The Problem:
In 2006, the number of commuters taking the subway in New York City reached its highest point since 1952- however, in the same year the subway network actually decreased by 8 miles of service. Today, the transit system is plagued with two serious problems- it fails to provide access to too many New Yorkers, and lines in service face increasing congestion resulting in delays and unpleasant commuting experiences. The New York City borough – Queens, Staten Island, the Bronx and Brooklyn – are the top 4 counties (respectively) with longest commuter time in the entire nation.
By the year 2030, New York City is expected to be populated by nearly one million more residents, get 750,000 new jobs and receive millions more visitors. How will the city adjust to accommodate these increases?
Percentages of Transportation Used by New Yorkers to Get to Work
| Transportation to work | Bronx
Country |
Kings County | New York County | Queens County | Richmond County | NY | US |
| Workers (16+) | 415,075 | 901,027 | 753,114 | 931,709 | 191,145 | ||
| Public Transportation | 53.7% | 57.4% | 59.6% | 47.4% | 28.4% | 24.4% | 4.7% |
| Car, Trunk, Van or motorcycle | 36.4% | 30.5% | 11.0% | 44.5%% | 66.5% | 65.5% | 88.0% |
| Walk | 7.2% | 8.8% | 21.9% | 5.7% | 2.9% | 6.2% | 2.9% |
| Work at home | 1.9% | 2.3% | 5.8% | 1.8% | 1.7% | 3.0% | 3.3% |
(Census 2000)
The average percentage of New Yorkers using public transportation in all 5 boroughs, is about 55%. However, as the data shows, currently, Richmond, Queens and Bronx counties are lagging behind in the percentage of total people who use public transportation. These counties also show longest commuter time:
(PlaNYC)
In addition, in all three counties, the people not taking public transportation are instead choosing private transportation methods as seen in the correlation between decrease in public transportation percentages and increase in private transportation percentages. This data taken together with the commuter times suggests that traffic and congestion in these counties are serious problems, yet people still opt to drive over public transportation, the important question here is why? It can then be a reasonable assumption that these lower percentages of people taking mass transit is due to issues of access to public transportation, or overcrowding. However, in addition, one must consider the economic factors involved in overall equation:
| County | Median Household Income |
| Bronx | $27,611 |
| Kings | $32,135 |
| Queens | $42,439 |
| New York (Manhattan) | $47,030 |
| Richmond (Staten Island) | $55,039 |
| NY State | $43,393 |
| US | $41,994 |
(Census 2000)
The counties with higher percentages of private transportation- Queens and Staten Island are also the ones with the higher median household income- suggesting perhaps families in these counties are more likely to be able to afford cars, therefore, access to public transportation might not be the only factor affecting the lower rates of mass transportation commuters. Though Manhattan’s median income is considerably higher than that of Queen’s, and its private transportation rates are much lower, one must consider other consequences of owning a car in Manhattan- parking space, probably the single greatest problem, whereas, in Queens, a mainly residential borough, space is not so much of an issue. So the principle question becomes, are mass transit rates seen across the boroughs a problem that can be solved by improving the subway system network, or do economic factors play a role on this statistic and as a result perhaps adding more lines would not significantly alter the current situation. Taking a closer look at the transportation systems and patterns of the three boroughs- the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn will bring us closer to answer (Manhattan can be excluded firstly because of its lack of area compared to the other three counties, and the fact that it is the business center, while the other three are mainly residential; in addition, Staten Island can also be excluded because it is much more suburban than the other three counties and realistically, it is more kin to suburban areas of Long Island than the urban culture seen in Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx).
The current New York City Subway map clearly shows the lack tracks in a large part of Queens and Brooklyn, and even some parts of Bronx. There is no access to subway lines in large chunks of these counties- and places where they do extend to are near or at full capacity:
A major problem that particularly affects Queen’s residents is not necessary the absence of access to lines, but the uneven ticket fares and prices. Many areas of Queens are not covered by the subway lines, but instead included as part of the LIRR. This wouldn’t be an issue, if it were not for the steep price difference between an MTA subway ride – $2.25 and the LIRR ticket- $7.60 (peak) for essentially the same distance! Although the $7.60 ride takes almost half the time, most commuters do not choose to take the LIRR lines due to the price tag. This suggests that economic factors do influence commuter choices, but also suggests that despite median income values, commuters tend to select the cheapest alternative- over saving commuting time.
