F Express Probability

Andrew Inglesby from NYC Transit appeared at the Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association meeting on Monday to address questions about the Culver Viaduct rehab, the prospects for the F express, and everyone's favorite new development, the Billy Stein project at 360 Smith Street.*

Michael Rundle has a piece in today's Metro paper on the possibility of an F express including a quote from yours truly. It's a good piece. Ben at SecondAvenueSagas also has a post up on the F express, and of course, the inimitable Gowanus Lounge has the definitive meeting coverage. Actually, GL's meeting coverage spans an incredible three posts, but the other two posts concern 360 Smith, which we'll get to in another post today.

The news from the meeting was generally good. First, if the Culver Viaduct rehab is significantly delayed (a year or more) the MTA is looking at implementing interim express service. That's a big deal.

Second, and most significant in my view, is the MTA is seriously looking at restoring the F express after the Viaduct rehabilitation. Before the community voiced it's demand, and the elected officials and media devoted a great deal of attention to this issue, restoring F express service was not even on MTA's radar screen. Now, I am fairly confident that it is going to be a reality. We need to maintain pressure to make sure that the reality includes expanded local service to accompany the coming express service: the F express and V local.

In another news, another elected official has cautiously come out in favor of the F express: Assemblyman James Brennan. More details in the next post.