NYC annoys me the way they ignore subway expansion especially when they’re moving heavily to force people to drive less but won’t support projects that would make using public transportation easier.

As a resident near the Rockaway Beach branch, I would’ve liked to see the Queens link plan far more than the Queens way plan. It would just be more convenient for me to go to the north instead of having to use the crowded busses at Woodhaven.

Yep, we have officially reached Peak NIMBY: oppose sustainable transit in the name of environmentalism. Incidentally this is a familiar dynamic over here in Israel with the sensitive issue of Saturday transport. The opponents are a coalition of religious people and secular car owners who just find it offensive to their sensibilities, even though they don’t actually have to deal with the consequences either way.

Yes NYC has made a real huge mistake. This is especially since this a a prime corridor for better rail service between the Rockaway Peninsula and the rest of the city. Turning the right of way into a park robs us of that opportunity. If anything, the city should’ve done the Queenslink plan, which replaces the embankment with a new concrete viaduct that provides new room for a park underneath. This provides needed rail service while creating new park space underneath. It’s a win-win situation.

I grew up in Far Rockaway and having to take the A train into Manhattan always seemed to take forever. Plus, the need for another railway became apparent when the bay bridge the train crosses over by JFK was damaged after Sandy and became inaccessible cutting off subway service to the rest of the city. They need to reopen the Queens line for direct access between north and south Queens without having to circle around Brooklyn/Manhattan. This should've been done 30 years ago.

Horrible Idea. We have more than enough green spaces. The Queens link is definitely more needed and missed opportunity to expand transit in such an area that needs more services. And considering that they are trying to encourage more commuters to use public transit this is definitely discouraging

New York City made a big mistake by voting for this mayor

All plans, like any other adjustments or enhancements to the city, take years to implement. Different administrations, attitudes, economic situations, and so on all have significant impact on getting a project off the ground. However, I am willing to wager one dollar that whichever decision is ultimately made. It’s not going to happen anytime soon.

Know what, people gotta start lobbying for the hybrid solution between the subway extension and the Parkway upgrades. Like it just be stupid to think you could hadn't that long term increase in traffic with only buses. Like even in some mystical world if they choose to introduce light rail. Like they literally had a whole existing right of way where they could've have Grade separated light rail.

I HATE "rail-to-trail" type projects. It's essentially impossible to regain that right of way

I feel like there’s a huge conversation to be had in terms of America’s addiction to building “rail trails” (in terms of replacing former transit ROWs with paved pedestrian highways). In the US, I can’t help but feel like rail trails are built to deter transit (especially in urban areas) instead of complimenting transit like in Europe.

What a waste to have the QueensWay and this is why I’ll start driving soon, I don’t see the big deal of trains passing every 5 minutes it’s a New York thing, just imagine how fast commuters get from the Rockaways to Central Queens if they had chosen the QueensLink

Wait where are they putting this Queensway? Why the hard push for a green space to phase out transit convenience? Isn’t Forest Park enough? Oh and what’s the story with those tracks that Run through there?

Yes, they should've extended the R/M down to Rockaway Park inorder to provide the Rockaway with frequent train service. Instead of the crappy 15-20 minute headways the A has there.

Seems like such a waste as the line had such great potential as it could offer riders: a new way into Midtown An new and fast link to JFK Airport Another route across Queens, which would mean riders wouldn't have to go to Manhattan A fsater alternate to the bus The only positive about the Queensway is that it is better than leaving the line abandonded, but is defintiley not the best option, by a long way. Missed opportunity for sure.

