If it is decided to put in trams NYC needs to follow Paris footsteps and completely redesigning every street a line is being put on, making it people-friendly and people-oriented. It's amazing how the most urban place in the US is still such a car hell hole traffic sewer.

I’m mad at how our generations have been denied trams by the oil and auto maker lobbies.

Just a note.....NYC never called their streetcars...streetcars (I don't like that oxymoron of a name myself). They called them Trolleys like Boston and Philly does. Up till about 1999, there use to a little sign at the corner of Ditmas and McDonald hanging off the el pillar saying "Trolley Stop". It was later removed when they repainted the Culver El. I believe McDonald Ave was the last trolley line that ran, as then 50 Line.

A Light Rail 🚈 would definitely be beneficial, especially like you said in the undeserved Areas. Especially in The Bronx where I grew up at, the main Streets that go Crosstown like Fordham Rd and Tremont Ave could definitely use them! Hell I would even toss in Gun Hill Rd in the mix until the MTA decides to finally extend the D Train Crosstown to Co-Op City which I'm still pushing for.

Your plan to cut half the lanes in roads if not all lanes on roads for BRT and light rail is an amazing ideas that would tottally change NYC for the better. More greenways are always good and inter borrow mass transit is deffinetly needed but NYC also needs to build multiple radial heavy rail lines that ark around the city and their should be at least 3-5 of them to connect all the lines that go downtown to Manhattan. They also need to build the half a dozen or so bridges and tunnels they never built across waterways so you can get directly to destinations and there is a more circular flow to traffic that would totaly change the city!!

Absolutely we need LightRail across the city! On the busiest bus routes that’s overcapacity. LightRail will provide faster speeds on its dedicated line and more capacity then articulated buses we have now. It would make the rides smooth & comfortable then the buses.

This is absolutely perfect solution for New York. Numerous studies show that bush’s even express bus is no match to light rail on number of passengers per hour it serves, and overall appeal to the city. Jersey city before light rail and after are two different cities- it provided economic boom and attracted people to ride it. Same goes for LA- in Los Angeles light rail is built actively and areas where it serves quickly give people real choice to drive or not to drive. Before, to get to Santa Monica or Pasadena, driving was the option… I am all for it!

Light rails should be built in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island in transit deserts. The light rail should have the same fare as the subway and bus and there needs to be free between light rail and subway/bus. I support 100% that the Bx12SBS gets replaced by a light rail in addition to converting Fordham Road into a busway. The Bx12SBS is too pack and it doesn't run often. Traffic in Fordham is horrendous and drivers don't respect the bus lanes. There needs to be a dedicated lane for the light rail on the 207th bridge.

I personally like the 42nd St - 34th Street loop idea. If you were smart you could convert one of the Lincoln tunnel tubes for LRT and connect to the HBLR.

having light rail on Pelham Parkway & Fordham Road would actually help my traveling since the Bx12 is always delayed when i wait for it on White Plains Road

I think that light rails would be beneficial to the city.

The more I think about this idea the more I like it On the Pelham Parkway section the light rail could even run on the southern part of the greenway to make it a truly beautiful transitway

The city used to have tons of lines, and the tracks are still there buried underneath the roads, you can see tehm when there's potholes so a lot of infrastructure might already be there and can be cleaned up and reused

I think we could definitely use light rail I the parts of the Bronx, queens and Brooklyn where the subway doesn’t reach.

Light rail/light metro is also what I've been proposing for the Interborough Express route. With either Stadler GTW or Siemens S700 units, the line could be extended from Brooklyn Army Terminal to Industry City using the existing tracks. Elsewhere on the line, it could reach speeds of around 55 mph and the low level stations would cost less to build.

Love the thumbnail! They are the exact trams they use here in Sydney Australia. The Alstom Citadis 305’s are a good LRV :) Great channel by the way, i’ve been binge watching it :)

Streetcars are tempting because they’re initially cheaper, but in the long run it would be worth it to have a Fordham rapid transit line run elevated for total grade separation

I definitely agree with you on the light rail being a crosstown route for the Bronx but I also still favor in the street car from Red Hook to Astoria that can eventually get extended to the Hub in The Bronx especially if the TBR is only terminating at Jackson Hts

Park Avenue in Manhattan would be a great road for a light rail line. It cold be sent via First Avenue to South Ferry where Park Avenue ends near Midtown.

