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.

The MTA and the Blogs

Mike Rundle has a good article in the Metro today about the MTA and feedback from the blogosphere, and the verdict is . . . . our voices matter.

A recent online petition to reintroduce express service on the F line began as a post on the “Brooklyn Streets, Carroll Gardens” blog. The petition picked up the support of thousands of residents — as well as politicians and transit advocates — in only a few days. Now Metro has learned Councilman Bill de Blasio and NYC Transit officials expect to meet tomorrow to discuss the issue, which had lain dormant for years.

Ben Kabak has a good rundown of the article over at Second Avenue Sagas (and gets a quote in as well).

And for my part, I spoke to NYC Transit representative Andrew Inglesby yesterday. No promises were made, but he assured me that the MTA is exploring options for restoring the F express after the Culver rehabilitation is completed . . . and also looking for ways to enhance service while the construction is under way. And I believe that is true, and further believe that our voices have made a big difference.

I'll have a chance to talk to DeBlasio Thursday during the zoning discussion (see this post) and let you know what happens.

For now, I think things are moving in the right direction. Councilmen Simcha Felder and Domenic Recchia have upped the ante with MTA, stating that they will oppose any rate hike in the future without F express service restored (thanks Jen). And thank you to all 3600 of you who signed the petition.

Ain't Nuthin' But A G Thang

KensingtonBrooklyn has another post up on the temporary extension of the G train to Church Ave.

As a commenter there notes:

The local tracks at Smith-9th and 4th Ave will be covered with temporary wood platforms. At Carroll Street the local tracks will physically shift over to the express tracks, temporarily, then shift back after 4th Avenue. This means that the express tracks can't be used to turn back the 'G'. The 'G' must go to Church Avenue, where it will use the the ramps and switchovers south of Church to turn back, or turn back at 18th Avenue using the center track.

In other words the MTA is misleading us. The 'G' will be extended to Church, but only during the construction project for operational reasons. It will return via the local tracks as the xpress tracks will be out of service.

And commenter Scott adds:

Also, part of the project includes the replacement and upgrade of the switches at 4th avenue to allow trains to switch between both local and express tracks (and to upgrade to CBTC switches) allowing greater operational flexibility. This suggests that MTA is exploring additional express service and re-routings, otherwise, there would be no need to add additional switches and cross-overs.

What I'd like to see is a little more transparency from the MTA, and a firm commitment to restore the F express service. If work needs to be done at Bergen Street before express service can resume, it should be performed while the Culver Viaduct rehab is under way. We cannot afford to wait for additional repairs after the viaduct work is completed.

What Up, G?

KensingtonBrooklyn spots a tidbit in the MTA's latest release:

Extending the G train to Church Avenue.

We noted a few weeks ago the maddening route of the G train one Sunday; the train rode all the way out past Church Ave, turned around, and sat with doors closed for several minutes, and then left. All they had to do was open the doors, and some people could have gotten to their destinations along the G route. To the extent that this takes some riders who would normally take the F to Jay Street to switch for the A off of the F, it will benefit riders at Carroll and Bergen as well.

Incremental improvements, folks. This is a plus but we need to keep pushing. Bring back the F Express!

360 Smith Plaza Non-news Post

Via Streetsblog, I found this post on the McBrooklyn blog about our well-loved local subway plaza.

In other forums I've gotten into heated arguments with posters on the merits of the plaza, which I found hard to believe. I guess if you never get out of your SUV and actually ride the subway, you wouldn't appreciate how nice it is to stand outside in the sun (or shade of a tree) while waiting for your train.

I'll have some more substantive stuff up about the F train petition later (3561 signatures).

I wonder if the McBrooklyn blogger knows that the plaza is currently threatened with extinction by a developer and designated villain Robert Scarano's to cut down the trees and build there?

Check out the CORD blog which is run by neighborhood activists fighting the development.

Daily News Has A Story on Councilmen Demanding F Express

Article quotes Councilmen de Blasio, Felder, and Recchia.

F/V Petition Hits The Big Time: NYT's Jake Mooney Reports

Had a great, relaxing weekend upstate, but was anxious to get back and crack into Sunday's New York Times. Jake Mooney put together a terrific little piece on our terrific little F&V petition.

