Brooklynites that have been pushing for an F Train may get some short-term relief in the form of a temporary F Express if work on the Culver Viaduct project falls behind schedule, but otherwise, the New York City Transit says that express service on the F won’t be possible until 2012 or early 2013. Andrew Inglesby, the MTA’s Assistant Director of Government and Community Relations, gave a long update on the status of F Train service at the Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association meeting last night.
Mr. Inglesby reiterated that work on the Culver Viaduct, which runs above-ground between the Carroll Street Station and the Fourth Avenue Station, is a critical capital project and that work must be completed before an F Express can be put in place. He said the viaduct is “in extreme need of repair.” Netting and tarp have surrounded the viaduct for about five years to keep chunks of concrete from falling. The MTA expects to award contracts for the work next year. “F Express service just can’t happen until the end of that period.” He said the work will result in “an automatic elimination of any F Express.”
The transit official did offer possibility that if work on the viaduct project is “significantly delayed” by a year or more, then the Transit Authority “will go ahead and examine the possibility of putting in an F Express.” Express service would depend on the availability of cars and funding. So, an F Express could make an appearance for a year or 18 months, if there is a delay in the big repair project.
The bad news for residents of Carroll Gardens, from whence much of the push for F Express service has come, is that an express train would likely stop at Jay Street, Seventh Avenue and Church Avenue; it would bypass Bergen Street, Carroll Street, Smith-9th Street, 15th Street and Fort Hamilton Parkway.
Residents that use the local stops, however, were assured their trains would become less crowded. Gary Reilly, who started the F Train Express petition drive that got a great deal of press attention, said that “It wouldn’t just be a zero-sum game for the neighborhoods” and that the changes would “free up some excess capacity.”
There is also a push to extended the V Train to Brooklyn to provide local service. G Train service is slated to be extended to Church Avenue in 2009. (Mr. Inglesby said the extension of the V isn’t “a complete dead issue.”)
The MTA and New York City Transit are still examining options. “Nothing is set in stone,” Mr. Inglsby told residents.
15 responses so far ↓
1 Icky // Sep 11, 2007 at 8:56 am
As you point out, residents of Windsor Terrace and Carroll Gardens lose out once again, while heart-of-Park Slopers are delivered to their front doors. Nothing like the train skipping over every single stop in your neighborhood.
Just once, I would like to hear, “Ladies and Gentlemen, this train will be going bizarro express, and will be skipping 7th Avenue.”
2 Benjamin // Sep 11, 2007 at 9:29 am
That is how the system was designed. It’s not like they can create a whole new subway system just for some fool who hates Park Slope.
The reality is that it shouldn’t be an issue. Service should be frequent enough that one would merely have to transfer at Jay Street and wait a minute for an express train. That’s how it used to be.
3 Tim Dierks // Sep 11, 2007 at 10:10 am
I wonder how much it would cost to open up the abandoned express platform at Bergen Street?
4 Anonymous // Sep 11, 2007 at 11:39 am
I understand time concerns by F riders, but Carroll Gardeners are really complaining about crowding on the F?! I just moved there and the trains I’ve had to take from my other neighborhoods were all WAY worse than the F. Most especially the L. I used to have to wait for two trains to go through till I could fit on one–and “fitting” was all you could hope for. These days on the F, I get a seat every day after a couple stops.
Sorry, fellow Gardeners, but this sounds like some yuppie whining to me. Give the cars to the crushed folks on the L.
5 Anonymous // Sep 11, 2007 at 1:51 pm
The Bergen Street express train platform (downstairs) should be renovated before the Culver Viaduct construction is finished, so that could serve as an express stop between Seventh Avenue and Jay Street. Oh, and 11:56, I have been on the “bizarro express,” to my consternation but evidently your delight.
6 Anonymous // Sep 11, 2007 at 3:13 pm
“an express train would likely stop at Jay Street, Seventh Avenue and Church Avenue; it would bypass Bergen Street, Carroll Street, Smith-9th Street, 15th Street and Fort Hamilton Parkway.”
And that leaves 4th Ave/9th Street where?
😉
I could see it going either way since the station has both the express and local tracks and has the transfer to the R.
Carroll Street seems to have the most local traffic though…the train clears out a lot after Carroll Street and then fills up again at Smith and 9th with all the G train riders, only to have the majority of them get off again at 4th and 9th. Would make sense to have the express train stop at one of the few stations along the line that actually connects with another subway line.
