REGIONAL PLAN ASSOCIATION RX: REGIONAL EXPRESS RAIL

The transportation systems in The deficiencies of both the Germany–has developed or has the -New Jersey- highway and transit networks ambitious plans to create its Connecticut Metropolitan make it difficult for this region own regional rail system. Region are a barrier to the to compete in the global mar- Berlin’s transit network, long efficient movement of people ketplace. Many highways and divided by the Cold War, is and goods throughout the entire river crossings are jammed being reconnected. Even Los region, and thus to the region’s during increasingly extended Angeles has launched a multi- economy and the quality of life peak hours, costing billions of billion-dollar effort to create a of its citizens. In an age when dollars in time lost each year. rail network from scratch. more and more jobs can go The region is past the age when The region’s existing rail anywhere, this region’s survival it can solve this problem by system hands us, perhaps for the depends on providing a quality building its way out of this last time, the opportunity to of life that will support the highway congestion as it once save, rebuild and recreate decisions of businesses to stay tried to do, given the exces- communities that have been and prosper here and of citizens sively high cost, environmental losing out to the ravages of to choose the region as a place damage and community disrup- sprawled development. More- to live and work. tion of expressway construction. over, if designed and properly Instead, focus is increasingly coordinated with land use turning towards more efficiently Rx: Regional Express managing highway travel Rail is one of the primary demand. Regional Plan Rx can become the recommendations of Regional Association’s Third Plan, A springboard for launch- Plan Association’s Third Region at Risk, proposes how to Regional Plan “A Region At ing the next wave of accomplish this, applying development in the met- Risk.” The nation’s oldest market-based measures and new independent planning organiza- technologies. ropolitan region. tion, RPA promotes policies to This report focuses on the improve the quality of life of the transit system, particularly the New York-New Jersey-Connecti- extensive but inadequate rail decisions, a truly regional cut Metropolitan Region by drafting long-range plans and network, and how it can be system would effectively serve advocating for their implemen- improved to help the region many medium-density portions tation across political bound- meet its economic and quality of the region not now served by aries. RPA’s efforts have of life objectives. Today, the rail, while providing new oppor- improved the economy, transpor- Tri-State Metropolitan region tunities for economic develop- tation systems, environment and faces competition from other ment in suburban centers. urban centers throughout the existing or budding world cities. RPA’s Regional Express Rail - Tri-State Metropolitan Region. Each of our rivals–Paris, Tokyo, Rx proposal described in this London and the major cities of report is a generation-long,

RPA Regional Express Rail - Rx 1 billion-dollar per year program to transform the existing transit Rx system. Rx can become the FIGURE 1: Specific Goals of springboard to launch the next · Increase transit capacity across the to provide more service for wave of development in the Long Islanders and residents to East Midtown and Downtown; metropolitan region and can spur redevelopment just as rail · Increase transit capacity across the Hudson River to provide New Jerseyans transit opened up new land access to East Midtown and Lower ; opportunities early in this · Increase capacity on the East Side to provide more service for Upper East century and the automobile did Siders and Bronxites; somewhat later. Rx’s productiv- ity gains would make more · Eliminate unwanted transfers to crowded subways for most of the markets effective use of public funds from the suburbs, including Long Island to East Midtown and Lower Man- hattan and the northern suburbs to West Midtown and Lower Manhattan; and fares through more efficient use of labor, rolling stock and · Relieve overcrowding on the Queens Boulevard (E and F) and Flushing (#7) other infrastructure. Rx also subway lines into Midtown and at the Lexington Avenue-53rd Street station; breaks down artificial barriers · Relieve overcrowding on the subway lines feeding Lower Manhattan from among the three states and Brooklyn; between the urban and suburban areas. Therefore, one region’s · Relieve overcrowding on the Lexington Avenue subway to provide a more transit operators can make reliable service, and provide a comfortable option for Metro North commut- broader appeals for capital and ers from Connecticut and the Hudson Valley headed for Lower Manhattan; operating funds and region-wide · Reduce volumes on the Route 495 exclusive bus lane, preventing its revenue sources, particularly as eventual breakdown; citizens of the Region come to view the entire rail system as · Speed service and increase frequency from the north, east and west into their own. midtown and lower Manhattan; · Expand the coverage of the network to areas without rail transit, including The Problem southeastern Queens, the central Bronx and eastern Bergen and Rockland The region’s 1,257-mile rail counties; network is by far the most · Provide new services between the northern suburbs and New Jersey; extensive in the nation, but many of its features leave much · Provide new services to interconnect Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, mak- to be desired. The New York ing it unnecessary to travel to Manhattan for trips within and among those City subway offers frequent boroughs; service and good coverage to · Expand greatly expanded or new services to Long Island City, the Hackensack much of the city, but it is old Meadowlands, and Jamaica; and and slow, with few amenities. Many areas, most notably · Provide direct, no-transfer access to Kennedy airport and easy one-transfer eastern Queens, all of Staten access to LaGuardia from midtown and lower Manhattan. Island and parts of upper Man- hattan, southern Brooklyn, and the Bronx do not have any subway service at all. Inhu- uninviting, compounded by coverage is limited in the sub- mane crowding is a big prob- cramped and confusing transfer urbs and it is unable to distribute lem, particularly the Lexington passages and egress and access passengers to their work loca- Avenue line in Manhattan and to the street. tions in the core. The Long the Queens Boulevard and The network is Island Rail Road brings riders Flushing lines in Queens. And generally fast, comfortable and from Nassau and Suffolk Coun- most stations are unpleasant and usually provides a seat, but ties to Penn Station on

