Now, that’s a mouthful.
Both Richmond Hill, Queens — and NYC transit as a whole — are missing out on what should be a major transit system interchange here at Jamaica Avenue and Lefferts Boulevard, where the elevated J train meets the elevated Long Island Rail Road Montauk branch, which lost its passenger trains a couple of years ago and whose own elevated stop at Richmond Hill closed in 1998.
Imagine, as I do, if a crosstown Queens subway line began in Long Island City using the former Montauk route with stops in LIC, Haberman, Fresh Pond, Glendale, Richmond Hill and Jamaica, and continued along little-used LIRR tracks to St. Albans, Springfield, Rosedale and Laurelton, with transfers to Manhattan available in Jamaica, a transfer to eastern Brooklyn available here in Richmond Hill, and another transfer to the #7 Flushing Line available in Hunters Point. Current ongoing work in overhauling the signals on the Flushing Line will allow more frequent service and greater capacities.
There’s already a few major subway-LIRR transfers in the system: Penn Station, Barclays-Atlantic Terminal, Woodside and Jamaica. Imagine if this interchange could join them.
Am I all wet? kevinjudewalsh@gmail.com
8/23/16