I feel like we do need light rail/trams in NYC for more outside service. I mean look at SEPTA operating their trams with their bus routes mainly providing extra service with underground connections with the Market Frankford Line and NJT with the River light rail line in trenton which has connections to the Northeast corridor and downtown trenton. LA has their own tram system which connects the outer subs to Downtown LA which provides faster service than taking 3 buses and paying more which the MTA in my opinion wants people to waste money on transfers. Trams in NYC would be a great help becuase it would be a great way to connect underserved areas around NYC like throgs neck, Co-Op City, Outer Queens, etc.

Great presentation and idea! !

I don't know much about how the transit system works. But watching your video, I thought about putting a Light Rail where the M50 runs. I feel like the M50 needs some improvements in general because (despite being a crosstown bus) it doesn't run very often, so I'm 100% sure there's like 4 buses in circulation for the M50 line *IN TOTAL.* But the M50 does connect to, or provides easy travel/access distance to a lot of train lines and popular bus routes.

Capacity is a matter of quality of service. Fully grade seperated systems and high frequency may even be more important than the mode. That is why I prefer grade separated BRT because it is: A. Cheaper. B. Less of a waste if the route is later converted to a subway line, C. Like LRT, helps redesign streets to implement greenery and separated bike lanes. Although, these should be unidirectional along either sidewalk.

It would be also be a great idea to put light rail/trams on the rockaways as well because both the Rockaway Park Shuttle and A trains have bad frequencies

It's kind of wild to me that so many US cities are going all in on Light Rail (just look at Seattle's system being built ENTIRELY out of LRT for better or for worse), while New York, THE "train city" in the US, doesn't have any LRT AT ALL. Getting Inter-borough service down in Queens and Brooklyn, parts of the city with clear transit deserts, would be transformational for the entire city and ease congestion on every other modality. Plus they just look so damn good quietly slipping past greenways

Sydney has done it. After abandoning trams in 1962, we now he have 3 different lines, radiating from our CBD. Our light rail utilises streets where cars have been removed or separated. Also there is an extensive use of off street running , utilising old freight rail lines.

Really liked this video as it reminded me of the Bronx when I used to be out there. Fordham road definitely would benefit from an LRT line and it could maybe connect from Gunn hill road. I like how you put Toronto as an example as this is where I'm from originally and currently have been living in. The one huge problem with NY is that the subway covers a Huge amount of area so you're basically like a 10 min walk from a subway station. I used to live on 233rd and White plains and I could walk to the nearest station in 2 min. Ofcourse going to Fordham on the same street where the train ran was annoying but that was kind of the only way. Idk what it's like now as I haven't been to NY in a minute so I hope it got better..

Living next to the BX12 sbs I would love to have a light rail line, I always thought about a tram line way before watching this

Excellent idea and for the trains there are two choices if you want them to be made in New York by New Yorkers CAF Urbos and Alstom Citadel. Big question is this where would the Depot for the trams be 1st choice is 207th st Kingsbridge bus depot or Gun Hill Road depot? You can probably start creating the Brooklyn Network as phase II. However this will get news coverage because in Philadelphia Pa SEPTA Network instances of trams hitting buses. Best solution might be copying Boston tram tunnel

Maybe in The East Bronx & East Queens.

Light rail can be a great form of transit that can really well serve neighbourhood trips. You can look at Toronto's extensive and well-used, but flawed Streetcar system for examples of what, and what not to do. Do's: - Integration with the subway. The Toronto Transit Commission does a great job of integrating the streetcar system with the subway system. Most streetcar lines terminate at subway stations where there will be streetcar terminals within the station, sometimes underground, allowing for an easier transfer. - High frequency. Toronto streetcars often run every 10 minutes, making them a reliable and useful form of transit. - 24-hour operation. Many Toronto streetcar routes have nighttime equivalents, making them useful during all times of the day. Don'ts: - Mixed traffic operation. Most Toronto streetcar routes do not have dedicated lanes, meaning they get chronically stuck in traffic, making them slower, less frequent, and giving them less of an advantage against other forms of transportation. - Low-quality stops. Toronto's streetcar system does the bare minimum in terms of stops, with most stops being no better than a bus route, and streetcar riders having to cross a traffic lane to board the vehicle. - Poor infrastructure. The Toronto streetcar system still uses old-fashioned switches, and no signal priority, leading to slower and less reliable operation.