RPA Regional Express Rail - Rx 2 Midtown’s West Side, but not to the East Side or to Lower FIGURE 2: Manhattan. Metro North riders TRIPS TO MANHATTAN 1990 1990-2020 PERCENT can reach the Grand Central area FROM: TRIPS INCREASE INCREASE but must take crowded and unreliable subways to get to Queens 344,001 36,609 10.6 Lower Manhattan. New Jersey New York 594,659 23,092 3.9 commuters can reach the West Hudson 52,292 20,325 38.9 Side easily via Penn Station, and Nassau 97,205 19,983 20.6 via the Port Authority Bus Termi- Brooklyn 343,762 19,576 5.7 nal, but are one or two subway Suffolk 38,505 12,506 32.5 trains away from East Midtown. Bergen 60,013 11,156 18.6 The commuter rail network is also Middlesex 24,030 11,049 46.0 unable to offer frequent “reverse” 54,292 10,904 20.1 service from city to suburb Essex 25,750 10,266 39.9 because of peak direction operat- Rest of Region 375,915 60,197 16.0

TOTAL 1,634,509 175,466 10.7 Rx is a rail network spliced together from the other parts would operate as and less crowding; existing one by construct- frequently and with the accelera- • Provide more direct service ing a few critical links tion of , but with the with fewer and easier transfers; that are now missing. comfort of commuter rail. This • Run frequent service, espe- last “hybrid” service would cially in off-hours; and operate with Rx trains, vehicles • Offer reliable service. having the dimensions and The specific achievements of ing priorities. Nor does it inter- power capabilities of the most Rx are shown in the Figure 1. connect points other than Manhat- modern rapid transit vehicle. tan well, if at all. They can operate in existing And the regional rail network , but with seating ar- New worktrips to Manhat- does not provide access to the rangements of the most com- tan in 2020 will have to region’s three airports. fortable commuter rail vehicles (like the ones operated on the be met with rail–only five Rx, the Regional ). Rx ser- more sets of tracks would Rail Solution vices would, where necessary, do it, compared to over 80 Regional Plan Association has break down the artificial barriers highway lanes. developed a group of proposals among rail properties that had designed to address all of these their genesis in the 19th century, problems. They are called Rx, when rival railroad companies Regional Express Rail. What is competed with one another. Why Rx Now? Rx? It is a rail network spliced Rx would: The Rx plan accommodates together from the existing one • Operate at higher speeds to most of the commuter markets by constructing a few critical compete more effectively with that will experience substantial links that are now missing. auto travel; growth projected over the next Some parts would be no differ- • Provide easier access with generation. Twenty-first cen- ent from commuter rail as we new service in places now far tury growth simply cannot be know it, others would remain from any rail transit; accommodated on today’s just like rapid transit (the NYC • Allow for greater comfort transit system, a system de- subway or PATH), and still with more comfortable seating signed in the 19th century, and

RPA Regional Express Rail - Rx 3 built in the first third of the 20th to new growth in southwestern suburbs with new intra-borough century. RPA projects that over Connecticut. Metro North and inter-county services. 230,000 more trips to work will service along the New Haven be made to Manhattan each day Line can provide the “grow The Rx Plan in 2020. This growth will have room” for focused development Rx consists of a few critical to be met with rail—only five in Stamford, Bridgeport, and projects, totaling only 25 miles more sets of tracks would do it, New Haven. Without the of new transit lines–a two compared to over 80 highway construction of the Rx proposals percent increase to the existing lanes. Nearly 90,000 new or other projects that provide for 1,257 mile rail network–making worktrips will cross the East this capacity, it is almost certain possible a multitude of new River: approximately 56,000 that this growth will not occur. services. Many of these con- from Queens and Brooklyn and The Rx proposals will meet these cepts build on projects previ- needs by bringing substantially ously proposed or now actively more commuter rail, Rx and being studied by transit agen- Linking the LIRR to subway service into the core of cies. Other concepts seek to the region, fully using the 63rd capture the unrealized and Street and new tunnel ultimately abandoned invest- would save East-Midtown under the East River from ments made in previous genera- bound commuters up to Brooklyn to Lower Manhattan, a tions, such as the 63rd Street 30 minutes per day and new line from the Bronx and tunnel connections, the Second shift some 8,000 Long Upper Manhattan, and new Avenue subway or the extension Islanders from their tunnel under the Hudson River of the Archer Avenue subway in automobiles. from New Jersey. Rx will also Jamaica. These key linkages, serve substantial parts of the the services they provide and the surrounding city and inner benefits they make possible are another 32,000 from Nassau and Suffolk counties. New Jersey will send about 70,000 more trips into Manhattan, primarily from Bergen, Essex and Middlesex counties, while the neighboring New York counties of Orange and Rockland add another 13,000 (see Figure 2). More than 210,000 new work trips will be made among the other four boroughs of . An additional 50,000 new work trips are expected to be made totally within Queens and another 48,000 within Brooklyn New Jersey counties closer to New York will also experience an influx of new internal com- muter travel, with Essex, Hudson, Union, Passaic and Bergen leading the way. I-95’s chronic congestion is a barrier

