be strictly Semi-Express however, I should note that the Diesel Service should start at a reasonable stop, like Hicksville, or Babylon even it provides some redundancy, it helps interconnect the region. The new Long Island Railroad system would be a joint service just like my suggested Long Island Expressway BRT between the LIICTS and MTA NYC however LIICTS gains the majority of the operations as the LIE BRT has a MTA NYC majority.
The joint entity would have the name of LITES (Long Island Transport Express Services). This three joint entities would power NYC and Long Island like never before, and it would empathize on giving customers better communications, make the entire network of bus, subway and railroad work seamlessly and provide better inter-connections. The use of I and T and S in LIICTS and LITES reflects the need of better customer service and Inter-connecTivity in the System of transport lines. The three entities would be powered by NYC's City Hall and Long Island's Suffolk County Seat. There would be one joint oversight board, and NYC would select 4 board members (one by Manhattan and Bronx borough president, one by Queens and Brooklyn borough president, one by Staten Island borough president, one by the mayor), Nassau County would select 4 (one per Town, one by the County Executive) board members, and Suffolk County would select 4 (by joint-town selections of towns in Western Suffolk, Central Suffolk, the East End Forks + Islands and one by the County Executive) board members. The end result of the new operations would be a board consisting of all Joint Selected staff by Albany, City Hall, Mineola and Hauppague. There will obviously be a company board consisting of a CEO/Chair, a MTA NYC Bus Operations Chief, 5 Bus Operations Managers by Borough, a MTA NYC Subway Operations Chief, an A Division+Yard Manager, a B Division Manager, a C Division+Capitols Program Manager, a Long Island Railroad Chief, Branch Line Managers, Nassau Countywide Bus Manager, Suffolk Western-Central Bus Manager and Suffolk Eastern-Central Bus Manager and eliminations of excess managers, consolidate without impacting any operations.
The MOST MAJOR of the overhauls come on the Metro-North side of things, For the Metro-North Railroad should be broken up. I suggest giving West of the Hudson Line Operations in FULL to the NJTransit other than ownership of properties. The Pascack Valley Line should be owned by NJTransit in FULL. The Port Jervis Line north of Suffern (I assume a MTA MNR owned property should be transferred to the NYS DOT with NJTransit being the operator. The New Haven Line should be transferred to Amtrak and the trackage given to ConnDOT in full, the Hudson Line and Harlem Lines should be transferred to a joint CSX-Amtrak operation. Amtrak Shore Line East trains will be merged with Amtrak New Haven Line Services to streamline operations. Ticketing in the West of Hudson Lines will be in consistent with NJTransit ticketing, as for Port Jervis, it will be a joint decision, Pascack will be under NJTransit in FULL. The fares for Amtrak-CSX Hudson and Harlem Lines would be in consistent with what NYSDOT and the Amtrak-CSX joint venture would recommend and streamline. Allow an enhanced ticketing so travelling between NYC and Albany would be possible without going through booking windows. Amtrak New Haven Line (Connecticut Services) fares would be what Amtrak and ConnDOT says.
The operations would fall under a new started service called the Connecticut and Hudson Railroad (CHRR) with Amtrak-CSX-NYSDOT-ConnDOT- being the oversighters/operators. The West of Hudson would be fully under NJTransit's board with Port Jevis Line under a joint oversight/operations of NJTransit- NYSDOT. The East of Hudson service would require a new local board. A Co-President, one selected by Albany and one selected by Hartford, a Hudson Line Manager, a Harlem Line Manager, a New Haven Line Manager (West of South Norwalk (New Haven & New Canaan)), a New Haven Line Manager (East of South Norwalk (New Haven+SLE, Danbury and Waterbury), a Grand Central Station Manager/Master and a main office in Stamford, CT or White Plains, NY. There would also be a joint oversight board, selected by the Westchester County Executive, Putnam County Executive, Dutchess County Executive, the Mayor of Stamford, the Mayor of Bridgeport, the Mayor of New Haven.
I believe this comprehensive reform would benefit each respective regions very well, it would also create a world class transit network that services Long Island and New York City in a connected manner, Hudson Valley and Connecticut in a connected manner and also give each region a better leverage of how their own rail and transport networks performs. I am not for implementing a Public-Private joint rail network for this region due to the fact that it carries millions of commuters each day, it is too far of a gamble to do it. I believe this is the best way to go for the future and beyond, where there is a balance of power and control, where streamlining is emphasized and where each region gets the benefits they deserve. So in short NYC and Long Island has their own new overhauled Bus and Railroad network, and Hudson Valley and Connecticut has their own new overhauled railroad network with some bus enhancements as well. I fully recognize this is fantasy right now, but it is a concept worth considering!
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