Comments on: The Importance of Making the Connection http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/08/28/the-importance-of-making-the-connection/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:07:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Alex Engel http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/08/28/the-importance-of-making-the-connection/comment-page-1/#comment-117531 Alex Engel Mon, 14 Sep 2009 07:08:15 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=37961#comment-117531 Doesn't the F train directly connect to the PATH? It's actually an in-station transfer as well, and is even announced on the new R160 models as you go into the station. Doesn’t the F train directly connect to the PATH? It’s actually an in-station transfer as well, and is even announced on the new R160 models as you go into the station.

]]> By: Anthony http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/08/28/the-importance-of-making-the-connection/comment-page-1/#comment-110781 Anthony Tue, 01 Sep 2009 03:57:20 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=37961#comment-110781 Agreed, Manny. I traveled to Istanbul this summer and ferries are to Istanbul what the subway is to NYC. Multiple ferries traversing the Bosphorus run constantly throughout the day. Want to go from Europe to Asia? Buy a ferry token that is the same price as a light rail (tram) token--a little over a dollar--and hop on board. You get an easy commute, and a gorgeous ride. Agreed, Manny. I traveled to Istanbul this summer and ferries are to Istanbul what the subway is to NYC. Multiple ferries traversing the Bosphorus run constantly throughout the day. Want to go from Europe to Asia? Buy a ferry token that is the same price as a light rail (tram) token–a little over a dollar–and hop on board. You get an easy commute, and a gorgeous ride.

]]> By: manny http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/08/28/the-importance-of-making-the-connection/comment-page-1/#comment-110751 manny Tue, 01 Sep 2009 03:02:53 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=37961#comment-110751 We really need ferries serving other areas besides Manhattan. These idiots that run these systems think that we all want to go to Manhattan. What is really annoying is I reside in Bayonne and Brooklyn is directly across the water. If I had a boat, I would get there in minutes. I think even swimming across would be quicker than taking all these train connections. Have a ferry serving Jersey to Brooklyn and then with an additional stop in lower Manhattan. Is this that difficult to do? We really need ferries serving other areas besides Manhattan. These idiots that run these systems think that we all want to go to Manhattan. What is really annoying is I reside in Bayonne and Brooklyn is directly across the water. If I had a boat, I would get there in minutes. I think even swimming across would be quicker than taking all these train connections. Have a ferry serving Jersey to Brooklyn and then with an additional stop in lower Manhattan. Is this that difficult to do?

]]> By: Girolamo http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/08/28/the-importance-of-making-the-connection/comment-page-1/#comment-110501 Girolamo Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:07:33 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=37961#comment-110501 Part of the connectivity problem in the NY metro area is that our puerile and provincial politicians (such as Brodsky, Avella, and other assorted idiots) see everything as an inter-state pissing contest with New Jersey, or as a Manhattan vs. Outer Boroughs grudge match. In turn, the heads of the various agencies (NJ Transit, Port Authority, NYC Transit) see things in terms of an inter-agency pissing contest. This stands in the way of true regional integration of the transit system (this is why no suburban trains run through Manhattan to connect NJ and CT or LI and Westchester; why neighborhoods with high population densities outside of NYC's city limits have no rapid transit whatsoever; why the PATH is not a subway line with an integrated fare. If only the RPA had real authority... Part of the connectivity problem in the NY metro area is that our puerile and provincial politicians (such as Brodsky, Avella, and other assorted idiots) see everything as an inter-state pissing contest with New Jersey, or as a Manhattan vs. Outer Boroughs grudge match. In turn, the heads of the various agencies (NJ Transit, Port Authority, NYC Transit) see things in terms of an inter-agency pissing contest. This stands in the way of true regional integration of the transit system (this is why no suburban trains run through Manhattan to connect NJ and CT or LI and Westchester; why neighborhoods with high population densities outside of NYC’s city limits have no rapid transit whatsoever; why the PATH is not a subway line with an integrated fare.

If only the RPA had real authority…

]]> By: Chung-chieh Shan http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/08/28/the-importance-of-making-the-connection/comment-page-1/#comment-109651 Chung-chieh Shan Sat, 29 Aug 2009 03:35:11 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=37961#comment-109651 Compared to Vienna as described here, Japanese connections between suburban train service and subway service takes the cake: many suburban trains simply become subway trains (and vice versa) with only a crew change. Compared to Vienna as described here, Japanese connections between suburban train service and subway service takes the cake: many suburban trains simply become subway trains (and vice versa) with only a crew change.

]]> By: Anthony http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/08/28/the-importance-of-making-the-connection/comment-page-1/#comment-109191 Anthony Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:22:20 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=37961#comment-109191 In CT, CDOT makes a valiant effort to ensure commuters can transfer between the Shoreline East service (New London or Old Saybrook to New Haven) and the Metro-North Railroad. Upon arriving at New Haven on SE, the "connecting" Metro-North train is waiting across the arrival platform, and, in the event the SE train is delayed, the Metro-North train will wait a reasonable amount of time before departing for New York. This very efficicent arrangement makees it easy for NY-bound commuters living east of New Haven to avoid having to drive to New Haven's Union Station in order to reach Metro-North. In CT, CDOT makes a valiant effort to ensure commuters can transfer between the Shoreline East service (New London or Old Saybrook to New Haven) and the Metro-North Railroad. Upon arriving at New Haven on SE, the “connecting” Metro-North train is waiting across the arrival platform, and, in the event the SE train is delayed, the Metro-North train will wait a reasonable amount of time before departing for New York. This very efficicent arrangement makees it easy for NY-bound commuters living east of New Haven to avoid having to drive to New Haven’s Union Station in order to reach Metro-North.

