Sunday, November 11, 2012

Ferry and subway/bus shuttle coming to Rockaway


From The NY Observer:

The Rockaways have been devastated by Hurricane Sandy, and that is not just the homes, but the infrastructure, the very fabric of the peninsula. But the city and the MTA have been working non-stop to return life to normal, and that goes for mass transit, as well.

The MTA has been working all week to truck subway cars out to the Rockaways from a trestle in Brooklyn so that a shuttle service might be set up between Beach 116th Street and Mott Avenue/Far Rockaway. "We're going to do what we can to get the Rockaways back to normal," MTA chief Joe Lhota told reporters over the weekend, when the MTA was putting together its shuttle plan.

The shuttle became a necessity after Hurricane Sandy caused severe damage to the Broad Channel crossing, all but destroying the A train connection between Howard Beach and the Rockaways. The shuttle will help subway riders commute within the Rockaways, but they will still be forced to take a shuttle bus in Far Rockaway to connect to the A train in Queens to get into other parts of the city.

A better option for commuters might be a new ferry service the Bloomberg administration is launching. The Rockaways got a ferry service to much fanfare in 2008, but the steep $6 fare and hour-long trip could never sway riders off the subway, and the service was shut down in early 2010. Now, without that option, the ferry might start to look more attractive.

A big boon this time around is the ferry service will cost only $2, less than the cost of a Subway ride, even.


From NY1:

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Friday that residents in the Rockaways will soon get shuttle bus service to take them to and from the A train.

The MTA says that A train service will be restored to the Howard Beach station beginning Sunday. Shuttle buses will then run between Howard Beach and Mott Avenue in Far Rockaway.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

what about people who live in Rockaway Park and need to go to Beach 116th? why isn't there a shuttle on for that end of the penninsula?
great, now the looters can get to Belle Harbor faster.

Queens Crapper said...

There is a bus there and has always been a bus there. Not sure what you are talking about.

Anonymous said...

Belle Harbor....isn't that where the wealthy live?

Anonymous said...

The forgotten...............

Anonymous said...

As the posting states, the shuttle train is running from Far Rockaway to Beach 116th Street-Rockaway park. There is a track that connects the two branches.

Marie said...

The shuttle services are going to be launched again . The highway was closed owing to the Hurricane .Mainly the wreckage of the train line caused the above.