Since its opening on New Year's Day, the Second Avenue subway has mostly delighted far Upper East Side residents who previously had to schlep to Lexington Avenue trains, which were bursting at the seams with commuters. One Brick staffer who lives in Yorkville wrote that the three new stations were worth the wait, and according to the New York Times, regular 4/5/6 train passengers have reason to celebrate, too: Ridership on that overcrowded line has fallen and its trains are running a little closer to schedule.
But while Upper East Siders are enjoying public works of art and a fleet of Q trains from the new stations, some Astorians are complaining that their local line has taken a hit, citing an increase in delays, and more crowded, slower-moving trains.
Before the Second Avenue subway opened, the N and Q trains ran from Astoria-Ditmars Boulevard into Manhattan, meeting up with the R train from Forest Hills at 59th Street/Lexington Avenue. With the debut of the new subway line, the Q was re-routed to run from 57th Street-7th Avenue up to its terminus at 96th Street; the W train—phased out in 2010—was brought back to replace the Q.
It seems, though, that the W is not an adequate replacement for the Q, given the number of locals who have taken to Twitter with their transit grievances.
And these accusations likely aren't just sour grapes that another corner of the city got a major transit upgrade. Back when the W's return was announced, DNAInfo wrote that the switch from Q to W meant over 20 fewer trains heading to and from the neighborhood.
The reductions in service take place during the wee hours of the morning and the late evening, though, with the same amount of trains running during rush hour, which means the problems Astorians are reporting may have more to do with the subway overall, rather than just the new Second Avenue line.
9 comments:
If you wait for a train at Lex, you get the following pattern:
R N W N R N W N R ....
What is wrong with this pattern? The snooks living in places like Elmhurst or non-Vallonia Astoria get lousy crowded service. Vallonia? 2 of 3 trains going there are empty.
As usual the 'We Heart Astoria' Snowflakes who sing rapturously about infused bullshit and the joys of empty bike lanes are full of crap. They get good service, although the antiquated lack of notices of delays on that line is more a function of the backwardness of the community's leadership to do what other communities do when faced with similar problems: putting no pressure on the MTA to do something.
This lack of information creates this sense that services suck to the locals.
But the real reason is rampart over-development of the non-Vallonia part of the line between Grand Central and Queens Plaza.
Since the local kids are totally apathetic about anything in the community, except comedy clubs and Thai ratburgers, they will get a raw deal in commuting, as well as housing, and just about anything else in that community.
Since there is little chance that they will find their voice, the little darlings will merely shrug their shoulders and drown their sorrows in the septic garbage of Hallal food trucks washed down by exotic craft beer.
This project was discussed in the nineteen sixties.
Construction was started in nineteen-seventy-two at an estimated cost of LESS than one half BILLION DOLLARS.
Some forty five years later, only the first of three phases is finally opened at a cost of more than FOUR AND ONE DAY HALF BILLION DOLLARS.
Think about that when your metro card prices go up again.
Here we are getting the first reports, and they are not great.
One would think that for close to five BILLION of your hard earned tax dollars the reviews would be a little bit better.
Yet the outrage is minimal.
We have come to just expect the worst from our local government.
It is no wonder that no one cares, or even makes any effort to change or improve things.
The Framers of this Country always spoke of a small and LIMITED Government, of, for, and by "We the People".
Shamefully no one learns, knows or understands this anymore!
This is what you get when the government improves things...
Can't please everybody
Booo Hooo to them. When I wait at 57/Seventh for the R train there are at LEAST 2 trains going to Astoria per one to Forest HIlls. Usually it's 3 before the R.
Can't please everybody.
So why the only people that count are the few dozen septuagenarians of the Astoria Civic.
When will the rest of the community get a chance?
When will the rest of the community get a chance?
when they decide to seize it. its theirs for the taking.
The creation of the Second Avenue line was meant to help Manhattanites only. Once again the outer boroughs are treated as neglected step children.
The creation of the Second Avenue line was meant to help Manhattanites only. Once again the outer boroughs are treated as neglected step children.
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once again we are betrayed by our politicians, never forget when phony maloney showed up at dutch kills civic to tell them that billions is being spent in their community - for a tunnel that helps long island.
did any politician or publication in queens say anything besides praise? no. the problem in queens is real but you have to blame it on the borough's loony leadership - not its long suffering residents.
Astoria is full of hipsters. Who cares.
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