I love Queens. I love Sunnyside. That said, occasionally, on long weekends, or say, every weekend in the month of March, I do occasionally like to leave the area, even if it is to just go deeper into Queens and grab some Indian food in Jackson Heights. Unfortunately the MTA has decided for the next 6 weeks or so the area of queens reliant on the 7 train is under house arrest where no one is allowed in or out.
In an effort to not leave us completely stranded the MTA was kind enough to provide us with shuttle busses in addition to the normal bus lines that come through the area. While I may not be an MTA thought leader, I wonder by what calculation those thought leaders came up with the idea that a BUS would be able to accommodate as many people as a 10 car subway train?
Now I know that work needs to be done on the train and platform, which is most evident on the Queensbound 45th road platform where large chunks of the concrete floor continue to go missing, though are covered up by large pieces of wood. But is there not a better way that this work can be done?
Would east siders tolerate the 4, 5 and 6 trains being out of commission for an entire weekend? Would the city tolerate this as it would likely strand and inconvenience thousands of tourists? Our subway system has been in existence for over 100 years, yet after all that time they can't figure out a way to make repairs?
So while the title of this blog is Let's Meet Up In Queens, you better have your own transportation to get here!
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Repair or Despair: Stranded by the 7 Train
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4 comments:
It's times like these - and the 24 weekends in 2002, when they did the same thing - that I'm glad I'm a (small, compact, fuel-effecient) car owner. And, compared to the 8 bucks it takes to get Claire and I there and back on the subway - it's a damn bargain.
But, it's admittedly disheartening to know that The City cares little for our dear Queens.
Fight the Power. Let's get Eric Gioia out of office.
There are things to fault Gioia for, but in this case he's been active in criticizing the MTA and suggesting steps that they could take, like increased, discounted LIRR service from Woodside, as well as ferry service from Hunter's Point. He also suggested express shuttle buses from the major subway stations (including 46th Street) straight to Manhattan.
I went into Manhattan today and the bustitution wasn't too bad. I didn't have to wait for a bus, it wasn't crowded, and they stopped at Queens Plaza so we could get on the E train. It did take a lot longer than the #7, of course.
What I've heard is that the reason the whole line is shut down is because the signals are being replaced, and they're such big things that they can't remove them without disturbing the other two tracks.
One problem was that the buses stopped at the subway stations, rather than the Q32 stops nearby, so people who could either take the bustitutes or the Q32 were forced to choose which one.
It was inconvenient, but nowhere near as inconvenient as owning a car in Queens, what with alternate side rules, snow, gas, parking, etc.
It was also nice that the B24 bus into Brooklyn decided to not even show up for the 2:06 posted time at Greenpoint and 47th on Saturday. We waited in the cold for 40 minutes for the 2:44 bus. I moved here a few months ago from Chicago, and I have never felt as isolated in my life. Way to go MTA. This city is to big to not have the train or the busses running.
To make matters worse, they have not trained the bus drivers as to their new routes! Imagine my surprise last weekend when my driver turned left on 21st (off of Northern Blvd-- which is a whole other issue unto itself) and headed towards the heart of Astoria. Since I was STANDING crammed against the windshield, I was able to give him directions how to get back onto his route. He had never been to Western Queens. Classic. -J
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