I personally would love a complete outer borough circumferential line that goes cross Bronx, to queens, to Brooklyn, to Staten Island and maybe even into jersey through Staten Island that connects to the path. With links to Newark airport and la guardia. Ahh the dream to not have to step foot in Manhattan if I don’t want to just to get somewhere else.

OMG I agree with you about the BX12!

You always have great ideas.

Absolutely beneficial to the city we all love! Subway lines are mostly serving Manhattan and cross town travel is often a pain.

Queens can use some light rail/street cars if not subway lines. One is Woodhaven blvd/cross bay Blvd heading towards the Rockaways. Another option can be for it to run on Rockaway Blvd to JFK airport.

Bring back the streetcars my parents and grandparents spoke of fondly. They still have them in Philly and other cities!

Oh yeah, the trams, I hope they look like the R40 subway fleet. I really miss those 😞

Yes and yes. It will have to happen sooner or later. I like the way you have planned out all the details. And I definitely agree that NYCT needs to stop running competition against themselves.

Trams/Street Cars/Light Rail crossing through Brooklyn and Queens supplementing the purposed IBX would be a great place to start

This channel and it's narrator are awesome. He (the narrator) is so knowledgeable and (in my opinion) has a great voice.

I can see New York City having trams and light rail. Even London as well which already has the Tramlink that serves South London (including Wimbledon and Croydon).

Whenever I see ridership lists for light rail and subway on Wikipedia, I always wonder if New York City had a light rail, then it would be one with the highest ridership.

I think that a great idea for a tram line could also be one that runs in co-op city, from Pelham Bay Park 6 station to Baychester Avenue 5 station, while making stops at several points in co-op city.

Great video! Is calles in the Commonwealth DTT (from Where this tea come from) as an alusión of somethung that already existes but is explained and updated

I think you should present your videos to the MTA, since these are good ideas for developing the city's public transport.

The M102, like all Manhattan bus lines that start with M100 were Third Ave Railway System (TARS) routes. They ran on Third Ave, terminating at the old Post Office (now City Hall Park). It operated until 1947. The Lexington Ave car line was operated by New York Railways from South Ferry. It operated until 1936 and was replaced by the M21 bus, which was operated by New York Omnibus. Separate services on Lex and Third Aves were combined when these avenues were made completely one-way, in 1960. The present M102 operates only to Cooper Square. The subways killed the streetcars economically. All Manhattan streetcars came under the private control of the Metropolitan Street Railway in 1902, two years before the subway was opened and when the el's were still steam operated. Metropolitan Street Railway went bankrupt in 1907 and was separated back into its separate constituent companies.

great video 🚈🚋 can you please talk about more rail Staten Island to

A light rail from Astoria Ditmars Boulevard, passing by Astoria Park then going all the way down Vernon Boulevard to Hunters Point would be nice. Maybe it can be extended across the Pulaski Bridge to Greenpoint but, it would be very slow because of traffic.

The BX 12 is a great choice for a LRT and especially with a pedestrian mall between Webster and Jerome Avenues. I have, like most people. Walked faster than the BX 12 between the two streets.

Elevated, subway and streetcar/tram's are needed. They all serve their niche in providing cities rapid transit. Tram's are the perfect last mile solution along busy corridors where buses aren't going to cut it but you need to make a ton of local stops... Even my hometown of Edmonton plans on reintroducing them along all major streets in the inner city in the next while according to their last vision document... On top of the high floor German-style LRT and the new/existing low-floor tram line that just opened last year...

As one comment said a lot of the crosstown bus routes in the Bronx would benefit from light rail. Mostly because…all crosstown bus routes are descendants of the TARS system. The bx12 and 41 SBS would be great contenders for this as they operate in a straight line.

Yay, finally an actually reasonable use of trams. Many North American cities have tried to use trams as a discount subway system but this just doesn't work all that well. Trams are bad at running subway-style services (cough cough IBX) (i.e. lots of ultra busy stops on a grade-separated corridor and wide station spacing) but they are an excellent option to increase capacity on relatively short but busy routes. Trams belong on streets or on tramways, not on a viaduct or deep in a tunnel. Also FYI: The Toronto Streetcar system is a legacy tram system (i.e. it has a grid-like network with lots of different services and not much separation from traffic) but TTC and Metrolinx are constructing new Light Rail lines out in the suburbs (such as the Line 5 Eglington). Though this route does fall under the category of "discount metro system" as it's in a tunnel for half of the route.

