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| (1276861) | |
Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ? |
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Posted by Gold_12th on Sun Feb 23 10:48:54 2014  The West Shore is primed to become Staten Island's next economic hotspot, but one key piece of the puzzle is still missing: Mass transit. The Staten Island Economic Development Corp. (SIEDC) is looking to change all that by pushing for money for two studies that could bring a long-sought light-rail system to fruition. The endeavor is the SIEDC's "signature project and highest priority," Robert Moore, chairman of the SIEDC's board of directors, told members of the Advance Editorial Board. The SIEDC has for years pushed the project, saying it is necessary if the West Shore is to realize its potential as the Island's business hub. The idea is to build a 13.1-mile public transit system with stops from Richmond Valley to Elm Park. It would carry Island commuters to the Bayonne Bridge and connect with New Jersey Transit's Hudson Bergen Light Rail Line, which leads to PATH trains into Manhattan. A 2009 rail study showed that the line could attract 13,000 riders a day. Speaking at last year's SIEDC conference in Bloomfield, then-Democratic mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio spoke in favor of the rail line, saying it would "revolutionize" transportation by linking the Island to Bayonne and beyond. What's needed now is $5 million each for an alternatives analysis study and an environmental impact statement. Moore said that big-ticket federal funding for the project can't be secured without those studies being completed. "This will bring all the questions together and put the final project in place," said Moore. "This could be a final study." He credited the Staten Island Advance with helping to keep the light-rail issue at the forefront as well. In addition, the studies must be sponsored by a local transit agency, such as the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority or the city Department of Transportation. The SIEDC, working with Island elected officials, is lobbying the state to pay for the studies, which will make it easier for a sponsoring agency to then be found. The group hopes that the same agency will sponsor both studies. Said Steven Grillo, SIEDC's vice president of projects, "We're very close to the final piece of this. There are no more meetings to have." In addition to light rail, other alternatives like fast ferries and Bus Rapid Transit would also be studied, but a light-rail system has long been the SIDEC's goal. "Light rail works in New Jersey," said SIEDC President and CEO Cesar Claro. "Imagine what it could do on Staten Island." Even absent the expected development boom, the West Shore still needs more transit, said SIEDC Project Manager Varun Sanyal. He pointed out that the city Economic Development Corp. estimates that the area will be home to 65,000 new resident by 2030. That could lead to 55,000 more cars in the area, too many for the West Shore's already stressed traffic infrastructure, including the outmoded West Shore Expressway, to handle. Add to that the expanding presence of the Corporate Park of Staten Island, the coming Freshkills Park and the development of a mega movie studio at the old Arthur Kill Correctional Facility, Charleson, and the need for expanded transit for residents and workers is clear, proponents say. "There needs to be a viable public transit option on the West Shore," Grillo said. "It's about getting people on and off the Island." Grillo said that the Hudson Bergen line was the most popular in the country, and that Hudson County was one of the fastest growing areas in the U.S. Grillo said that another goal is to attract Hudson County workers to live here on the Island, and increased transit is necessary for that. "It would be a missed opportunity if we don't tap into that," he said. http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2014/02/staten_island_economic_develop_7.html |
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| (1276876) | |
Re: Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ? |
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Posted by italianstallion on Sun Feb 23 12:09:35 2014, in response to Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ?, posted by Gold_12th on Sun Feb 23 10:48:54 2014. Among other benefits, if Light Rail is built in SI, it would demonstrate the feasibility of LR elsewhere in the city, which the MTA has resisted. |
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| (1276904) | |
Re: Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ? |
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Posted by JAzumah on Sun Feb 23 13:41:20 2014, in response to Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ?, posted by Gold_12th on Sun Feb 23 10:48:54 2014. It's about using the train to raise the property values of the decaying industrial areas on the West Shore. I am not a fan. |
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Re: Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ? |
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Posted by Dan on Sun Feb 23 16:33:20 2014, in response to Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ?, posted by Gold_12th on Sun Feb 23 10:48:54 2014. Been hearing variations on this since 1990. Yawn.............. |
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| (1277012) | |
Re: Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ? |
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Posted by 3-9 on Mon Feb 24 01:21:59 2014, in response to Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ?, posted by Gold_12th on Sun Feb 23 10:48:54 2014. And what's that red line supposed to signify along the north shore, aside from an abandoned ROW? |
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| (1277013) | |
Re: Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ? |
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Posted by 3-9 on Mon Feb 24 01:28:58 2014, in response to Re: Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ?, posted by 3-9 on Mon Feb 24 01:21:59 2014. Sorry didn't see the key. |
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| (1277023) | |
Re: Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ? |
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Posted by Lou from Brooklyn on Mon Feb 24 07:56:59 2014, in response to Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ?, posted by Gold_12th on Sun Feb 23 10:48:54 2014. Here we go again, LR instead of Busway this time. |
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| (1277075) | |
Re: Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ? |
