Finally I have gotten off my lazy ass and posted my subway map as I said I would when I started this blog. I “finished” this a long time ago, but never got around to writing this page explaining it. That’s why I haven’t posted it until now.

Really though this isn’t completely finished. One obvious problem is that I never updated the Subway Service Guide at the bottom. That is going to be a big chore. I know I’ll get around to it someday, but not until I am totally satisfied with the map. As it is right now there are a few spots I want to re-evaluate. Stuff to add, stuff to take away. So lets call this preliminary. I’ve had some ideas and I’m putting them out there.

The Second Avenue Line

This project is actually getting built, albeit in a different form from what I envision here. In current MTA plans the north end of the line will terminate by curving west and meeting with the existing 4-5-6 station at 125th Street. I see that as pointless. The Bronx could use another route directly into Manhattan instead of the existing, crowded, 4-5-6 line.

Here I killed off the 5 train freeing up space on the line for more 4 and 6 trains. This will make it quicker for Bronxites (Bronxians?) along the extreme east (6 train) and central west (4 train) to get downtown. Those in the central east (old 5 train) will get into Manhattan through the brand new 2nd Avenue line. This should speed things up for everyone because instead of having the entire southbound Bronx channeled through Lexington Avenue, it’s spread across two lines.

I was concerned about how removing the 5 train would effect transfers within the Bronx. Most cross-Bronx traffic is done by bus because no east-west train exists. However when I removed the transfer between the Lexington Line and 2nd Avenue Line at 125th Street, it became impossible for the two lines to transfer north of 53rd/55th Street. I created the Rider Ave-139th Street station to allow 2nd Avenue riders to have at least one connection to the Lexington Avenue line. Technically riders could also reach the 4 train by way of the 2 train from the T train, but that is a cumbersome route and I doubt many would make it. An additional connection with the 4 train could be made at Rider Avenue but I don’t feel it’s necessary. If someone needs to take the 4 train north from the Upper East Side it would be easier for them to simply walk to Lexington Avenue as they do today.

The downtown portion of the 2nd Avenue line mostly follows the MTA’s plan. I did add one station at East 4th Street to make a connection with my Y train. I’ll explain that in a separate section.

Flushing Line Reconstruction

This map only shows routes. It misses the fact that I want to rebuild the Flushing Line underground. The current 7 line is overburdened. Even at off peak hours, 7 trains are frequently stuffed. If it were possible for the MTA to run more trains on those tracks, I think they would be doing it already. That is why I want to move the line underground. It would allow the MTA to add capacity for future growth along this route. Developers are already planning to build new condo towers along the Flushing River. Thousands more people will live along this route and expect to be taking this train.

I left most of the station line up intact in Queens. Many people live along that route and changing it would just cause an unhelpful disruption. You’ll notice I did extend the route past Main Street. I’ve been to that area and I have seen there are many apartment buildings beyond that station. Commuters often take busses to the train station. It only makes sense to push the line out to more commuters.

I extended the 7 line two stations. The 35th Avenue and 29th Road stations are laid near high density apartment buildings on Union Street. However I am considering a more western route, perhaps north on Linden Place. That would place the College Point Multiplex Cinemas within walking distance of the train.

You should have already noticed I created an 8 train for the new Flushing underground line. The 8 train is nearly redundant in Queens except at the ends of its run. Instead of merely following the 7 train beyond Main Street, I diverted the 8 train southward to cover more territory. Its terminus is at Parsons Boulevard and Elm Avenue. Franklin Avenue and Bowne Street might also be a good site for another station.

Turning to the west end of Queens, notice how the new line no longer kinks north to connect with the N train. Since the line is now underground that connection is not feasible. Further study is required to know if a new connection for the Astoria line and Queens bound trains are needed.

After 33rd Street the new Flushing Line follows the LIRR right of way to Hunters Point Avenue station. Here is where the 7 and 8 trains diverge. The 7 continues into Manhattan along its unchanged route. The 8 train moves southwest to create a new crosstown line along 34th Street. I feel the new line is necessary because the 7 train stations in Manhattan are notorious for being packed. The 34th Street line will spread out that crowd across twice the station space. Also, the MTA is extending the 7 train to the far west side. That neighborhood is going to experience rapid growth and the 7 train is ill equipped to be the only train serving that area.

The Hipster Express

Hipster Express wouldn’t be the official name of the line, but it would be an apt name for it. The Y train exists merely as a way to feed this growing neighborhood into Manhattan. The L train and J-M-Z trains are starting to feel the strain of this growing neighborhood. The Y train would follow a route between the two lines, west on Metropolitan Avenue and North 1st Street. This would absorb many of the thousands of new passengers that will come when those new condo towers are built. Since plans are calling for 30+ story towers along the waterfront, I am considering adding a waterfront station at Kent Avenue and moving the Bedford station back a block to Driggs Avenue. A Kent Avenue station for the L might also be a good idea.