I agree with new light rail lines since they can serve corridors where subways don't make sense. I also do propose that these lines could also replace highways as well. In particular, I do have routes that would replace the BQE and Gowanus Expressways in Brooklyn and Queens en route to Astoria and LaGuardia Airport as lower volume supplements to the Astoria Line extension (I know Frederick will try to come at me for that). I also have a Belt Pkwy replacement line from Bay Ridge to JFK Airport. All three routes will take a somewhat different alignment from the highways as well.

I love this idea so much

Seriously mta needs to hire you for your ideas

We shouldn't build LRT in NYC right now. It's better to build BRT in the short term because it is easier, cheaper, and more flexible. When roads are redesigned to have grade separated bus and bike lanes, throughput capacity increases considerably and induces demand. When BRT lines prove to have high ridership, the MTA can then consider constructing subway rights of way beneath or above said BRT lines.

I love the concepts proposed here and never really "got" the fascination with light rail solutions before seeing how it'd help in a situation like the cross town Bronx experience. I'm still going to almost always advocate for subway expansion as there are large swathes of the geography of NYC that still don't have proper access to service that should (and would no doubt get passed on if LRT options become more popular due to their relative affordability), but just imagining a world where this took off as a concession and mitigated some bus lines here in Brooklyn (imagining a full on Flatbush Ave or Utica Ave LRT in the event expansions of subways there fall through [knocks on wood]) the possibilities are endless.

One thing that makes me weary of light rail on some former routes is the constant double parking that is commonplace in NYC. Around the time streetcars were in their prime, parking on the street was more or less prohibited for long periods of time, which meant that cars were able to co-exist. Today, double parking is so rampant, that it impedes bus traffic and causes bunching. Webster Avenue, for example, has so much double parking in the bus lane that it defeats the purpose of SBS for the 41. Even today, places like Boston are able to have streetcars in (limited) mixed traffic with no issues, but I would imagine without a tightening of traffic enforcement, most potential light rail corridors in NYC is not going to be a improvement of current SBS service.

Come thruuu with the Spadina Streetcar stock footage 😍

The M102 and the M7 was my bus route as a kids I didn’t know it was a light rail line

Are you going to cover the Light Rails in NJ? Along with the Path train routes? Lol I noticed you talked about other transportation outside of the MTA but not NJT 👀 plz hook us up sir 😅

This was well written and thought out.

I've wondered if light rail could run in the outer boroughs and connect the subway lines. Ideally they could build it to go across the Throgs Neck or Whitestone Bridge to connect the Bronx to Queens.

Hey I've been living in NJ for the past 9 years now and MysticTransit Filmed our Hudson-Bregen Light Rail!!! 😃😃😃 As a matter of fact can you do a video about our Light Rail route? In particular why until this day it stops in North Bergn but does not advance north into West NY in Hudson County? I asked around but there is no definitive answer like it's being kept quiet. 🤔

Light rail is best for quieter routes that go around city center areas, especcially in dense places like NY, however with road priority and segregated lanes they could be used in places like downtown manhattan on old El alignments

The quality of your content and your thoughtfulness behind all of this brooooo…!!!! The city needs to pay attention to the shit you’re saying for real.

I really like your idea for the Bronx. West of Southern Blvd, tho, would be a challenge

Another side question do you believe that Staten Island would be open to having a light rail/tram go throughout the Borough....even have it connect to the one in NJ where they seem to have a closer relationship to anyway than nyc

This would be amazing if we have a tram in the Bronx. I tooken the Bx12-SBS to Eastchester Road from Fordham Road and there's lots of traffic.

Yooo i did not realize you had a second channel for TSW 2, I have just subbed to it. I've watched your LIRR vids for it in the past but i did not realize it was you. I have the game myself on my PS4 pro solely for the LIRR & MNRR: Harlem line. I wanted to ask 2 questions; is it possible to mod the LIRR M7 to sound more realistic and to mod the M7/A to have ASI announcements? Also can I call you Zee? (Its reference to someone from Bad Girls Club Season 16 which is my favorite show.)

YES. New York Should have a LRT system connecting all five boroughs And Long Island

You should do a best abandoned train lines/trains.