The trail and highway lobbyists have gotten a massive victory with the approval of the STUPID greenway! The Rockaway Beach Branch at roughly 4.8 miles, would have no grade crossings and be totally grade separated. No bridges or viaducts would have to be built. The shells of the stations are in good shape. My simple mind cannot comprehend how they calculate the so called cost of reactivating this line! How can the cost of the Second Avenue subway IN A TUNNEL, cost LESS than an at grade rail line? Someone paid good money to derail the plans to reactivate this line, someone who definitely has a vested interest in keeping rail service from coming back. Also, how can fixing the line for subway service cost MORE than for fixing it for LIRR service? The Subway cars are LIGHTER and SMALLER, and consequently don’t require heavy duty trackage like the LIRR does! In addition, some LIRR trains have DE30AC and DM30AC diesel locomotives, which are way heavier than ANYTHING that goes on the subway! Freight trains also go along the Long Island RR tracks! It would also cost MORE to connect the ends of this line to LIRR’s existing service than to connect to the subway. On the south end, it can very easily be connected to the A line without any major issues and the third rail would be put in either way and would cost the same for either LIRR, subway, tunnel, or above ground. This so called park will destroy the possibility of rail service over the Rockaway Beach Branch and the cost being paid is HIGHER than the actual cost not the inflated MTA figures that are bloated beyond belief!

Removing any fixed rail system is a step backwards. Shame on New York City!

Light Rail can travel on parkland. They should turn it into a light rail system, running on tracks embedded into the park.

I really feel for the people that are inconvenienced when it comes to lack of train and connections. That should be first. Once tracks are turned into a green space, there's no turning back. The ones making the decisions don't care what the residents think that depend on these routes and are never the ones living there or using the transportation in these areas.

All this residential buildings and construction being done in the area of the proposed line idea they need to reactivate that abandoned line and bring rail service back there instead of Greens Way. There's enough greenways in Queens. During the cold seasons The Greenway won't be used that much. A rail line would be used daily and benefit MORE in help transporting people back and forth and alleviate Woodhaven boulevard in both directions especially the area that goes towards the Rockaways where the boulevard changes name to Cross Island.

My subway plan was to have the C train go to Lefferts, The A train to far Rockaway, And a new train from Forest Hills to Rockaway Park

This seems like the same logic that wants a streetcar over in Western Brooklyn purely for the gimmick of it when Select + bus could accomplish the same thing, meanwhile the people in Staten Island are stuck with a single surface rail line that is basically a glorified conveyor to the ferry that seems to be almost reluctantly operated.

They should reactive it as a subway line

this is going to gentrify the surrounding area with luxury high rises and further the need for expansion of the network. vicious cycle

There was a proposal about it off the queens blvd line , off the 63rd drive stop there’s a slant in the tunnel leading towards the area of that link.

Honestly. The MTA can’t get it right. First they turned 2nd avenue into a two line track so no express service, and it also can’t make use of its lines properly. The R train is long for sure, but the M is not that long. The thing is they can’t run the M on the weekend, so there would be no service at all times. They should get rid of the Z skip stop service on the J line, which really is of no help, and instead put the Z line as the route for this branch. And then they should send the F and E express all the time, so they can let the M go on the F line and terminate at Parsons or 179st. Then upgrade the Ozone park branch to allow A express service to the rockaways and send the C to ozone park. The routes are long yes, but the way that the MTA helps out drivers is providing switching points for Drivers to switch places to avoid driving for too long. This happens a lot on the A train, and other lines, so I know it would work once more. The MTA really needs to work out there driver shortages. One way is to train conductors to operate, and then get High school and college students above 16 in on the action. The conductor position is Fairly easy. It only requires customer service and pressing some buttons, and not too much complicated stuff for the most part. With the right training and selection process, it could provide kids with great internships or part time jobs, and get more operators on the routes. They also got to fix that 2nd avenue mess and get it to 4 tracks before its too late. Now I have a crazy idea for proposal, but what if they made 8 car G service, so The F can shorten it’d too long route, and send the G to Coney Island, and the F to Church ave. Then the MTA could do a queens project to help bus service on hillside avenue. They could dig tunnel and extend the F line until Springfield blvd, and make stops along the way, such as Francis Lewis, 188st, 212st and Springfield terminal. Then they could extent the E line underground until this Terminus as well, but Via Jamaica Ave. The E could stop at 168st, 179st, Somewhere near Francis Lewis, where it would then run accross and reach the F in the Grand Springfield terminal. Then they could extend the A line from Ozone until Sutphin. But these are just my crazy ideas for the future lol. At least this last bit. This might seem like long routes, but I’m the future, when the inevitable driverless trains take over, there will be a lot of coverage and range for our incredible subway.