The Plan (PlanNYC):
In this plan, Bloomberg hopes to cut greenhouse gas emissions by transportation by 45% by the year 2030. To accomplish this, the goal is to get commutes to move from high-carbon emitting modes of transportation- cars and taxis – to lower-carbon emitting ones -subways and buses- and even to zero-carbon- bicycling and walking. If this transformation can take place, the city will see a significant reduction in CO2 emissions; vehicles emit 1.22 pounds of CO2 per mile, while subways only emit 0.25 pounds of CO2 per mile per passenger.
PlaNYC plans to improve service to areas of Queens and the Bronx- including an additional station at Sunnyside Yards (Long Island City) as a central base to make it easier for additional trains to serve stations in eastern Queens. The plan also looks to extend Metro North service to new stations providing residents of Co-op City and Hunts Point with fast, direct rides to West Harlem.
The plan also hopes to extend service in Manhattan due to high demands and continue the 7 train to reach the Javits Center and pass through fast-growing areas. Also, a new 10th Avenue Subway Station will meet a strong, emerging need at West 41st Street.
Of the City’s 26 subway lines, 11 are at peak congestion today. These include:
– The 4-5-6 Lexington Avenue line
– The L line
– The E-F line
The 4 and the 5 lines are 110% and 108% capacity, the 2 and the 3 lines are at 106% and 101% capacity, the 6 is at 98% capacity, and the 1, A and C lines are operating between 84% and 87% capacity. The problem with promoting mass transit occurs when the mass transit system is at, or nearing, its limit. The solution is clearly expansion, and the revenue for that expansion is expected to come from tolls collected from congestion pricing.
Congestion Pricing is the idea of charging drivers a daily fee for entering the Central Business District during business hours (6am to 6pm on weekdays) to discourage driving, while promoting these drivers to take mass transit. This aims to reduce congestion, decrease greenhouse gas emissions and raise money for expanding the MTA lines to accommodate for all the new “converted” pubic commuters. Similar plans, though controversial, have already seen success in London and Stockholm. In addition, since the data has shown so many commuters base their transportation choices at least partly on economics, the driving fees can be expected to make a significant impact on the number of drivers into Manhattan’s Central Business District.
Will it Work?
Although the PlaNYC lays out an optimistic detailed plan of new subway lines and extended service, the costs of these initiatives are steep and the budget to ensure these changes is not guaranteed.
However, slowly, progress is being made already.
$50.0 million was allocated by MTA to build upon the research of transit expansion, and $150 million to redesign the track and switch layout at Jamaica to facilitate new service into Grand Central as well as provide new cross-borough service between Flatbush Avenue and Jamaica.
The Bronx was the first borough to install a Bus Rapid Transit route in June 2008 and Brooklyn’s BRT service will be introduced between late 2008 and 2011.
The BRT was previously funded through the Urban Partnership Agreement (UPA) between the City and the U.S. Department of Transportation. However, because these funds were contingent on approval of congestion pricing by the State Legislature before 4/7/07, DOT and the MTA are now pursuing federal New Starts funding to implement these corridors.
The DOT and the MTA are working together to implement Transit Signal Priority (TSP) in at least 223 locations, allowing buses to move faster by having to stop at fewer red signals.
The DOT completed the redesign of three bus stops located under an elevated subway line. One location is at 20th Avenue and 86th Street in Brooklyn.
The DOT implemented an improved interface between the subway station and the surrounding sidewalks at Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn.
Conclusion:
Congestion Pricing coupled with MTA changes and extensions to essential areas seems like the solution to increasing public transportation and decreasing depence of private transportation in the city. Congestion pricing in particular aims to reduce congestion, decrease greenhouse gas emissions and raise money for expanding the MTA lines to accommodate for all the new pubic commuters. Similar plans, though controversial, have already seen success in London and Stockholm, so it is a viable option for our city!
Sources:
http://www.plannyc.org/neighborhood_search#
http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/popInfo.php?locIndex=286
http://www.apta.com/research/info/online/land_use.cfm
http://www.mta.info/nyct/facts/ffenvironment.htm
http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2010/02/22/expanding-transit-access-to-southeast-queens/