You should make trams NY a series

And much of these old street cars have been restored and are operational in San Francisco, used by both local commuters and tourists alike.

very very nice video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree with the Bronx light rail suggestion, since the Bronx is underserved. What do you think of elevated light rail to avoid car traffic?

I do think trams are needed in nyc, for instance in south Brooklyn, the portion without subway lines. Like u said in the Utica av line video, those southern bk commuters NEED! more train service

Some of the cross town streets in Brooklyn need light rail. Church Avenue for example is a nightmare. Even the limited 35 bus is useless

If this does happen with the Bx12 SBS+ getting replaced by trams/light rail hopefully they have the same announcements as the buses have!

sydney light rail on the front, nice

At 5:42 I think you mixed up the Eastchester and Williamsbridge stops.

New York does need a light rail to supplement for the subway in case of technical damage and you van have cellphone service on commute

Another good option would be to put light rail on these following areas: main st (queens) woodhaven blvd (queens) Utica Av (brooklyn) Myrtle Av (brooklyn and queens) East river Etc

I feel like light rail will benefit so many riders in lots of areas, including current crosstown routes and areas with a lack of transit services. I believe light rail should connect to at least 1-2 subway stations and connect to isolated areas in all boroughs, such as a route from Jamica to Springfield/Floral Park Light rail service, and even as far as making 125th St crosstown a light rail line in manhatten. Or there can be a tram service which serves Utica av along with the B46 as that bus is super busy, I think even a light rail that serves cropsey and bath Aves in Brooklyn can also help out south Brooklyn services such as when the D or N have problems in Brooklyn, the light rail services will be great alternatives to Coney Island as well

At around 5:44 you mixed up Eastchester Rd and Williamsbridge Rd. Maybe, can you fix it?

the BQX set us back by not planning a better route. I see light rail perfectly as a substitute for buses in outer Queens / BK neighborhoods and cross town connections in Bronx and Manhattan.

I wouldn't put it past them. NYC is a public transport haven! Heck, according to statistics, one of the most popular industries to work in when living in New York City happens to be public transport. I live in DC and we got a light rail system not too long ago.

1:06-All right, TDot (Toronto) streetcars represent!

If the subway lines can't extend stations further south in Brooklyn such as 2, 4, and 5 lines, then we'll replace select bus service to streetcars and cars will be restricted on roads.

What about if the LRVs were also designed to be FRA-compliant, somewhat like the DCTA A-Train (uses Stadler GTW) in Denton, TX with non-traditional FRA compliance but more like the German Tram-trains? This is so then it can run on the #LIRR and #MetroNorth using the same 12-25 kV 25-60 Hz AC power as #MetroNorth and Amtrak, there are provisions for future overhead AC electrification on the railroads (both 3rd rail and non-electrified segments; for consistency and safety reasons), and reduce the number of substations on the railroads for operations and maintenance cost reductions, and consistency.

125st and 34st in Manhattan, the staten island north and west shores, And Utica Av in Brooklyn could all do with light rail🚈

apart from serving areas that the subway doesn't go out to in the outer boroughs, as discussed, a good use for light rail trams in NYC would be to run along the waterfronts in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The fact that subways generally are run inland in firmer ground has helped contribute to NYC turning it's back on being a coastal city

Some years ago there was talk of a 42 St. crosstown tram, but it never happened.

A light rail will be very beneficial on Fordham road

I am also think about some part of the light rail to be underground or elevated tracks to separate form traffic but there would be backlash like traffic during construction of elevated or underground tunnels plus tunneling would also be expensive while elevated is cheaper

Mixing the light rail with vehicular traffic over the University Heights Bridge seems like it could cause issues, mainly since the Harlem River bridges are choke points for traffic between the boroughs. What happens in rush hour when traffic backs up onto/off of the Major Deegan?

I think nyc should add this

Wasn’t a fan of the BQX proposal, but to say it did not serve underserved areas is disingenuous. Red Hook is one of the most underserved and this would have directly brought better connections to that neighborhood. Greenpoint also lacks service that this would have greatly improved. And that this intersected with a large number of subway lines downtown bklyn is a good thing for the underserved areas. But this line was too heavily intended to serve already affluent areas with a gleaming new tram line and increase property values. The line itself makes a lot of sense to provide connections for these communities that just wouldn’t be feasible with a subway line but putting this at the top of the list was always slap at other unserved areas.

A light rails are cheaper to build than subways that’s why I see a lot of cities have them