RPA Regional Express Rail - Rx 4 shown in Map 2. The project’s FIGURE 3: missing links (shown as dashed Trips to Boroughs 1990 1990-2020 Percent lines), short sections of in Long Island City and between From: Trips Increase Increase Park and Second Avenues, Queens 460,789 80,346 17.4 connect the unused lower level Brooklyn 506,519 60,499 11.9 tunnel under the East River at Bronx 182,891 37,215 20.3 63rd Street and give Long Staten Island 103,238 32,391 31.4 Island Rail Road trains access to Grand Central. The number TOTAL 1,253,437 210,451 16.8 of trains to Manhattan from Queens and Long Island would increase by two-thirds. More than 50 percent of LIRR riders described in the following text railroads is possible, including would switch to Grand Central- and maps. The sequence for the Hudson Line to Penn Station to bound trains, saving up to 30 elements of Rx is not fixed and Long Island. minutes per day, shifting some many sequences are possible. Travel from Long Island and 8,000 Long Islanders from their Because the economic health of Queens to East Midtown desti- automobiles. Lower Manhattan is especially nations would be greatly im- This would relieve threatened today, the elements of proved by completing the Long congestion on the crowded roads Rx that would help that area Island Rail Road connection to of Queens, the Queensborough should be implemented sooner. Grand Central Terminal via the Bridge and the Queens-Midtown Running through-trains from existing , as Tunnel. (See Appendix B) Connecticut to New Jersey (as shown in Map 1) on the North- east Corridor Line (for example, New Brunswick or Trenton to Stamford), can happen today MAP 2: More than 50 percent of LIRR riders would switch to without any new construction– Grand Central-bound trains, saving up to 30 minutes per day, the biggest expense could be and shift some 8,000 Long Islanders from their automobiles. printing new schedules! These trains would make use of the enormous (and barely used) offering new stops in the Bronx at Co-op City and at the Bronx hospital complex in Eastchester near Hunts Point, where transfers to and from the Pelham Bay subway line would be possible. Subway transfers in Queens could also be made at a new station at Northern Boulevard. Connecticut, eastern Westchester, and eastern Bronx residents could also use these Tri-State Rx trains to reach Penn Station and Newark Airport. Other through-running lines among the three commuter

RPA Regional Express Rail - Rx 5 The or Rx link from LIRR’s Jamaica Station to JFK MAP 3: Links at Jamaica and Woodside allow airport travel- Airport, funded by the existing ers to reach all part of Manhattan, Queens, and Long Island. air passenger facility charge (PFC) should proceed as shown in Map 3. This link would give LIRR riders one-transfer escala- tor access to JFK Airport and set up direct service to the airport from Downtown Brook- lyn via the Atlantic line of the LIRR (converted to an Rx line) as well as the abandoned, city- owned, ex-LIRR Rockaway line. The transit loop on the airport would be built to support Rx vehicles. A simple escalator transfer to a light rail line at the present LIRR stop in Woodside, Queens would speed travelers to LaGuardia Airport. Transfers to the Flushing Line subway are also possible at Woodside/ LaGuardia. This route would also be built using PFC funds, MAP 4: Queens and Long Island access to Midtown and Lower Manhattan is greatly improved. over a route that reuses existing transportation rights-of-way. Building the LIRR-Grand Central link allows airport passengers from both LaGuardia and Kennedy, with an easy transfer at Jamaica or Woodside/LaGuardia, to have a choice of reaching Manhattan’s East or West Side by rail. Queens and Long Island access to Midtown and Lower Manhattan would be dramati- cally improved by linking the LIRR’s Port Washington Line to the 63rd Street tunnel’s upper level subway tunnel, as shown in Map 4. This line would then be transformed into a high fre- quency service—the Broadway the City Hall area near the described above could have Rx line—using existing subway World Trade Center and munici- considerable cost savings. tunnels, providing access to pal government buildings. The LIRR/GCT connection West 57th Street, Times Square, Building in conjunction with the and the Broadway Rx allow Herald Square, 14th Street and LIRR-Grand Central connection more frequent service into Penn