Since Jake was good enough to include a link in the article, the signatures have jumped to 3,064 as of this writing. Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that our friends at SecondAvenueSagas and KensingtonBrooklyn continue to highlight this important issue as well.

Councilman Simcha Felder's office continues to support the effort as well. The Councilman wrote a letter to the MTA last week advocating for the cause.

Wayward V line struggles to find meaning; we can help

I missed the Daily News article on Monday about the forlorn V line, which has a few diehard fans but has never appealed to a broad audience . . . the Hudson Hawk of subway lines.

As Ben Kabak rightly notes, extending the V out to Brooklyn would gain the line the respect it craves. Hit up Ben's blog for the Daily News article.

Also, from that visit to SecondAvenueSagas I added a new link in the sidebar to SubChat: where the elite meet to talk tracks and fleet.

As always, sign the petition to bring back express service to Brooklyn and extend the V line HERE.

Joint Press Conference: DeBlasio, Felder, Recchia . . . Reilly?

Today's press conference was a great success. In addition to the Councilmen, Gene Russianoff was there representing the Straphangers Campaign and Paul White was there on behalf of Transportation Alternatives. NY1, News 12, and WNYC were all there, plus the Brooklyn Daily Eagle and NY Metro, both of whom covered this story right out the gate.

Jen at KensingtonBrooklyn has some good shots up on her blog (and great picture resolution, I am jealous) so go check out her site . . .

It was an honor to be in such great company today. Community activism can be a wonderful thing.

F/V Petition Delivered: End of Act I

Success! This morning I presented to the MTA Board several copies of the petition including the first 2,449 signatures. The 5th floor meeting room was packed, with all chairs taken and a few people standing.

The best moment of the meeting occurred about halfway through. Board Member Andrew B. Albert, whom I've never met, took a moment to express support the F&V petition.

Paraphrase:
Albert: I'd like to second what Mr. Reilly said about restoring the F express train in Brooklyn.
Kalikow: Was this something that was always intended when the express was shut for repairs originally?
Albert: Yes it was, but after the horrible fire we had at the Bergen Street station, it was put on the shelf.
Eliot Sander: We're looking into it.

News 12 conducted an interview with me after the meeting, which I assume will air tonight or sometime this week. Thank you News 12, for the interest.

After the meeting, I had chance to speak briefly with Board Member Norman Seabrook. The bottom line: our pleas are not falling on deaf ears.

Today was a good day. We still have Acts II and III ahead of us. How it ends is all that matters.

NYT: Water Is Wet, Subway System Bursting At Seams

As I waited 10 minutes for a crowded F train at rush hour this morning, I passed the time with a revelatory article in the NYT Metro section: Some Subways Found Packed Past Capacity.

The article has an accompanying graphic, however, that is of questionable accuracy. It lists the F train at 100% of track capacity . . . which is only true if you ignore the unused express tracks lying between the local tracks through Brooklyn.

The Times article does highlight THE key issue facing New York City today: our underfunded transit infrastructure is at the breaking point. At some point, NY will either buck up and fund the system properly, or face another exodus of people and wealth as the quality of life plunges.

The desire for change is palpable; I put a petition for better service on the F&V online, and nearly 2500 people signed on in under two weeks! People want better transit options. We need dedicated streams of funding for transit, and a re-imagining of the system that looks at the historical inefficiencies left behind by the disjointed history of subway construction and brings the system to a level of service better than any city in the world.

Demand it! I'll be delivering the petition to the MTA Board tomorrow morning at 9:30 sharp. The meeting is open to public comment, but you must arrive by 9:00 to sign up.

2,197 Signers Demand Enhanced F&V Service to Brooklyn

Well I'll be damned. Almost 2,200 signatures on the petition as of 10:25 Friday morning. And new write-ups in the Brooklyn Paper and the Daily News, though the news got the facts a bit mixed up. Nevertheless, it's good that Jen at Kensington Brooklyn gets some credit, as she has been pushing this issue hard.

