Dream Subway Map Includes a 10th Avenue Subway and a PATH to Staten Island
For most New Yorkers, subway dreams are simple things like trains arriving on time and getting a seat, but cartographer Andrew Lynch has big visions for what could become of NYC’s transit system (h/t Gothamist). In his most recent iteration of the Future NYC Subway map, he “sought to plan out a system expansion which would be as cost effective as possible by addressing current service bottlenecks, train car issues, current ridership and population growth.” This includes: a PATH train to Staten Island: a K line to connect the Brighton Beach Line (B/Q) to the Crosstown (G) at Bedford-Nostrand Avenues; a 10th Avenue L train extension; a majorly enhanced Second Avenue subway; and a Bushwick-Queens line.
Let’s start with that PATH line to Staten Island. Coincidentally, Staten Island Borough President James Oddo sent a letter on Tuesday to Mayor de Blasio, urging him to consider a $5-$7 billion light rail connecting the oft-forgotten borough with New Jersey. Instead of linking the Island with Jersey’s Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (HBLR), Lynch’s plan to better connect the borough calls for a connection with the existing PATH train. However, his idea utilizes existing HBLR above-ground tracks to offset costs. The line would begin at St. George and continue into Bayonne, Jersey City, and Hoboken. From Jersey City it would end at the World Trade Center station, and from Hoboken it would end at the current termination point at 33rd Street (the ferry would still bring commuters to Lower Manhattan).
As far as the Second Avenue Subway is concerned, Lynch of course wants the second phase completed to bring the T and Q trains to East Harlem, but he also wants the T to utilize the out-of-service V and W train routes. He proposes having the T travel west on 125th Street, providing a bit of a cross-town line and linking up with the 1 train. The T would then connect with the V in midtown and lower Manhattan, making its way into Brooklyn. At 55th Street, the T will connect with the W and go all the way to LaGuardia Airport. Additionally, an AirTrain would connect LaGuardia to JFK with a stop in between at Citi Field.
A rather ingenious idea is to extend the L train to 10th Avenue and then have it continue north to 34th Street where it will meet the Hudson Yards 7 train station. “The issue won’t be that the 7 train can’t handle the crowds but can Times Square and Grand Central handle the transfers. These are the most heavily used stations in the entire system and transferring at either can be intimidating and time consuming,” Lynch adds.
Adding a new letter to the system sounds fun, so what’s the deal with the K train? Also known as the Franklin Avenue Subway, it would be a short extension of the Franklin Avenue Shuttle, connecting the B/Q trains to the Crosstown G at Bedford-Nostrand Avenues, and it would travel all the way to Brighton Beach. This plan also includes extending the G all the way to Forest Hills.
The Bushwick-Queens line is another way to connect the two boroughs. Utilizing the M’s path, the B train would extend past the Myrtle Avenue station, all the way to Woodhaven Boulevard. Here, it would connect with the E, F, G, K, N, and V trains. The line would travel through a new East River tunnel, connecting South 4th Street in Williamsburg to Houston Street in Manhattan.
It’s important to note that these aren’t just pipe dreams; Lynch has detailed explanations for each idea, mainly that related to infrastructure. Explore the entire Future NYC Subway map and read what Lynch has to say over on Vanshnookenraggen.
[Via Gothamist]
RELATED:
