Regional Express Rail
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REGIONAL PLAN ASSOCIATION RX: REGIONAL EXPRESS RAIL The transportation systems in The deficiencies of both the Germany–has developed or has the New York-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 East River to provide more service for wave of development in the Long Islanders and Queens 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 Manhattan; 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 bus 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 commuter rail 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” Staten Island 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 rapid transit, 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 tunnels, 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 Washington Metro). 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.