I always wanna see half of Rockaway Beach branch taking reactivated by LIRR or subway, screw that green park crap. For those who pick green Park and non transport people, yeah good luck fighting traffic to work and also be careful what you wish for.

you should do a video on if we need subway extensions into east nyc in places like canarsie cause all there really is is the L train, and sort of the 3 but just barely

Once you pull up the rails it's impossible to reactivate a rail line. Conrail hastily pulled up a number of lightly used rail lines back in the 70's and 80's as a cost cutting measure. The Erie Lakawana cutoff is a great example of why you shouldn't pull up rails that may be of use in the future. NJ transit and Amtrak are currently trying to put that back together.

Whatever makes it easier for the MTA to escape further responsibility, that's what's gonna happen.

NYC pub transit was designed to bring commuters to and from Manhattan. I guess, they never imagined some one from The Bronx would need t visit Queens.

No I don't think so. Woodhaven Blvd is right there running parallel, with a right-of-way of between roughly 130 and 150 feet, which is more than enough to put up a two-track elevated viaduct, plus the transfers between both subway lines and bus routes would be much more seamless there as well.

Didn't know that Adams was also anti-transit. A new branch was a no brainer. They already have the right-of-way for it and everything. I wonder who's lining his pockets.

I think that both the (M) and (R) should both turn south from Forest Hills, and then run to the Rockaway Beach Branch. You might think that the (M) will pass by Metropolitan Av with this extension. To solve this issue, the (M) will no longer run along the Nassau St line. It will run into Brooklyn on the Culver Line, which will allow for all (F) trains to run express in Brooklyn. There will be a shuttle between Myrtle Av and Metropolitan Av as well. But at Myrtle Av, this shuttle will stop on the upper level of the station to prevent the shuttle and (J) trains from interlining.

Any time a trail is placed over a former rail ROW is a catastrophic disaster in the history of rail transport. It's bad enough that we lost so many freight routes and passenger branch lines to trails, but turning this line in particular into a trail, with studies by both the subway AND LIRR to restore service on it, is absolutely unacceptable in this day and age, where access to efficient public transit is critical in the face of climate change. I've also heard proponents of this trail say that it would be as popular as the high line, but I don't feel that this region of Queens would be as popular as midtown Manhattan, and people would be connected to these regions at a much slower pace by walking or taking an infrequent bus, when compared to a double and quad tracked subway. The only possible area to have rails and trails is the former quad tracked section from the A train to Atlantic Ave, but the QueensWay proposal did not show any rails and trails development along the region. #RailsOverTrails!

This abandoned rail line needs to be restored to rail service, not turned into a useless park. The High Line should have been turned into light rail service too.

It needs to be reactivated as a subway and not a park. It would relieve the congestion and MTA needs more subway lines.

What will the city do next to limit traffic and congestion. This queenslink project would have given central queens a chance at transit, and the M train would had a chance to link northern and southern queens too. Enough with the over glorification of buses that end up slowing traffic and commutes down.

honestly the green space is worse than doing nothing because it's gonna speed up gentrification

Wow! Nothing surprise me of what politicians and leaders do!

If they reactivate the old Rockaway branch from the Queens Boulevard Line, they can create two (F) trains one via 53rd Street one via 63rd Street (Roosevelt Island). Then during the overnights eliminate the 53rd Street F and have passengers change at 7th Avenue for the E. Extended the (G) train back to Forest Hills and have the (R) turn down to the Rockaways to run with the A & C trains. Make the M more of a Myrtle Avenue shuttle and terminated on the upper level of that station. Only extending the to Nassau Street line during rush hours. And rebuild the Howard Beach station into a three Island platform- four track Express Station/Terminal. During rush hours the (R) & (C) trains go to Rockaway Park and the (A) train goes to Mott. During off peak the (R) terminates at Howard Beach and the (C) terminates at Euclid Ave, with the Rockaway (C) shuttle terminating at Howard Beach instead of Broad Channel.

The air train style over the new Greenway is the way to go.

