More than 650 scorned straphangers signed a petition opposing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s plan to run express F trains through brownstone Brooklyn.
Councilman Brad Lander (D-Park Slope) delivered the signatures to transit head Andy Byford at the MTA’s monthly board meeting on Monday — arguing that the scheme throws commuters living between Cobble Hill and Windsor Terrace under the proverbial train in an effort to shorten ride times for southern Brooklynites.
“The current proposal adds no train service whatsoever. It simply eliminates service during rush hour at six local stations — some of the busiest and most used ones on the line, stations that already experience severe overcrowding,” Lander said at the July 22 meeting.
The Transit Authority says adding additional trains to make the arrangement work is impossible due to signal constraints that require long spaces in between trains.
Instead, the plan calls for four existing local trains — two Manhattan-bound trains in the morning, and two Coney Island-bound trains in the evening — to be converted to run express between Jay Street-Metrotech and Church Avenue stations during weekdays. Between those stations, the express F train would stop at Seventh Avenue only, while bypassing six other stations in a service expected to debut this September.
Readers shared their thoughts online:
Quit your bellyaching. You should be pragmatic and realize that this has to be done for commuting fairness. It’s not all about you. I applaud the MTA’s decision.
Samson from Brooklyn
Great, smart, sensible idea for the F express. Good decisions sometimes happen.
Sally from Slope
Makes great sense for people living further into Brooklyn. It is only a couple of trains that’ll pass some Brownstone Brooklyn stops. We can show concern for our neighbors by affirming this update to F service for them.
Ro from Park Slope
While you’re never going to control rent costs, you could definitely look into whatever law allows owners to carry a building with maintenance and property taxes for a decade without a tenant and not take a bath. Coz in most every other part of the world that’s not how things naturally operate.
K. from ArKady
The F line used to run express. and it was not just 2 trains each rush hour. Try to figure it out MTA. the expres tracks are there, they were in use during the recent “renovations”. the stations are there. you can make a regular express run. your proposal was borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. Make the express line equitable to ALL riders.
Audrey from Midwood
It’s a borough civil war and the Culver Line is the Battle Line between the rich North, with historical brownstones, and the South, with one of the longest commute times in NYC.
The Hunkster from Bed-Stuy
If you want quicker train service, then you should go back to school and get a better job that pays enough to afford to live downtown. So tired of the whining of uneducated moons.
Chad from Ft Greene
Just another scheme to make the MTA’s on time #s look better than they really are. A few may be better off but many will be hurt by the new schedule. de Blasio would be proud and Cuomo will cheer.
William Leonards from Bed STY
Power Outage
More than 2,500 Brooklynites are still without power Tuesday morning as a result of the weekend’s brutal heat wave and Monday night’s thunderstorm.
Con Edison shut off power in parts of southern Brooklyn — including Canarsie, Marine Park, Mill Basin and parts of Flatbush — around 8:30 p.m. Sunday night, and the energy company is still working to restore power more than a day later.
“ConEd has restored power to over 99 percent of the 33,000 customers affected by [Sunday’s] outage in southeast Brooklyn neighborhoods,” the energy company said in a release Monday night.
However, there were nearly 11,000 new outages as a result of Monday night’s thunderstorm. According to ConEd’s outage map, 2,587 Brooklynites remain powerless as of 8:15 a.m. Tuesday morning. ConEd expects to fully restore power in the area by 11:30 p.m. Wednesday.
“Crews continue to work around the clock addressing the outages as quickly as possible,” ConEd said.
One Georgetown resident who endured the Sunday night blackout described a near-apocalyptic scene of utter darkness, with the only the visible light emanating from car headlights and the lights of emergency vehicles in the distance, and the roads pocked by car accidents — including one at Avenue T near E. 65th Street, and another on Avenue N near Ralph Avenue — as traffic signals remained unpowered throughout the night.
“There were so many accidents,” said Jamie Kaplan, whose E. 73rd Street home between avenues L and M lost power Sunday
Readers weren’t happy online:
Keep taking down single family homes and 2 family homes to build 20 and more family structures. You can not put 10 pounds in a 5 Pound bag.
Law and Disorder from Formally of Brooklyn Now N C
Where are the “good apples” I keep hearing about?
Tyler from pps
Perhaps,these power-outages occurred,because the local politicians told all NYC’ers,to all to indoors? Obviously,a lot more electrical-power was used,if we stay in our air-conditioned abodes. Such advise used to be,only for the very old,the very young;and for those-in dangerously poor health. For the sake of my own health,I went out both days? I supposed these politicians,will next tell us,that great civilizations;are created by just-remaining safely at home,when conditions,less than optimal?
SCR from Realityville
Simple obey an order and nothing will happen. Today you must approach with your fire arm out of the holster.
Lae and Disorder from Formaly of brooklyn now N C
All the whining bike nazis want speeding drivers dealt with, and when the NYPD beats one down they decide they hate cops more than speeding drivers. Make up your minds already.
Hillary from Prison
I blame Cuomo because he isn’t allowing the power plants to expand. He is so stuck on Offshore Wind that he refuses to realize we need power now. Approve the natural gas pipeline and keep open the nuclear plant. If Cuomo doesn’t bend, these blackouts we soon be routine.
Sprinkles from Brooklyn
People are going to have to relearn how to do without cars, air conditioning, heat, lights and electricity if we are going to slow climate change. We only have 12 years folks, last night has to be the new normal.
Elizabeth from Cherokee Nation
The money we save on our electric bills we could use to house and feed all the millions of illegals that we want here! Refugees welcome! The US should stop going to Honduras and snatching babies from their mothers hands! You are allowed to snatch the baby from the womb though.
Ann Chilada from El Torito
Maybe this is a good thing – these people could learn to be more green! Maybe instead of sucking out power to charge their precious iPhones , they could stop the ice caps from melting! It’s called C O 2 people!!!! So selfish!
Penelope from Park Slope