Although, at this rate, I won’t be around to see it since I can barely afford to live in Gowanus anymore.
=(
7 Anonymous // Sep 11, 2007 at 5:32 pm
It’s not going to stop at stops that dont have an express platform.
It will be a miracle if it happens at all. I wouldnt expect them to build a new platform at Smith or 4th Ave. As things are now, they dont even repair giant holes in the roof.
8 Anonymous // Sep 12, 2007 at 7:16 am
Bergen and Carroll are a hair’s breath away from Jay St (much like the Union/4th Ave stops on the R for the express stops at Atlantic or prince and 8th on the R for Union Square) – you want an express train to make stops like that? C’mon. That’s the POINT! Congestion will lower at your stops – relax already. The express is to serve those of us who live further out!
9 Anonymous // Sep 12, 2007 at 7:19 am
for those people on here that want a “NICE” train that “CONSIDERS ALL STOPS EQUALLY AND DOESN’T DISCRIMINATE AGAINST NEIGHBORHOODS”…take a ***LOCAL*** train–express trains, in order to fo “FAST” need to skip stations folks!!! And for the prvious poster that thought it would be “SWELL” to stop at 4th Ave/9th St station: OPEN YOUR EYES–do you see a platform that reaches those 2 middle tracks? NO!! All of the mentioned express stops (GL forgot Bergen St’s lower level as was also mentioned) have a current INFRASTRUCTURE to allow trains in those center tracks to stop and allow people to get out of the train without falling 5 feet on the tracks. SHEEESHH!!!
10 Z. Madison // Sep 12, 2007 at 8:01 am
I take delight any time the F is running insanely late post-work and goes express at Broadway/Layfayette. True, I live off the Carroll Street stop, but skipping York, East Broadway, 2nd Ave alone saves a ton of time.
Bring on the F express!
11 Anonymous // Sep 12, 2007 at 10:54 am
10:19am – wow, calm down, everyone is free to express what they would like to see happen to our PUBLIC transportation system…it’s called community input and it’s one of the few things that can actually help to bring about some type of change.
it doesn’t impact me in either way if there’s an express train at 4th/9th…i’ll still get home and at the end of the day, that’s all i’m concerned with. my whole point was, that in terms of planning and to accommodate brooklyn’s surging population growth along the F and R lines, it would be smart to have an express train to connect to the R train. less people on the trains for the local stops and faster service for those who live further out or along another line. “swell”, right?
that being said, the mta is one of the most ass backward companies in this city and they never cease to amaze me with their poor planning and inability to really move this system into the future…i’m sure most of us can agree on that.
12 Anonymous // Sep 12, 2007 at 7:53 pm
Extending the V is the obvious solution, at least to Jay St., something, anything, is better than a typical bureaucratic non-action… jam tomorrow never today.
Keep asking for change now until it happens. We need a lot of that, for a lot of issues these days. Just like in 1897, or 1907, or 1927, during past eras of extreme gaps between citizen voices and those of plutocracy.
If we can’t get a train line fixed, we’ll never be able to get rid of Bush. Think of this as practice in organizing, start small, tackle bigger issues next.
13 Carolyn konheim // Sep 13, 2007 at 9:58 am
Extending the F and V into Brooklyn was a key strategy in the 2003 Brooklyn Transit Agenda, endorsed by all transit advocates. the primary obstacle was–and is–the lack of spare cars for NYC Transit’s smallest ever fleet. We wont ever be able to increase any service if the MTA is allowed to continue its plan to scrap 907 B Division (letter lines)subway cars as each new one that is delivered over the next 2 years. Stop this madness and insist that the MTA pick the 200-300 best operating cars and rehab them for 15 years at 1/3 the cost of new ones.
14 Anonymous // Sep 19, 2007 at 4:43 pm
“BRING BACK THE BROOKLYN “LEXINGTON AVE LINE”. WILL
WE SEE THE THE RETURN OF THE MYRTLE AVE LINE RUNNING BETWEEN
“BROADWAY/MYTLE AVENUE” AND
“JAY STREET” IN BROOKLYN ?
I PROPOSE THE BMT 14th STREET
CANARSIE “L” TRAIN LINE TO BE
EXTENDED UPTOWN UNDER 9th Ave
TO THE “JACOB JAVITTS CENTER.
15 Anonymous // Sep 24, 2007 at 7:34 am
To anyone who uses Facebook, please join the cause by joining the ” Hey MTA! We want an F Express!” group
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7291935201