I kind of wish that this was A subway or Interborough express instead of a park. Because the best way to use this to get somewhere is to bike, and biking is not as good as even something as bad as a local bus

NYC really needs to step up its transit game. Just because we're the best in the US for public transportation doesn't mean we can't do better

While I like the Queensway idea, I won’t lie when I say I know some people who would love to have a second alternative to going into Far Rockaway that would save time when driving sucks and the A is just kinda not the greatest. And to be honest, I agree that there’s a way for both to co-exist. If something like that were considered, that would probably be the way to meet both in the middle.

The MTA is ever going to be held accountable for their blatant cost overruns? 8 billion according to them but 3,7 in reality. Same with the 2nd ave subway, like 10 billion already on a line that to me doesn’t make sense with the amount of ridership it will see. I would prefer the subway to the walkway. There is another abandoned rail that goes parallel to woodhaven blvd, it’s an elevated train track you can see from 101st, rockaway blvd, etc

This is the price of being behind 50 years in subway expansion...smh

Definitely not a good idea, they inflated the price because they don't wanna do it

I blame no one but the MTA for this. Don't they own the right of way? So why did not they reactive this a long time ago? If they did, it would not have gotten to this point where NYMBY's would be influencing NYC to turn this right of way into a park.

My thought is i dint see any imagery that helped me identify where this line is located besides the map. Where does this line connect to active or well-trodded routes?

In my personal opinion l, I think the demand is too low for a train but too high for a bus. So I propose a unconventional method especially by North American Standards, I think they should have built a tramway. Reduces congestion but also not as noisy as a Train.

Was so surprised to see the picture of Kolkata Metro in your video cuz I'm from Kolkata. Awesome video though and I hope the Queen's link line opens up to revenue sevrice

They should have reconnected the line to the current Rockaway line and extend the rock park shuttle

They have been talking about this for years. I will wait for them to complete it to believe it.

What a waste of potential. I agree with your decision on making it both a park and a transit line. I would send either the M train OR the R train down there to provide more frequent service in the Rockaways.

Not a Good Idea and for Mayor Adams he should look to Philadelphia & Norristown PA where they have a Rail with Trail route the old PRR R6 Norristown via Cwynd being the rail trail while the active one is Reading RR R6 Norristown Line via Temple Uni

Goodnite sir. The Queens way should've ben planned for the Ex Long Island RailRoad Montauk Cuff in Long Island City. Instead of Ex Far-Rockaway Beach Branch. The MTA should really need to put the breaks on this Queens Way plan. 😡There's need for this. Queens is very underserved when it come down to trains 🚆 and the Railroad. The revibe of Far-Rock Beach Branch will creat a fast way into Manhattan. The J/Z A are all packed as is. The Q-53/Q-52 Q-11/Q-21 don't really run all that great. As Subway or Rail they could run a train 8 or 7 trains per hour and it would've ben LIRR the MTA could've connet the line to Woodside and then Extend it to Grand Central Term !!But No!!Top heavy people in office 🏢 don't care about Public Transit. Everybody that lives In New york City don't own cars 🚗.

Sorry to ask, since Im not from the area. Where is it located? By ozone park, jamaica, rockaway ave? I thought it was going to be the one by VanDam street near 21st ave, there is a few abandoned train tracks there to going north, I walked a couple blocks and you could see all the new buildings going up.

So in the winter when they beg you to leave the cars at home and take mass transit...oh, never mind 🤦🏿‍♂️

I have an idea for a video: it’s about the G train. Since 2010, the G train has only ran between Court Square and Church Avenue. When it originally ran local on the Queens Boulevard Line from 71st-Continental to the odd terminus of Smith-9th Streets. My idea is that the G train should run to 71st-Continental again but as a limited rush hour service extension similar to how the W does in Brooklyn. In fact it is possible to implement this service without any construction. The Court Square station tracks have no bumper blocks and trains continue on to Queens Plaza and onto the local route of the Queens Boulevard line, so this special rush hour G train extension is theoretically possible to implement.