RPA Regional Express Rail - Rx 6 Station from Long Island and Queens. MAP 5: Metro North riders at Grand Central Terminal would have an easy Currently, about escalator transfer to a high speed, high amenity and frequent express service to three dozen LIRR Lower Manhattan. riders would also have easy access trains enter or leave to a high speed, high amenity and frequent express service to Lower Manhattan, the station to and and lower Manhattan would have a one-seat ride to Kennedy Airport. from the east in a peak hour: seven of them are Port Wash- ington trains. The LIRR’s current capacity expansion project will increase this number to 42 trains per hour. With many riders shifting to trains into Grand Central Terminal and with the Port Washington trains running in the 63rd Street Tunnel, the LIRR will be able to bring more trains directly into Penn Station without the century-old change in Jamaica. There will also be more room one-transfer access to JFK and redevelopment, they facilitate it. for other trains that use (or can LaGuardia airports. Map 5 shows new connections use) Penn Station: high-speed Constructing the 63rd Street to Lower Manhattan and Down- Amtrak Northeast Corridor tunnel projects is a critical first town Brooklyn. As previously trains to Boston and through step in creating a new business noted, the revitalization of service between New Jersey and center in the Long Island City Lower Manhattan may hinge on Connecticut. The Rx link area. Once the nearly 100,000 better access, and therefore this provides both increased service rail passengers are able to reach should receive priority attention. coverage in Manhattan and Midtown smoothly, Main Line A new route under Second greater frequency of service for track capacity is freed up in the Avenue from the Bronx, through Port Washington line riders, Sunnyside Yard area of Long the Lower East Side, to New attracting many new riders from Island City. This, in turn, York Plaza on Water Street is at northeastern Queens now allows trains to stop at a new the core of this proposal. A relegated to the overcrowded station proposed for the site. Downtown Rx, from a new Flushing subway line. This, in Moreover, these transit projects station under Grand Central turn, could reduce traffic con- would also reduce automobile Terminal at 43rd Street, would gestion in downtown Flushing traffic clogging local roads and carry transferring Metro North caused by subway-bound com- highways, fighting to get to riders from Connecticut and the muters. Finally, these projects Manhattan, making Long Island Hudson Valley destined for give all the region’s suburban City even more accessible. In Lower Manhattan south down areas, East and West Midtown, short, these projects do not Second Avenue and into Nassau and Lower Manhattan, easy “bypass” Long Island City Street in the heart of the Finan-

RPA Regional Express Rail - Rx 7 cial District. Metro North riders at Grand Central Terminal MAP 6: New access provided to Co-Op City. would have an easy escalator transfer to a high speed, high amenity and frequent express service to Lower Manhattan. A second Downtown Rx service would operate under Second Avenue to Water Street, serving both local offices and the South Street Seaport District. Building north under Second Avenue to connect the already transformed Port Washington line at the 63rd Street tunnel would create a second Rx service, known as Midtown Rx. This would serve East Midtown destinations before turning west to a new station under the lower level of Grand Central Terminal at 43rd Street. Port Washington line riders then have seven access points to midtown—by far the best travel choices of all the suburban areas. From this new GCT station, Midtown Rx would be poised to continue west under 43rd Street and the Hudson River to New Jersey. Rockaway line to JFK and the creates two additional travel The western section of the other continuing to Jamaica to opportunities from the Bronx financial district would receive meet the LIRR. An added and Queens. Map 6 sketches the new service as well. Referring bonus of the new Manhattan- two Bronx services. The first to Map 5, the Broadway Rx Brooklyn tunnel under the East service from the Grand Con- would be extended south from River is its capability to receive course at 161st Street heads the City Hall station in a new many Brooklyn trains that now south down Second Avenue, tunnel with stops along Broad- operate over the unreliable and with one fork turning down the way. Traveling in a new tunnel often closed , west side at Seventh Avenue in under the East River to Down- thereby reducing the reliance on an existing tunnel under Central town Brooklyn, this route would the subway level of the bridge, Park built for this purpose. The connect into the Atlantic Av- which was never designed to other fork continues down enue terminal of the LIRR. carry such loads. These trains Second Avenue and into the This tunnel would also carry the would operate along Water new East River tunnel described Downtown Rx on an extension Street in Lower Manhattan, above. The second service in from Water Street. These two connecting up to Sixth Avenue the Bronx would be extended Rx services would continue routes at Chrystie Street and north to Co-op City, replacing along the converted LIRR providing subway coverage for obsolete elevated sections of the Atlantic Branch east toward the eastern edge of Lower White Plains Road subway line Jamaica, with one service Manhattan. with a joint-service tunnel under turning south down the The Second Avenue corridor Boston Post Road and on the

RPA Regional Express Rail - Rx 8 surface replacing the existing parallel Montauk LIRR mainline affords significant relief to the Dyre Avenue IRT subway line. through St. Albans, where a overcrowded Lexington Avenue Extending subway service into third track would be constructed subway and provides better East southeast Queens beyond to provide capacity for the Side coverage and faster trips Archer Avenue in Jamaica added service. As another from the Bronx to Manhattan. Center would provide service bonus, LIRR Jamaica Station Sending some Queens Boule- equivalent to that provided in operations would be simplified, vard trains down Second Av- northeast Queens by the intensi- and a blighting elevated trestle enue further relieves congestion fied Port Washington line. in Jamaica Center removed. On on the 53rd Street line and gives Most of this construction was the Manhattan end, some convenient access to East Side nearly completed in the early Queens Boulevard trains al- destinations. Moreover, it eases 1980s, then simply abandoned. ready using the 63rd Street the particularly overcrowded Completing a short ramp to the Tunnel could turn down Second transfer point at Lexington surface would extend the Avenue as far as 34th Street, as Avenue and 53rd Street. The Queens Boulevard subway shown in Map 5, creating a one- Downtown Rx creates a high- service three miles east on the seat ride from Laurelton to the amenity service from Grand Atlantic Branch of the LIRR to United Nations. Central to Lower Manhattan— Laurelton and Rosedale. The There are many advantages of reducing crowding on the limited LIRR service now on creating the access described in Lexington Avenue line—and that line would be shifted to the Maps 5 and 6. In Manhattan, it gives Midtown and Lower