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Posted by AEM-7AC #901 on Mon Feb 24 14:33:45 2014, in response to Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ?, posted by Gold_12th on Sun Feb 23 10:48:54 2014. In contrast, even though that alignment is considerably easier to build on, I'd much rather have something following Richmond Avenue given that it's the road that passes by the mall and the Eltingville Transit Centre.Something like this would be ideal, but unlikely given the nature of NIMBYs and their attentive local politicians. |
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| (1277080) | |
Re: Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ? |
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Posted by AEM-7AC #901 on Mon Feb 24 14:37:33 2014, in response to Re: Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ?, posted by AEM-7AC #901 on Mon Feb 24 14:33:45 2014. This is the link if it doesn't embed correctly for you...https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zbU1NoAb9fmg.kRjOWXfW9D58 |
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Re: Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ? |
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Posted by italianstallion on Mon Feb 24 15:22:17 2014, in response to Re: Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ?, posted by Lou from Brooklyn on Mon Feb 24 07:56:59 2014. LR far better than busway. |
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Re: Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ? |
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Posted by R46 5636 on Tue Feb 25 01:27:15 2014, in response to Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ?, posted by Gold_12th on Sun Feb 23 10:48:54 2014. I've thought about a train line running on the West Side of Staten Island.Long story short, it would run on the West Side, towards the Northern Side and a small section on the East side. It would run from St. George to Confrence House park, with an additional branch on the Verrazano Bridge to Brooklyn. There would also be a base in New Jersey, using the Outerbridge crossing to connect. Local from St. George to Confrence House Park, Express from Brooklyn to Confrence House Park. There's a lot more details to the route, including the 32 local and express stations, and the underground / open cut / above ground lines. |
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| (1277182) | |
Re: Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ? |
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Posted by 3-9 on Tue Feb 25 05:30:00 2014, in response to Re: Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ?, posted by R46 5636 on Tue Feb 25 01:27:15 2014. It would be nice if it could do that, but is there a light rail vehicle that can do either high-floor or low-floor and still be ADA compliant? |
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Re: Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ? |
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Posted by FYBklyn1959 on Tue Feb 25 10:05:18 2014, in response to Re: Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ?, posted by 3-9 on Tue Feb 25 05:30:00 2014. Well, San Francisco Muni's Breda LRVs can load either from a platform or street level. Not sure if that's what you meant. |
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| (1277234) | |
Re: Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ? |
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Posted by Olog-hai on Tue Feb 25 11:46:29 2014, in response to Re: Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ?, posted by FYBklyn1959 on Tue Feb 25 10:05:18 2014. Those aren't low-floor when loading from street level, and they load from high platforms elsewhere. The HBLR cars are exclusively low floor boarding. |
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| (1277245) | |
Re: Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ? |
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Posted by MainR3664 on Tue Feb 25 12:42:18 2014, in response to Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ?, posted by Gold_12th on Sun Feb 23 10:48:54 2014. I respectfully disagree. I've lived on Staten Island for many years. I don't think many people will ride a light rail from Tottenville to Jersey City.What would be much more useful would be a revitalized North Shore line, which would take a lot of Ferry-bound cars and buses off the road. Build it back to its prior heavy-rail status, to make it 100% compatible with the existing line. Simultaneously, establish passenger service over the AK bridge, using equipment that can reach NYP. A park and-ride facility near the Goethals Bridge can facilitate both services. Have the two services at adjoining platforms, so transfers can be made easily. Then, expand NYP, as is needed anyway, which will help people from NJ, and bring Metro North in there as well, over the Hell Gate Bridge. Now there's a region-wide plan that truly helps many, many people. |
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| (1277251) | |
Re: Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ? |
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Posted by FYBklyn1959 on Tue Feb 25 13:04:45 2014, in response to Re: Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ?, posted by Olog-hai on Tue Feb 25 11:46:29 2014. Yes, they do have steps (forgot, as I have only ridden the Bredas once).Carry on :) |
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| (1277330) | |
Re: Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ? |
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Posted by 3-9 on Wed Feb 26 05:25:10 2014, in response to Re: Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ?, posted by FYBklyn1959 on Tue Feb 25 10:05:18 2014. Yeah, that's what I meant. I was thinking it would be nice if the LRV's could run right into St. George, alongside the SIRT trains. |
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| (1277331) | |
Re: Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ? |
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Posted by 3-9 on Wed Feb 26 05:26:00 2014, in response to Re: Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ?, posted by FYBklyn1959 on Tue Feb 25 13:04:45 2014. Urgh, so much for that idea. :-( |
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Re: Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ? |
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Posted by Wado MP73 on Wed Feb 26 13:02:36 2014, in response to Re: Staten Island needs West Shore Light Rail ?, posted by AEM-7AC #901 on Mon Feb 24 14:33:45 2014. But will it see more riders than the current S89. It's a nice fast route with limited stops. |
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