The Rockaway connection is one the two or three branch projects to improve the local service on the queens Blvd line including reviving the G train

In an outlier area of Vancouver, known as Surrey, part of the extension of the skytrain had to run through a run down garbage infested wooded area. Of course there was no objection. Later the area was turned into a world class park, and back dated, to make it look like there was always a park there. Pure genius marketing.

It doesn't have to be a Subway. We can get a Light Rail network which will be multipurpose - the Light Rail would run from Ozone Park (A Station) to Queens Plaza (linking the EMR at Queens Plaza with the 7NW at Queensboro Plaza) on one line and from Ozone Park (A Station) to Fordham Plaza (Metro-North) on the other (connecting with the Forest Hills EFMR Station).

As much as I want to hope they don't repeat this mistake on Staten Island, they already have with how Empire Outlets was built.

I think with the advent of all these electric scooters and other contraptions they should make that space to appeal to people who not only use such vehicles but also encourage others to switch to them and leave their cars at home.

Honestly great idea. I take the Q52/53 to school every day, and this could help with congestion on the buses. Even though I probably won't be using these buses in the coming years, (since I'm graduating in 2023) this plan could really help others who take the buses.

Yes they made a great mistake. When the Long Island Railroad constructed the railroad line, ridership was decent and at least made a pretty ok amount of profit. The only thing the made ridership fall was the fire of Jamaica Bay, because the LIRR was too broke to fix it. From 1955 to 1962 it basically only served from Rego Park to Ozone Park, which is mostly half of the original line. This is what lowered ridership. Now with the populations increase, the traffic AND overcrowded buses, utilizing the ROW would be a ethical and impactful idea. The greenway is also a great idea, but putting it in the way of possible profitable transit isn’t such a good one. Whether it were to be LIRR or MTA Subway, or even a freaking Trolly, Having something to transport people through the middle of queens, with plenty of other transit connections (Atlantic Branch LIRR, Air-train, and A train), would be an amazing idea and it’s unfortunate that they believe this path that they are taking is the better option

I feel like if we make enough noise, they will change it.

I live in Chelsea the High Line goes over my street. It's also a public park funded privately.

Frankly I would like every letter of the english language to have a designated route. Also maybe my recent idea could be a monorail system. In the monorail scheme Northern Blvd line should also start in Manhattan 34th and Tenth, go along 34th St. ,eastward into Northern Blvd into Junction Blvd.

This Queensway plan dose'nt make any sense. There's plenty of parks in area. Why cause more headaches for the people who live close the Ex Far-Rockaway Beach needs more Subway or Rail Connection. The J/Z A are over pack. This Revibe of the Far-Rock Branch will be great to be extened to To Manhattan via Eastside accse .

Where is the link to sign for petition?

NYC’s made a lot more than one big mistake…

The train is the obvious best choice. Which, no doubt, is why the government went the other way. So a few NIMBYs can have more ridiculously expensive green space.

Hochul AT LEAST did a good job on announcing useful projects for nyc like the IBX and even Penn renovations doesn’t look half bad. (still has her flaws tho and not a good governor) Adams on the other hand is what? Adding more green space. Nyc is already pretty green and has loads of parks. We really don’t need another one. And yet he approved QUEENSWAY. Why? And I thought he was suppose to improve the subway. Hate both hochul and adams but I have a sense hatred on adams more than hochul

Hello from Kansas 🇺🇸 rail line with green park area for such a cost of EXISTING right of way and infrastructure

Yes, a disappointing, and irreversible mistake for sure. But I would have preferred they reactivate the branch for the LIRR and have instead terminate in the central terminal area of JFK, thus finally providing what every other major world city already has: a direct, one-seat ride from the airport to the city center.

Have cycled for transport all my life. In the greater Boston area, many rights of way were acquired by the Commonwealth for for transit expansion following the highway revolt back in the '70s. They are all being converted to trails, The cycling advocacy groups as dupes of highway lobby, and do NIMBY's dirty work of railway eradication; with a "nudge/wink" about preservation of the corridor. When I advocated to preserve the railways in these corridors during trail development, I learned that local opposition to trail development vanishes when a study is launched to re-activate the line, and railway removal is preferred . This ghettoizes non motor mobility, and disregards the synergy with walking, cycling, and mass transit, to sustain supportive land use patterns.