Governor and Regional Agencies Adopt Many Rx Concepts

There are signs of progress in transforming the rail transit system. In New Jersey, the opening this past May of “MidtownDirect”, aka the Kearny Connection, a project long advocated by RPA, is one such sign. By 2002 NJ TRANSIT will have completed the Secaucus Transfer. And the Montclair Connection, proposed by RPA in the first Regional Plan in the 1920s, is finally moving forward. Together, these three projects, and the necessary signal and capacity upgrades, will provide access to Penn Station for riders on all of north Jersey’s ten rail lines. NJ TRANSIT is also advancing a rail spur to and through the Meadowlands Sports Complex, which is the first step toward service on the West Shore line. Contracts have been signed to build a light rail line on the Hudson River Waterfront, as advocated by RPA in “River City” in the early 1980s. And the Port Authority has opened the on-airport circulator at Newark Airport, which will provide it with rail access to the region, once it is extended to the nearby Northeast Corridor line.

East of the Hudson, New York City Transit is completing a connection to the upper level of the 63rd Street tunnel to partially relieve crowding on Queens subway lines, Metro North is rehabilitating Grand Central Terminal and is completing the North End Access project, which will save at least 10 minutes walking a day for tens of thousands of commuters, and the LIRR has already opened its refurbished terminal at Penn Station, with its new entrance on 34th Street. The Port Authority has proposed an on airport circulator at Kennedy airport which will also connect to the Long Island Rail Road at Jamaica Center and to the subway system at Howard Beach. Their proposed system will be compatible with Rx, thereby not precluding connections directly into the airport from the region’s rail network. RPA has worked with the MTA, Port Authority, and Governor Pataki’s office to advance any of the Rx concepts described in this report. Governor Pataki’s visionary “Master Links” proposal of May, 1996, calls for Long Island Rail Road links to Grand Central Terminal, conversion of the Farley Post Office to a new Amtrak gateway, integrated transit connections to Kennedy and LaGuardia airports, and better access to Lower Manhattan. The Port Authority provides for RPA’s airport access concepts in their construction specifications for the Kennedy Airport transit system, allowing NYCTA IND-compatible vehicles to use the planned route within the airport. This important step could allow Rx services from Manhattan to travel directly into the airport, as shown in Map 5. RPA continues to promote Rx concepts to the other regional transit studies listed in Appendix B.

RPA Regional Express Rail - Rx 9 Manhattan direct service to York College. This phase where all ten existing NJ JFK. The replacement of slow, provides full access to Midtown TRANSIT lines converge, as trouble-prone Manhattan Bridge via seven (and eventually ten shown in Map 7. The Secaucus subway service with a reliable stations) in Midtown with Transfer station would then give route along Water Street will frequent service for Port Wash- all New Jersey rail riders the benefit Brooklyn subway riders ington Line riders. The rest of option of transferring to Rx enormously. New access to the the LIRR riders can also trans- service across 43rd Street to the eastern edge of Lower Manhat- fer to the Port Washington Line East Side at Grand Central tan and the South Street Seaport at Woodside, given them added Terminal (either on the Mid- is also created. access to more of Midtown. town Rx, which would take There are also significant Long Islanders could transfer at them up Second Avenue, stop- benefits for the boroughs and Jamaica for frequent and fast ping in the 40s and 50s), or to Long Island. Extending the Rx trains to Downtown Brook- the Downtown Rx service, north lyn and the Financial District of which would turn down Second will provide coverage for the Lower Manhattan. Avenue to Lower Manhattan, as central and northern Bronx, New Jersey access to East detailed earlier. It is also especially Co-op City. Comple- Midtown and Lower Manhattan possible to extend the Rx tion of the southeast Queens is provided by extending the services deeper into New Jersey. extension reduces bus, van and two Rx lines west from the new Sending one Rx line north car traffic into Jamaica Center, station under Grand Central through the Meadowlands and provides new development Terminal to the Secaucus Sports Complex and up the possibilities for Jamaica and Transfer site in New Jersey, West Shore rail line to West

MAP 7: New Jersey riders gain access to all of Manhattan’s business and cultural districts, especially the hard to reach areas of east Midtown.