]]> By: Tom Middleton http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/08/28/the-importance-of-making-the-connection/comment-page-1/#comment-109131 Tom Middleton Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:47:47 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=37961#comment-109131 Connections are great, but how bout getting MTA to adopt a universal metro card. Hong Kong has a Octopus card that gets you on the subway, buses, commuter trains and ferries. You have one card and you load it up and spend it however you need. Here: Metro card to Penn Station, Long Island RR ticket to Jamaica. AirTrain ticket to JFK. Genius! Connections are great, but how bout getting MTA to adopt a universal metro card. Hong Kong has a Octopus card that gets you on the subway, buses, commuter trains and ferries. You have one card and you load it up and spend it however you need.
Here: Metro card to Penn Station, Long Island RR ticket to Jamaica. AirTrain ticket to JFK. Genius!

]]> By: jginsbu http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/08/28/the-importance-of-making-the-connection/comment-page-1/#comment-109091 jginsbu Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:39:51 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=37961#comment-109091 It's worth noting that the MTA often tries to avoid holding for connecting trains across the platform during peak hours because it substantially increases dwell-time and hence delays. It’s worth noting that the MTA often tries to avoid holding for connecting trains across the platform during peak hours because it substantially increases dwell-time and hence delays.

]]> By: Dave Wiley http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/08/28/the-importance-of-making-the-connection/comment-page-1/#comment-109081 Dave Wiley Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:34:02 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=37961#comment-109081 I find it interesting that I can get more information, more accurate information, more easily from Google than I can from my local transportation company. For some reason the mass transit companies are slow to incorporate better information technology. In a way this is good. It means there are still relatively easy and cheap ways for mass transit to improve, but I just wish they'd hurry up. I find it interesting that I can get more information, more accurate information, more easily from Google than I can from my local transportation company. For some reason the mass transit companies are slow to incorporate better information technology. In a way this is good. It means there are still relatively easy and cheap ways for mass transit to improve, but I just wish they’d hurry up.

]]> By: Charley http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/08/28/the-importance-of-making-the-connection/comment-page-1/#comment-109071 Charley Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:23:02 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=37961#comment-109071 Actually, having lived far along on the Eastchester/Dyre Ave 5 train, the MTA was surprisingly good at timing the shuttle with the 180th St 2 train when the 5 shut down late at night. More often than not the shuttle was waiting right there when I came in. Having said that however, I've always thought the MTA needs to give more thought to periphery-periphery connections. In a way I see it as the failing of monocentric urbanism... If you have businesses concentrated in the center, rents are unaffordable there and many people live on the periphery. This means that people are more isolated in their personal lives and are limited to those who live around them (or spend an hour and a half on the subway from Upper Manhattan to Queens to the Bronx to Affordable Brooklyn...) I've always wondered what a city would look like with a true dispersion of businesses, workplaces, affordable and unaffordable neighborhoods. Kind of like keeping the suburban model of decentralization but making it dense with a grid-like transit system. Actually, having lived far along on the Eastchester/Dyre Ave 5 train, the MTA was surprisingly good at timing the shuttle with the 180th St 2 train when the 5 shut down late at night. More often than not the shuttle was waiting right there when I came in.

Having said that however, I’ve always thought the MTA needs to give more thought to periphery-periphery connections. In a way I see it as the failing of monocentric urbanism… If you have businesses concentrated in the center, rents are unaffordable there and many people live on the periphery. This means that people are more isolated in their personal lives and are limited to those who live around them (or spend an hour and a half on the subway from Upper Manhattan to Queens to the Bronx to Affordable Brooklyn…)

I’ve always wondered what a city would look like with a true dispersion of businesses, workplaces, affordable and unaffordable neighborhoods. Kind of like keeping the suburban model of decentralization but making it dense with a grid-like transit system.

]]> By: Glenn McAnanama http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/08/28/the-importance-of-making-the-connection/comment-page-1/#comment-109021 Glenn McAnanama Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:07:00 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=37961#comment-109021 The U-bahn connection to the Schnel-Bahn is very nice. The other great attribute that Vienna has is its dense network of street cars instead of buses even on the narrowest of streets. And then there are lots of public plazas, gardens and car-free streets inside the Ring-Strasse. And it's all on the honor system so transfers are very quick and there's no worrying about fare-tranfers inside zones you have a monthly pass for. The U-bahn connection to the Schnel-Bahn is very nice. The other great attribute that Vienna has is its dense network of street cars instead of buses even on the narrowest of streets. And then there are lots of public plazas, gardens and car-free streets inside the Ring-Strasse. And it’s all on the honor system so transfers are very quick and there’s no worrying about fare-tranfers inside zones you have a monthly pass for.

]]> By: Mark Walker http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/08/28/the-importance-of-making-the-connection/comment-page-1/#comment-109011 Mark Walker Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:03:23 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=37961#comment-109011 One of the chief pleasures of traveling is seeing firsthand how well transit systems (and livable streets) can work. I often have trouble adjusting when I return -- I feel betrayed by my own city. One of the chief pleasures of traveling is seeing firsthand how well transit systems (and livable streets) can work. I often have trouble adjusting when I return — I feel betrayed by my own city.

]]>