This is a mistake, a subway line is needed to fill in the large space that has no subway access in Queens and Brooklyn, it could also make it easier for residents along that corridor to get to JFK airport and the rockaways quicker without having the need to take a bus on Woodhaven BLVD that get very full and have to deal with traffic along the way

Of course they’ve made a huge mistake. MTA didn’t fully make this corridor a huge priority and as always underestimating transit needs

So they complain about the buses but when the opportunity comes for a potentially better means of crossing the borough they say no. Plain stupid if you ask me. Not to mention that that deactivation could potentially relieve the A line of some of its passengers that wouldn’t necessarily have to use that line now. Plus, the city has too many parks as it is. And no, nature and transit don’t mix, especially near the third rail or any type of train tracks for that matter. This so called “park” is another waste of money and another spot for crimes to happen when Adams is out of office. Just saying.

Hm, crowded buses along abandoned right of way? Needs more grass.

Personally, the queenslink is way better, providing commuters a better chance to connect, just as u said in this vid

0:41 why there is the soviet metro train 81-717?

Yes!

Yes they did. We need more transit not more parks in borough that have many parklands

Cool

I WANT TO SEE A RAIL LINE

I'm choosing to hold out hope that enough of a fire can be lit under the rears of enough important people or planners involved in this concept to eventually marry the green spaces to elegant concrete elevated structures along the branch but honest to God NYC fumbled the bag here and then some. While I'm not 100% of the opinion that the QueensLink idea as it exists should be the play to make (there's a proposal I've been flirting with sharing somewhere that'd create a Far Rockaway/Breezy Point pair service which would inherit the entire stretch from the current A and travel along the RBB ROW to LaGuardia Airport and potentially in the future crosstown the South Bronx with a terminus in Upper Manhattan), it was a very necessary first step towards any idea like my own while also addressing real issues with currently oversaturated motor corridors and the "transit equitable and green" focuses the MTA had been parroting off for the last few years. Any plan for the city that does not include substantial expansion to the subway network while also further canonizing the need for motor vehicles in places like the deeper Queens area is myopic and should be treated with contempt.

Herd one official say split the plan meanin build both. Best idea yet

I don’t know why NYC loves putting gardens on old ugly stilts. IMO either have a train good enough to offset the effect on local areas, or disassemble the whole thing Edit - having said that, a light rail or tram going through an also walkable garden might be a nice compromise

The supporters of Queensway were caught saying they didn't want POC coming to their areas. They are afraid another subway line would bring more POC into their neighborhood. Queenslink is a must.

Understand we are talking about NYC and NYS. Practical solutions never happen, the project that gets selected is the one that lines Eric Adams and Kathy Hochuls pocket books the most

It all comes down to money. Queensway Project i believe is significantly cheaper than the QueensLink do to all the work they have to do to re-active a line and build new infrastructure there

THE WHAT TRAIN? no way

NYC needs better rapid transit, not a green space coverup. The opinions of a few NIMBYs and politicians should not be representative of what the people want.

This is an enormous mistake. This does more for tourists than it does for the people that have to live here and move around here.

The Queenslink plan is much better than the Queensway. Queens has so much park space. Flushing Meadows Corona Park? Forest Park? Kissena Corridor Park? Alley Pond Park? Cunningham Park? We seriously do not need a High Line type park like the one in Manhattan. And The Queenslink plan incorporates green space for walking, biking, exercise, etc. And yes, I have already signed the petition for Queenslink by the time I post this comment.

NYC is acctually putting the queens link subway and not the high line 😊

I have been out of the city 30 years now. You're telling me there is no longer a subway to Rockaway? What about the beach traffic all summer? How are Rockaway residents commuting to the city? This is unbelievable to me. I used to go with my father to Aqueduct and Playland on the A line. I knew they closed Aqueduct station years ago but the whole line? It was once LIRR. If folks stopped using it it is because after Jamacia it goes through some high crime neighborhoods.They should have had an express train running non stop after Broad Channel to Manhattan.