RPA Regional Express Rail - Rx 10 Shore or Main Brooklyn (mostly four tracks MAP 8: TriBoro Rx would attract many outer Line in northern wide), the New York Connect- borough transit riders and provide countless New Jersey. ing Railroad in Queens, the new intra- and inter-borough options. These improve- lightly used Hell Gate Bridge ments would between Queens and the Bronx, significantly ease and the St. Mary’s Park Tunnel the increasing in the Bronx. Connecting these congestion on lines would allow TriBoro local streets, as trains to reach across 161st well as the exclu- Street to Yankee Stadium. sive bus lane leading to the , The order that the Rx travel op- making room to portunities were presented does speed up vital not necessarily represent a chro- service vehicle nological “to-do” list, for many traffic into Lin- of the projects can and should be phased in to create logical and coln Tunnel. usable segments building to a fi- Convenient nal system. One logical order is travel between the presented below, with the earlier Bronx, Queens, elements selected because they and Brooklyn are either easier to do, planning would be created for them is further along, or in the case of airport access elements, by a new transit funding is in place. These phases line, the TriBoro could coincide with MTA five- Rx, running year capital programs. essentially per- Phase I: TriState Rx; LIRR- pendicular to the Grand Central Link, including existing radial re-routing of Port Washington subway lines, as line to upper level of 63rd Street shown in Map 8. tunnel to Broadway; JFK and Nyack would extend rail service Twenty-three subway lines LaGuardia airport links; Farley Post Office conversion to Amtrak to eastern Bergen and Rockland would be intersected at least gateway. counties for the first time in once, and six others intersected forty years. The other Rx line twice. The TriBoro Rx could be Phase II: Second Avenue sub- way/Rx route from Yankee Sta- could run westward along the constructed in stages, indepen- dium to Water Street, creating NJ TRANSIT Main Line to dently from the rest of the Rx Downtown and Midtown Rx ser- Passaic and Paterson. system described above. The vices; extension of Archer Av- In this phase, the New Jersey place to start is Brooklyn, enue subway to Laurelton; riders would gain either direct relocating the 2.8-mile-long Sunnyside Intermodal Station. or easy-transfer rail service to existing Canarsie elevated line Phase III: Downtown Brooklyn- all of Manhattan’s business and into the LIRR Bay Ridge freight Lower Manhattan tunnel to ex- cultural districts, especially the right-of-way, in conjunction tend Downtown and Broadway Rx hard to reach areas of East with the construction of 1.7 to Brooklyn, Jamaica, and JFK Airport; Co-op City extension of Midtown, as well as Downtown miles of tunnel south of Church Second Avenue subway. Brooklyn and the airports. Avenue to replace the slow- Slow bus commutes from moving McDonald F elevated Phase IV: Extension of Down- town Rx and Midtown Rx across Bergen and Rockland counties line. Most of the TriBoro right- midtown to Secaucus Transfer would be a thing of the past of-way is already available: the and beyond. with Rx services along the West LIRR Bay Ridge freight line in

RPA Regional Express Rail - Rx 11 MAP 9: New rights-of-way for Rx

MAP 10: New RX routes and conventional transit

RPA Regional Express Rail - Rx 12 The TriBoro Rx would attract One way of demonstrating the the design, construction, and many outer borough transit value of Rx is to determine the maintenance of parallel transit riders, and by crossing existing key regional markets that will routes. This proposal alone lines would provide countless be significantly better served by could generate more than five new intra- and inter-borough it. We have done this by select- billion of the required funds, options not captured by the ing 14 key centers of activity in assure proper bridge mainte- subway system. These trips– the region. For each of these nance, and enable the city to some 1.3 million work trips we have determined how well redirect precious transportation alone–are presently served by Rx improves transit service funds spent on these facilities to slow , or driving. from 28 places throughout the other worthy projects. The high residential density region. The answers shown in that early subway lines made Figure 4 are dramatic. Eighty- Complementary Transit possible generates many other four percent of the 392 market Improvements travel needs within and between pairs represented in the table A series of transit improve- the outer boroughs. TriBoro Rx would receive improved transit ments complements the Rx would serve them. This line service with Rx, with the vast proposal. Redesigning the would create new subway majority of those receiving James A. Farley Post Office access to much of southeastern substantial improvements to the across from Penn Station for Brooklyn, and eliminate anti- service now offered. Only one Amtrak, expedited under New quated elevated structures, fill market in six would not be York Senator Daniel P. underused express tracks on the directly benefited by Rx, and Moynihan’s leadership, is a IND F line, speed travel times many of those already have significant complement to Rx. from the Brighton Beach area excellent transit service. This would open up more space and begin the circumferential in Penn Station for the expanded TriBoro line. Paying for Rx commuter rail operations and Each of the many elements of RPA’s best estimate of the services expected there, and Rx serves more than one pur- capital cost of Rx is $21 billion, once again establish a proper pose. For example, the Atlantic spent over 20 years. This figure New York City gateway for Branch of the LIRR once is in addition to current transit intercity rail travel. Other converted to Rx gives access to needs, and Rx funding should complementary projects include both Lower Manhattan for Long not starve the existing system. light rail systems, some created Islanders and to JFK Airport Rx funding could be generated by “re-inventing” existing, but from Manhattan and Brooklyn. from many places. It could be underperforming commuter rail The Second Avenue line creates raised by a charge of just 2 lines: access to Lower Manhattan for cents on each mile traveled by • New Jersey Hudson River Metro North riders, to the East motor vehicle in the region, or a Waterfront; Side for Queens residents, and payroll tax of only one-half of • Newark-Elizabeth Rail Link; frees up the congested Lexing- one percent (Paris’ payroll tax • Cross-Nassau Light Rail Link; ton Avenue subway for the pays for their regional rail • Manhattan Midtown Light Upper East Side and Bronxites. network). Funding could also Rail Loop. The full Rx system is depicted come from “value-capture” While we are creating the Rx in Maps 9 and 10. In Map 9 taxes, which redirect some of network, we cannot ignore the segments of the system that the windfall gains accruing to need to repair and upgrade the would consist of wholly new property owners from Rx’s transit system already in place, rights-of-way is shown. The construction. particularly investments that can portions of the system that The private sector can also provide a more reliable, secure would operate either with new help. RPA has proposed that the and attractive service. These Rx vehicles or under new City of New York lease its four are listed in the Appendix and institutional arrangements are East River Bridges to a private described more fully in A Re- shown separately in Map 10. operating firm, in exchange for gion at Risk.

