Quote:
Originally Posted by Alon
I think you should focus more on inner lines, and not on additional suburban extensions. The only people who you're going to get on the trains if everything just expresses to one or two Manhattan terminals without any inter-agency integration are peak-hour suburban commuters, and those will drive 10 kilometers to the better park-and-ride.
So, since we're talking long-term, here's what needs to happen:
1. Fares and timetables between the agencies should be integrated, including through-running whenever reasonably possible. Maybe for scheduling reasons it's not the best to have trains run through from New London to Newark, DE, but at least run through from New Haven to Trenton, from New London to New York, from New York to Philadelphia, etc. This means through-running even when it's claimed to be impossible now - we're talking about future rolling stock, and honestly even existing trains can be modified at much lower cost than it costs to build a Manhattan cavern.
1a. Integrated fares and tickets include urban rail and the buses. Best industry practice is to let people ride from Oyster Bay to Carteret, involving a bus, a train, a connecting train, and another bus, on one ticket, with all connections timed. This includes the subway, too - i.e. there should be a unified Far Rockaway station with timed LIRR-subway transfers.
(By the way, most rail scheduling innovations that Americans think are impossible to adhere to happen every day thousands of times in Germany, Switzerland, and Japan.)
2. Signaling on the central segments should allow high capacity. Something like SACEM on the RER A is a good example: moving-block signaling in the congested core, standard fixed-block signaling on the branches. Given that Penn Station has more than just one track per direction funneling into the NJT tunnel, 30-32 tph should be achievable.
3. All trains should be EMUs, and future orders should also reduce the weight. FRA regulations have no relationship to actual safety needs and can and should be ignored in favor of more modern rules.
4. Either subsequent orders should allow multi-voltage trains, so that there's rolling stock for any reasonable through-running, or everything should be reelectrified at 25 kV 60 Hz (and the NEC definitely should be so reelectrified, for the benefit of intercity trains).
5. Major suburban stations should not be park-and-ride hell, but instead there should be TOD within a pleasant walking distance. Hicksville is quite close to a large mall, but both the station and the mall are surrounded by parking, and so pretty much nobody takes the LIRR into Hicksville, just from Hicksville.
6. Off-peak frequency should be at worst 10-15 minutes at the urban stations and 30 minutes on the branches. To reduce operating costs, conductors should be replaced with a light rail-style honor system, and off-peak trains could also be shorter.
7. Few trains should be stabled in New York itself. Land for yards is cheaper at the outer terminals of the lines.
8. Physical extensions should be based on the needs of inner suburb-to-inner suburb travel, and also on those of urban travel. Lower Montauk is useless without a connection to Manhattan; stick a fork in it. But frequent-stop through-service between Newark and Jamaica is more useful. Based on funding, additional lines should be built in Manhattan connecting stub-end terminals like Hoboken and Flatbush, and even Grand Central and St. George.
Note, by the way, that the extensions are last on the list. There's a reason for this: they're less important than the concept of running commuter rail more like longer-range rapid transit and less like a 1930s-era suburban shuttle to the CBD. If you have just the extensions, you get SEPTA today, rather than what SEPTA was trying to become in the early 1980s.
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The Outer Suburbs in NJ and LI have been neglected and now congestion is horrid...so lines like the Red Bank , Matawan , Jamesburg , South Amboy Branches , West Trenton line , Philpsburg Connections are badly needed in NJ. The Bus system which has been used to absorb the grow can't handle it much longer which can seen at the PABT. These lines should be done after the NEC upgrades , meaning they should start Construction later this decade. On Long Island the Central Branch will mean the LIRR doesn't need to 3rd Track the Main line and it also hits the Nassau Hub which could be transformed into a nice TOD and joins the system together creating a suburban system. The Inner Cities have been neglected , in NJ along the Morris & Essex Network 2 Inner City Stations will be restored by 2025 , a New line servicing Kearny , Harrison and Arlington is in the works along with multiple Light Rail Extensions from Newark out into the Oranges , up to Paterson and down to Elizabeth....and maybe Jersey City one day to relive the PATH. In New York City the Penn Station Access will fill a Transit Void in the Bronx , and help the overburdened 1 Train in Manhattan , Multiple infill stations are being proposed for Queens and the Rockaway Beach Branch would speed up transit and fill another void in Queens. The System needs to be Expanded & restored in both areas focusing on the inner areas isn't going to boost Ridership as much as the Suburban areas which have no alts other then to drive or take the bus. A lot of these are Railroad Suburbs and not Auto suburbs so Transit use is either high or welcomed , you also see less people driving and more walking or biking...
1.- I don't know about merging fares , that's a touchy topic in the Rail Community up here....
1a,- I do agree that Fares should be integrated and made easier , there was a plan to merge all the fares between NJT & the PATH and Private buses , but that's fallen silent lately. That would have boosted Ridership and made traveling easier , it was to be a smart card system with fare gates at certain stations and points. Same is Proposed for the MTA and NY agencies along with CT , haven't heard much lately. But its badly needed...
2,- There in the Process of upgrading the Signals which will double the amount of trains , my line was upgraded and went from a few trains during peak hrs to 30 trains a day bi-directional. There almost done with that in NJ and NY (MNRR) , the LIRR hasn't done it yet.
3,- The Plan is to buy new EMUs for the smaller branches and future MOM Rail network in NJ and Kingsland branch....there rumored to be Bi-level EMU's similar to Metra EMU's which disgusts me. Its your worst nightmare , the Bi-levels in NJ have had a history of derailing due to there weight...A Single level Dual EMU would be a better choice.
4 , - the Plan is to bring everyone up to 25 kV 60 Hz at least in NJ , CT and NY by 2025....and 2030 to DC....the Newer M8's can switch from various voltages except the Hell Gate Voltage which will be switched by 2025 with upgrades and Penn Station Access.
5,- Relax alot of those Suburban Hells will be transformed into TOD paradises over the decade , Plans have been drawn up the largest one will be in Edison,NJ , Harrison is another huge one along with Jamaica and Jersey City TOD's. They are drawing up plans for another horror show which is unnecessary if the MOM network were to be built and that is North Brunswick station along the NEC. It would include 4 huge Parking's and some TOD but is unnecessary with a MOM Extension and Jersey Avenue Branch Extension. Most stations are not Suburban hells but integrated into the Railroad Suburbs around them. Recently past 15 years NJT has only expanded Highway Park and Rides or built them , not suburban stations which the towns seem to agree with. A lot of these Park Rides can support TOD , which would make up for the below average ridership.
6,- Conductors shouldn't be completly removed but reduced to 1 or 2 per train , which will keep riders safe and collect fares. The honor system does not work in this region , and costs NJT and the MTA millions , more so then to employ Conductors.
7,- I don't understand this one , most trains are stored outside of NY except on weekends....most lines have 2 or 3 yards....
8,- A lot of those Extensions above are badly needed , bus system can no longer be used as a primary mode of Transit in these areas , Rail needs to restored or Expanded. Same with the Inner Urban areas , the backlog of Light Rail & Subway Extensions or Restorations is causing Bus Capacity issues , there's a lot of overcrowding in Brooklyn , Newark , Jersey City and the Inner suburbs... The Light Rail Extensions could shift the weight and make it balanced...