In Manhattan the Y train would first stop at Avenue A, serving a neglected segment of the East Village. It would procede west along 4th Street, making connections to the available north-south lines, finally stopping at Washington Square Park. The expense of extending the line to the 1 train is not worth it given the other available connections are enough to get virtually anywhere in Manhattan.

AirTrain LaGuardia

A rail extension to LaGuardia has been kicked around for years. I read the MTA was considering 17 different routes to connect a train to LaGuardia Airport. Unfortunately I have not found the report listing those 17 proposed routes.

Since this is such a high priority project I felt I needed to address it. The most obvious choice is to extend the N and W trains across Ditmars Blvd into the airport. The plans for the IND Second System already called for extending the Astoria line. However I rejected this idea because that line would have little utility for riders. It would ignore passengers from Queens and northwest Brooklyn. The Astoria line has no connections to Queens trains. In order to use the Ditmars extension, these people will need to take their local train into Manhattan and transfer to an N or W train.

With this in mind I realized no existing subway train could easily handle a LaGuardia connection. Looking for alternatives I read about the new AirTrain built for JFK Airport. I read so many positive reviews of the train, I was sold on copying its success in LaGuardia.

I choose the Roosevelt Avenue station as its start point becauseÂ� that station has the greatest number of subway lines running through it in Queens. It is the easiest station for nearly everyone to get to in the Borough. The path of the LaGuardia AirTrain follows the BQE. There is an existing railroad track running parallel with the BQE from Roosevelt Avenue until 31st Avenue where the highway takes an easterly turn. At 31st Avenue new track is going to need to be laid to LaGuardia. The new track will take a turn northward at Astoria Blvd to follow the Grand Central Pkwy to the airport. The station will replace a parking lot west of the airport’s terminal loop road. The compensate for the loss of parking, the parking lots to the east of the terminal will be triple decked. At least the first one will. The farther west lot may not need to be.

Brooklyn IRT Extension

As part of my research I came across several maps of past subway plans. The plans for the IND Second System were incredibly ambitious. My extension of the Brooklyn IRT comes, mostly, from those plans. Originally, the Second System called for bringing the 2 train down to Voorhies Avenue. Seeing how Voorhies Avenue is so close to Sheepshead Bay, I didn’t see any harm in saving a few dollars and ending the line a block early at Avenue Z.

The Second System also planned for a line running south on Utica Avenue. I didn’t think the expense of resurrecting that line could be justified but I didn’t want to continue to neglect the people of the Flatlands. With this in mind I brought back the 9 train. It follows an easterly path along Avenue J.

During off peak times the new 9 train will terminate at Franklin Avenue where riders can transfer to the 2, 3, 4 or S trains. During rush hour it will act as an express, terminating at Fulton Street and allowing Brooklyn riders a quick transfer to points in Manhattan. It would only stop at select high volume stations in Brooklyn.

A Train Extension

This is the lowest priority project on my map. I felt the area was underserved particularly with a large housing project (Rochdale Village) and August Martin High School near the end of my extension.

The stations I chose are near major commercial buildings. I tried to avoid placing stations in areas dominated by single family housing. However I am starting to think there should be a station between 130th Street and Linden Blvd. It feels like it is an awfully large leap between the two stations.

While I was extending the A train, I felt it would be worth while to simplify service to the Rockaways. I removed the A train to end its irregular and confusing route, and let the C train take over the area. The north end of the Rockaways will be permanently served by the C train. The southern end will be served by a shuttle train. Again this is another simplification of service. Riders to the south end can make a quick transfer at Broad Channel.

What’s To Come

As I said, this map is by no means final. It’s the first of several as I present a few ideas. I know the city wants to create a new Atlantic Avenue line to connect JFK with lower Manhattan. The idea isn’t final, but I think I will add my own take on that project to this map.

I’m also concerned about access to the north of Queens. I would like to consider if a new train line there would be useful. I’ve also paid little attention to the Bronx. If I remember correctly, there was once a line running on Third Avenue. Would the area benefit from bringing that back? Riverdale doesn’t have any train service. Perhaps the A needs to be extended. We should also consider those Staten Island connections.

So much to do. I hope this new, but slower, computer can handle Adobe Illustrator. The old computer hardly could though. It’s tempting to go out and buy some new parts but does this little hobby really justify spending money on computer parts? It’s so tempting.