RPA Regional Express Rail - Rx 13 Building Consensus FIGURE 4: HOW WELL DOES RX SERVE THE KEY REGIONAL The region’s transportation agencies are already hard at work examining a range of 29 Sectors of Region alternatives within their juris- dictions. RPA applauds their Activity Center Vast Some None work and wants to see it con- tinue. Choosing new projects is never easy, particularly when Lower 21 7 0 dozens of other choices are Midtown NE 20 2 6 simultaneously being made in so many separate agencies. Ideally, Midtown NW 15 8 5 each alternative should be fully Midtown SE 22 2 4 informed about all the other Midtown SW 18 5 5 alternatives under examination, and flow from a regional vision Downtown Brooklyn 18 7 3 of the future region-wide rail Long Island City 12 7 9 transit network. Then, we can Jamaica 15 5 8 work together to achieve it. Over the last year RPA has New Jersey Waterfront 17 5 6 been closely monitoring the Hackensack Meadowlands 21 5 2 studies that are being done by the region’s transportation Newark 15 6 7 agencies, listed in Appendix B. Stamford, Connecticut 20 3 5 Unfortunately, it is unclear JFK Airport 21 6 1 whether the studies are taking advantage of the synergies to be LaGuardia Airport 21 6 1 gained by establishing projects Newark Airport 13 9 6 that meet multiple objectives Total Markets 269 83 68 that cross jurisdictional bound- aries. Those conducting the studies attempt to find the best Percent of Total 64 20 16 answer to meeting their own objectives, and, in so doing, they may prevent the best • NYCT’s rail access to the two airports in regional solution from emerg- Study does not consider the Queens. ing, for example: value of bringing riders from There are undoubtedly many • More effective use of the upper Long Island to Lower Manhat- ways of achieving at least some level of the 63rd Street tunnel is tan, or links to the Manhattan of these objectives for the not an objective of the LIRR Study alter- regional rail network. RPA has East Side Access Study, over- natives. concentrated on developing one looking the potential value of • Access to the region’s Core plan, Regional Express Rail, or running the Port Washington Study geographic scope Rx, which we believe can Line as an Rx down Second and prevents consideration of accomplish them all. Because Seventh avenues. branching a new crosstown the Rx system provides so many • Delivering Metro North riders route to Lower Manhattan. benefits to so many parties, it is to Lower Manhattan is beyond And none of these studies possible to build a consensus the scope of NYCT’s Man- considers the value of their around the full plan. However, hattan East Side Access Study. alternatives to provide improved the constituents that would gain

RPA Regional Express Rail - Rx 14 must be able to agree to support merely keep the existing system are inevitable in such an the elements of the Rx program from falling apart. But we environment. that do not directly benefit disagree. It is time for this • There is no universally agreed them, understanding that they region to plan for its revival, not to set of evaluation criteria will receive mutual support accept the weaknesses of the proceeding from a shared from others. In other words, the existing rail network. It is time value system to apply to region has to behave like a to eliminate intolerable conges- alternatives. How, for ex- region. There is a range of tion, unwieldy transfers among ample, do we weigh capital interests who will benefit— disconnected systems, and costs against operating defi- employers and employees, provide the quality of transit cits? How much are we realtors, developers, unions. service to give more of the willing to trade off in commu- Benefits flow to riders of the region’s residents choices nity impacts to gain some subway within New York City, superior to the motor vehicle. transportation benefits? How suburban commuter rail passen- This will enable us to compete much are we willing to spend gers, and airport passengers and effectively with other metropoli- to remove motor vehicles employees. All three suburban tan areas domestic and overseas, from the roads to make our sectors—Long Island, New rather than assume the inevitabil- cities more livable or reduce Jersey and the Hudson Valley ity of a declining share of the air pollution? How much and Connecticut—reap signifi- national and world economy. would we invest to give a cant gains, as do each of the The greatest barrier to achiev- transit rider a seat during the ing the vision that is Rx, is self- peak period? perpetuating pessimism. Many • Overall decision-making believe that we cannot afford to responsibility is scattered Because the Rx system spend the kind of money re- among many entities and provides so many benefits quired to put Rx in place. But if across many jurisdictions. to so many parties, it is we do not make this investment, Federal legislation theoreti- possible to build a consen- then we can guarantee that we cally puts this process in the will never again have the re- hands of the Metropolitan sus around the full plan. sources to even consider it, since Planning Organizations our ability to compete globally (MPOs) in each metropolitan will decline and our economic area, but there are separate boroughs of New York City. Rx base will erode. MPOs in each state of the further works to strengthen the The barriers to fulfilling this region. Moreover, even region’s centers, most notably regional transit vision are institu- within each state, the MPOs downtown Brooklyn, Long tional and financial, not physical. do not now have clear control Island City, Jamaica, the • Conflicts exist even within the over the process of prioritiz- Hudson River Waterfront and same transit organization. ing projects as intended by the Newark. And Rx helps get cars Metro North, for instance, is legislation. A decision- and trucks off the road, easing wary of its sister agency, the making bridge across jurisdic- road congestion for those LIRR, operating trains into tions is needed. unable to take advantage of the Grand Central Terminal. And, • Regional funds are not appar- regional rail network. LIRR is concerned about ent. Federal funding for Metro North trains operating capital projects is directly Barriers to Regional into Penn Station. assigned to each transit opera- Transit Solutions • Each agency continues to tor, making it difficult for Some may see it as the wrong make its choices based on its individual agencies to give up time to be making proposals to own mandate, understandable funding for projects beneficial expand the transit network in the absence of coordinated to their operations and con- when the region is struggling to planning, but unacceptable for stituencies for projects whose piece together enough funds to the region. Suboptimal choices benefits will be shared with

