Comments About the Interborough Express Proposal - 4
February 2023 Comments, including why IRT subway cars are preferable to LRVs
My previous three posts and this one are primarily reference sources for future discussions of the proposed Interborough Express (IBX) transit line, connecting underserved areas of Brooklyn and Queens in New York City.
In January 2023, the MTA published the “The Interborough Express, Planning & Environmental Linkages Study (“PEL Report”)” at https://new.mta.info/document/ 103686. It announced the selection of Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs) for the IBX line, including the proposal for street-running in Middle Village, Queens.
In response, I have recently sent the MTA my comments, “Light Rail Vehicles Are a Bad Idea for the Interborough Express.” It points out disadvantages of using Light Rail vehicles (LRVs) for the IBX line, including":
- limited capacity, inadequate for the IBX,
- street-running interferences and delays,
- slower end-to-end times than the best alternative (IRT subway cars), and
- inability to move between cars
Those comments also point out that the MTA’s proposed service with LRVs on the IBX line would not compare favorably with service to more affluent neighborhoods served by the Second Avenue subway.
I expect to discuss these topics in future posts here.
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