A nice new round-up over at SecondAvenueSagas on the coverage. Ben rightly notes that the Brooklyn Paper's Ariella Cohen did a great job of covering the issue. And who's that handsome devil in the picture?

Spread the word and tell your friends, neighbors, and bitter enemies, because I'll be printing out the petitions and handing them out at the MTA Board meeting next Wednesday, June 27th. The Culver Viaduct rehabilitation is on the agenda, which provides an opportunity to address the issue. With a two minute speaking limit, your signatures will matter more than my words.

UPDATE:
Streetsblog has picked up the petition as well.

Downtown Brooklyn Partnership Supports F Express, Congestion pricing

I had heard from Crain's that the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership endorsed the Enhanced F&V Petition. (which, by the way, is up to 2,096 signatures)

The Brooklyn Eagle has a story out today that DBP has endorsed congestion pricing as well as a number of transit enhancements, including free street transfers, restored express service on the F line, and more local service.

All of these enhancements would be good for New York.

Metro Covers the F&V Express Petition

First page photo and lede, and big article on page four. Things are heating up now.

Come on, MTA, make this happen. Investments in transit pay off in increased quality of life for everybody. Let's find the money and get this done. make NYC a better place to work, live, and move.

Brooklyn Eagle Reports On F Train Petition

Nice. Raanan Geberer over at the Brooklyn Eagle covers the F-Express story. I forgot about the Frank Costanza line, gave me a quick laugh.

F&V Update

Word from DeBlasio's office is:

MTA is looking into other ways to do F express so it does not have to wait until the construction is done [on the Culver Viaduct].

We're making progress here people. Keep spreading the word!

Petition is here.

Tremendous Response to F train petition!

264 signatures so far, and the petition has only been up for 24 hours. Many thanks to everybody who has helped support this initiative thus far:

KensingtonBrooklyn
The Gowanus Lounge
Second Avenue Subway Sagas
Brownstoner

Ben over at SASS does a very detailed analysis of the proposal. I highly recommend reading it.

I've also been in touch with the editor over at the Brooklyn eagle, and reps from City Council Member Bill DeBlasio and Assemblywoman Joan Millman.

The MTA needs to know there is demand for this project. Sign the petition today!

Enhanced F & V Service: The Petition

Sometimes you just have to take the bull by the horns. I have put up a petition online for fellow travelers who want enhanced service on the F&V to Brooklyn.

Specifically, the petition calls for restoring express service on the unused tracks on the F, and running the V out to Brooklyn as a local. Sign up!

360 Smith Updates

Well. I leave town for a few days and things get interesting around here!

Via Gowanus Lounge, Councilman Bill DeBlasio is leading a rally against the Scarano project (and it seems, against Scarano in general) Wednesday June 6, 12:30 at the proposed building site.

Via the CGNA mailing list, here's a NYT article on Scarano from April 2006.

And here's a snippet from another email on the CGNA listserve:

> hi
>
> received some information last night from the
> developer
>
> -mta has approved plan
> -the building will not look at all like the
> drawing on the website, but the actual rendering is
> not yet finalized & not available for viewing yet
>
> -the 2 place portion is set back to line up with
> the neighboring houses and most of the subway plaza
> is open--the bldg does not come out as far as the
> parking lot "line" as the orig drawing suggests
>
> - it is still quite tall (the highest point is at
> 70') but the height is graduated rising as the
> structure goes toward and around smith st
>
> -the finish on the 2 place side will look more
> like a brownstone--the tallest portion's finish,
> which will be where the 2 pl and smith st sides
> meet (around the area of the present
> newsstand) ,is still undetermined
>
> -the developer seems open to reasonable
> suggestions

Moving in the right direction, at least. More to come on this. But seriously, in a neighborhood where brownstones are fetching $2MM and more, there is simply no justification for building out of scale.

Long Overdue Bleecker - Broadway-Lafayette Connection Unveiled

Second Avenue Subway Sagas has renderings and information on this planned connection between two dysfunctionally-conjoined subway stations.

Needless to say, this project will greatly improve the utility of the F line. Investing in transit makes people's daily lives better. More like this, please.

Photo credit: Lee Harris Pomeroy / www.wai.com