RPA Regional Express Rail - Rx 15 other political jurisdictions. on the operational analysis and line segments where Rx and Current funding mechanisms on labor requirements. Rev- rapid transit will operate jointly. must be changed to accommo- enue will be estimated based on We will also determine the date the regional funding of ridership and the proposed fare maintenance and storage yard worthy regional projects. structures. RPA will also look requirements for rail rolling stock. • The public in each state does for creative financing and Finally, and most importantly, not now see the entire re- operational structures that could RPA will continue to advocate gional transit system as “their create public-private partner- these projects by bringing them own.” The system needs to ships to speed Rx implementa- to the region’s decision-makers: present itself as a seamless tion and operations. Fare collec- corporate leaders, real estate whole to a public whose tion and fare system alternatives development interests, politi- fundamental interest is in will also be explored, with the cians, transportation experts, and moving around freely. One criteria of simplicity, fairness civic and environmental organi- way of doing that is through a and ease and cost of collection. zations. We must work to bring universal fare system, one that RPA will refine estimates of down the barriers that prevent integrates tokens, potential ridership and the the consideration of Rx—much and paper tickets, and high- benefits to those riders in time less their implementation. way, bridge and tunnel tolls. saved and transfers avoided that This is an ambitious plan that the Rx projects will provide. targets new investments—and Next Steps for RPA Estimates will also be made of reinvestments—necessary for and the Region the volume of motor vehicles sustained growth and continued Over the next number of that Rx will remove from the prosperity in an uncertain months Regional Plan Associa- road system. These ridership future. It calls for radical tion will further refine this Rx estimates will be matched to the changes in the status quo and proposal. The physical features operating capabilities of the bold initiatives on the part of of the plan will be defined more proposed services to accommo- citizens, business, and govern- fully. Route alignments and date the demand in peak peri- ment. Strong regional leader- station locations will be investi- ods, accounting for required ship—both public and private— gated, enabling more accurate frequencies, merging conflicts, is needed to bring about Rx and estimates of capital costs. vehicle and train capacities, and enter the next millennium Financial aspects will also be comfort standards. Special strategically poised for another scrutinized. Estimates will be attention will be paid to those century of growth and prosperity. made of operating costs based

RPA Regional Express Rail - Rx 16 A Region At Risk: The Third regional Plan for the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut Metropolitan Region is available through the publisher, Island Press, at 800-828-1302.

October, 1996 ã Regional Plan Association 4 Irving Place, 7th floor New York, NY 10003 212-253-2727

RPA Regional Express Rail - Rx 17 Appendix A: Complementary Transit Improvements

Stations: Improved lighting and information systems; better visibility in stations; less steep stairways; more stairway and escalator access; reconstruct high priority stations; heated station buildings (commuter rail); high level platforms (commuter rail); expanded parking (where access on foot is impractical). Transit Equipment: Upgraded signal systems; upgraded rail beds; continuously welded rails (commuter rail); universal cab signaling (commuter rail). Transit Operations: More skip-stop and express service; express buses where rail is unfeasible; more local buses for local service and to feed rail; regional fare card Specific Complementary Projects and Rail Services: • Sunnyside Yard Station in Long Island City • New Jersey Hudson River Waterfront • Newark-Elizabeth Rail Link • Cross-Nassau Light Rail Link • Manhattan Midtown Light Rail Loop • Shuttle from JFK Airport to Jamaica • Shuttle from LGA Airport to Woodside • Stamford Rail Station

Appendix B: Major Transit Studies

Manhattan East Side Access - NYC Transit To examine options for north/south transit on the East Side of Manhattan. Completion July 1997 East River Crossing - NYC Transit To examine options for East River transit crossings between Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan to reduce reliance on Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges. Completion 1996 Access to the region’s Core - Joint MTA/PA/NJT To examine options in the East/West Midtown corridor between New Jersey and Queens. In addition to RPA’s Rx east-west transit route to New Jersey, the ARC study is analyzing the alternatives including a commuter rail conection between Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station, and an east-west commuter rail line between New Jersey and Queens through Midtown. Completion June 1997 LIRR East Side Access - LIRR To examine options for access for the LIRR to East Midtown. Completion July 1997 Lower Manhattan Transportation Access Economic Benefits Study - Empire State Development Corpo- ration To examine the economic impacts of improved Lower Manhattan transit access Completion 1996

RPA Regional Express Rail - Rx 18