Home Brooklyn MTA board members like the F express plans

MTA board members like the F express plans

by Benjamin Kabak

After a few weeks of campaigning and a last-minute push in support of the petition, Gary Reilly’s F Express petition has reached the MTA. Based on Gary’s reports, it sounds like the tide is in our favor; we may yet get our wish for express service on the Culver Line into Brooklyn.

On Wednesday, Reilly took his petition to the MTA’s board meeting, where he was greeted practically with open arms by the board members. Reilly, on his site, wrote about the meeting:

The best moment of the meeting occurred about halfway through. Board Member Andrew B. Albert, whom I’ve never met, took a moment to express support the F&V petition.

Paraphrase:
Albert: I’d like to second what Mr. Reilly said about restoring the F express train in Brooklyn.
Kalikow: Was this something that was always intended when the express was shut for repairs originally?
Albert: Yes it was, but after the horrible fire we had at the Bergen Street station, it was put on the shelf.
Eliot Sander: We’re looking into it …

After the meeting, I had chance to speak briefly with Board Member Norman Seabrook. The bottom line: Our pleas are not falling on deaf ears.

This is, of course, great news, and it was followed this afternoon by a most welcome announcement via e-mail and covered on Kensington (Brooklyn). Three city council members and a group of community activists will meet on Thursday afternoon at Church Ave., a potential express stop on the F line, to discuss our plan. The event details are as follows:

Brooklyn Expresses: F-Train Frustration
WHO: Council Members Bill de Blasio, Simcha Felder, and Domenic Recchia; Community Activists
WHAT: Rally to Support Petition to Restore Express Service on Brooklyn’s F line
WHEN: 2 pm, Thursday, June 28, 2007
WHERE: Church Avenue Station; Church Avenue and McDonald Avenue, Brooklyn, NY

So let’s do this. All public transportation advocates who want to see improved subway service who don’t have prior commitments this afternoon should support this plan. We can make it happen sooner. These are exciting times for Brooklyn subway riders angling for better service.

After the jump, the full text of the press release.

Brooklyn, New York—Council Members Bill de Blasio (D-Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, Kensington), Simcha Felder (D-Midwood, Bensonhurst and Boro Park), and Domenic Recchia (D-Coney Island, Gravesend, Bensonhurst) will stand with community activists and representatives of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership and Transportation Alternatives tomorrow, Thursday, June 28, 2007, to rally in support of the restoration of express service on Brooklyn’s F line.

“To let existing transportation infrastructure go unused is a disservice to the Brooklynites who rely on mass transit every day,” says de Blasio.

An online petition in support of restoration launched by community activist Gary Reilly has generated 2,500 signatures in two weeks. “Investments in transit pay off in increased quality of life for everybody,” says Reilly. “Let’s get this done.”

“A remarkable shift in conscious is happening in New York City, with a renewed commitment to strategic planning for the future,” says Felder. “But let’s not allow our focus on the future to distort our sight of what’s right in front of us. The MTA plans to restore F express by 2012. We think it can happen sooner than that.”

“Our communities have been clamoring for expedited express train service for years, and the time has come to listen and respect the needs of the City’s subway riders, who are average, every-day New Yorkers,” says Recchia.

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11 comments

Todd June 28, 2007 - 9:03 pm

I hope the pressure stays on the MTA. They tend to ignore things until they go away (or hurt someone).

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eric the beehivehairdresser June 28, 2007 - 9:43 pm

If they can figure out a way to make an express lane for the huge amount of stairs at the 4th Ave & 9th Street stop during rush hours I’d be so in on this express thing.

Without an express walk lane going up, it takes ten solid minutes to make the walk up transfer through the really slow mass of people struggling to breathe up the endless stairs.

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eric the beehivehairdresser June 28, 2007 - 9:44 pm

Also, really glad things got this far this quick with that petition.

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Marsha June 29, 2007 - 9:02 am

New Yorkers have never followed the stay to the right rule on staircases or walkways in the subways. That would go a long way to solving Eric’s problem. It is common knowledge that in London’s Underground people stay to the right on the escalators and those who want to move faster can walk up or down to the left. They also form lines at the bus. How civilized.

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anita June 29, 2007 - 5:50 pm

“New Yorkers have never followed the stay to the right rule on staircases or walkways in the subways”

i agree. but i don’t understand WHY that is the case. i’ve nearly gotten into fisticuffs with people as i go down stairs *on the right* and (to be honest) refuse to move because, well, some manners here, please !!!

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anita June 29, 2007 - 5:51 pm

ps .. this is a great blog you have here, benjamin. keep up the VERY good work. it’s much, much appreciated.

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MR BLUTH June 30, 2007 - 11:03 am

Does “F” Express service mean that the Bergen Street “underground railroad” station (formerly used by the “G”) might also be revived? I’ll betcha not many Brownstone Brooklynites even knew there were two station levels at Bergen, the lower level shortsightedly shuttered and mostly ripped-out back over a decade ago. You can actually see the ghost-station on nights when the “F” bypasses to/from Jay Street for repairs to the main line.

That said – and we’re not really looking to open a can of worms in Bensonhurst – if “F(x)” service gets restored, could the “NX” be far behind?

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Victoria Jeter July 3, 2007 - 12:49 pm

It’s because I signed the petition.

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Jason Porter July 3, 2007 - 9:36 pm

I agree with Mr. Bluth’s comments. They should make repairs on the lower level at Bergen Street. That way, when the F express service is restored, people can use the Bergen Street station to connect to the local trains upstairs instead of transferring at 7th Avenue.

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mshlfykd December 1, 2007 - 5:54 pm

mshlfykd…

mshlfykd…

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Ernest Park June 17, 2008 - 7:38 pm

The ‘F” train express idea is ridiculous and a very bad idea! I am a senior citizen and I have used the Ditmas Avenue Station my whole life. About 20 to 25 years ago there was express service. I would wait-and-wait for a local train while express after express skipped Ditmas Ave which is a local station. Even now I usually get a seat anytime in the heart of the rush hour on the “F” train at my boarding staion. What is the point of all this petitioning?

I dread the idea of express service coming back. Also, there just are not enough riders to justify express service. It would be a waste of the taxpayer’s money and a much longer commute timewise for me.

Please do NOT bring back the “F” express! It is a very bad idea!
Also, I do NOT think that “V” service is practical.

Ernest Park

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