24 THE QUEENS COURIER • DECEMBER 7, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
New report suggests adding new train lines in
northern Queens to increase transportation access
BY ANGELA MATUA
amatua@qns.com / @AngelaMatua
Th e Regional Plan Association, a New
York-based regional planning association,
released a new report on Nov. 30
outlining 61 suggestions to improve the
lives of city residents.
Th e nonprofi t worked on “Th e Fourth
Regional Plan” for fi ve years, interviewing
4,000 people from the tri-state area to
come up with ideas to improve economic
opportunity, transportation and our
response to climate change.
As part of their research, the group
found that while the tri-state region has
added 1.8 million jobs in the past 28 years,
it is projected to add only half that number
in the next 25 years. Th is plan aims to
“achieve greater equity, shared prosperity,
better health and sustainability” within
that region.
In terms of transportation, the plan
points out that less than two-thirds of the
city’s population can walk to a train station.
In Queens, fewer than four in 10 residents
can walk to the subway. Th e plan
also suggests that high-density, low-income
neighborhoods like North Corona,
Pomonok, Fresh Meadows and College
Point should be a top priority.
A proposal dubbed the Trans-Regional
Express (T-REX) would extend the Long
Island Rail Road to provide more subway
like services with eight new stations
in Elmhurst, Corona, Rego Park,
Rochdale, Laurelton and south Jamaica.
Th e T-REX would connect Metro-North,
Long Island Rail Road and New Jersey
Transit at Penn Station.
In addition, the Triboro Line would
provide services to places such as Middle
Village and Glendale. Th e new line, which
would operate on existing freight rail tracks,
would begin at Sunset Park in Brooklyn
and end in Co-Op City in the Bronx.
Th e plan also suggests creating new
subway lines or extending current ones.
Th e 3.7-mile Northern Boulevard line
would serve the Jackson Heights, North
Corona, North Flushing and College
Point neighborhoods.
Th e proposed 5.7-mile Jewel Avenue
Line would extend the R and M trains
to bring service to Pomonok and Fresh
Meadows and would connect the the new
T-REX Metro service along the LIRR
main line in Hollis and Queens Village.
Lastly, the plan calls for a new terminus
and train yard to be built on the northern
side of Ditmars Boulevard and 20th Street
in Astoria. Th e neighborhood’s population
is expected to grow and the plan
argues that this new yard would allow
for more frequent service in the northern
part of Astoria, which is under-served by
transportation.
Th e almost 400-page plan also suggests
that late night subway service be
terminated so that the MTA could perform
critical repairs. Instead, bus service
would run more frequently late at night.
Th e Regional Plan Association also suggests
creating a Subway Reconstruction
Public Benefi t Corporation to overhaul
and modernize the subway system within
15 years.
Th is modernization includes updating
signal systems and train stations to
bring cleaner, brighter and larger station
entrances and corridors that can accommodate
disabled commuters.
To read the full plan, visit the Regional
Plan Association’s website.
Photo courtesy of Pexels
Map courtesy of Regional Plan Association
The Regional Plan Association suggests adding new train lines in northern Queens.
