Yesterday, we saw the images of the A train’s destruction heading out to the Rockaways, and the pictures weren’t pretty. The subway, the peninsula’s lifeline, will be out of service for some time, and residents need a way to get to Manhattan. Today, the New York City Economic Development Corporation announced temporary ferry service between the Rockaways and Wall St. beginning Monday. It’s a welcome measure for the Sandy-battered area.
“Since the storm hit, we’ve been working to ensure that New York City is able to get back to business as soon as possible,” NYCEDC President Seth Pinsky said. “Until the reopening of subway service to the rest of the City is restored from the Rockaways, this temporary option will assist thousands of New Yorkers most impacted by this storm, allowing our City and our economy to take another step on the road to recovery.”
The ferry will cost just $2 per ride and will depart five times during the morning rush from Beach 108th Street and Beach Channel Drive and five times in the afternoon from Wall St. The ride is scheduled to take less time than a similar subway journey would. For schedules and more, check out the timetables here. This is an excellent use of city resources and the waterways while the subway undergoes extensive repairs.
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There are also recently added express buses from both sides of the peninsula to Midtown. And ridership on the Rockaways subway branches are rock bottom, because it takes forever to get anywhere but East New York.
This might be apostasy, but I wonder if the net cost (subsidy) to the MTA of maintaining the tracks, operating the stations, and running the trains beyond Howard Beach might be better used by some combination of SBS service to places like Long Island City and the Brooklyn subways, express buses, and ferries. What would the ongoing operating and capital cost, capacity vs. ridership, and travel time be?
If nothing else, they should get those SBS routes up and running and see how people out there like it. Maybe people there would prefer more frequent bus service to less frequent subway service, even with the need to change from bus to train. Particularly if the overall cost would still be lower, perhaps allowing a lower toll on the bridges.
Remember, the current subway was built as a Long Island Railroad service for tourists and vacationers. At a time when there was no Marine Parkway and Cross Bay Bridges, just ferries, so it was a monopoly. And when the city took over the Rockaways line as a subway, it had a double fare (from 1956 to 1975). And when the double fare was removed, bus to subway transfers still required a second fare. Now they don’t.
Yeah. It would be worth seeing how well the ferry service, and improved bus service, works. It may really make more sense than repairing a trestle over a bay.
I was honestly a little confused by this article’s first sentence. I said, “A Train out to The Rockaways? They’ve fixed it that quickly?!?” I clicked on the the link with frantic joy. I was a little disappointed. Lol!
I think you meant the line heading out to The Rockaways, or trackage out to The Rockaways or the IND heading out to the Rockaways. All less confusing. 🙂
Any news about the Sea Beach Line with the N back to Coney Island yet? Also the (R) montauge street tunnel? I checked that this weekend they going to run the 2/3 trains local from 34th st to Chambers and the 1 terminating at 14th. NO SHUTTLE BUSES THIS TIME! Said use 2/3 and the 4/5 lines to get around.
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It’s also worth noting that this ferry is helpful for people who are volunteering down in the Rockaways on weekdays. The ferry service is bi-directional, so you can take it from Wall Street to the Rockaways in the morning and back in the evening.