Brooklyn Borough President

Borough President Markowitz Urges Lower Manhattan Development Corporation to Consider Full-length Second Avenue Subway Instead of Tunnel Sharing Proposal

In a letter (copy attached) sent today to John C. Whitehead, Chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz urged the Corporation not to consider a proposal to run Long Island Railroad trains from Brooklyn to Lower Manhattan via the 8th Avenue subway tunnel. The proposal was included "for review" as one of the ways to improve commuter access to Lower Manhattan in the Blueprint for Renewal the Corporation released on April 9th.

The 8th Avenue Subway tunnel currently serves the A and C trains. Under the scheme, initially advanced by World Financial Center owner Brookfield Properties, C-trains would be diverted to the F-train tunnel and LIRR would run trains through the 8th Avenue Subway tunnel from their current terminus at Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn to a new Lower Manhattan station. The proposal, whose cost is estimated at $1.3 to $1.6 billion, would require C-train riders riding between lower Manhattan and Brooklyn to transfer to the A-train at the crowded Jay Street Station; C-trains would no longer stop in lower Manhattan. The proposal also could lead to fewer rush-hour A-trains and negatively affect F-train service as well.

Markowitz pointed out that more than 100,000 subway riders would likely be inconvenienced by the plan to share the 8th Avenue Subway tunnel, while its proponents estimate that only a fraction of this number of LIRR commuters would be served. He said that he agrees that commuter access to lower Manhattan ought to be enhanced, but that building a full-length Second Avenue Subway that extends to Brooklyn is the better way to do it.

May 7, 2002

John C. Whitehead
Chairman
Lower Manhattan Development Corporation
One Liberty Plaza, 20th floor
New York, NY 10006

Dear Mr. Whitehead:

As you know, the Principles for Development and Blueprint for Renewal released by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation on April 9th lists as one of the "proposals for review" the creation of a "`super shuttle' service between Jamaica Station and Lower Manhattan using a combination of existing LIRR tracks and subway tunnels." This proposal would involve running Long Island Railroad trains through the East River tunnel that currently serves the A and C trains.

I am writing to urge the LMDC not to consider any proposal for subway and Long Island Railroad trains to share tracks between Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan. According to reviews of this proposal by staff of the Regional Plan Association, among other advocates, such track-sharing would likely inconvenience well over 100,000 subway riders each day while serving no more than 15,000 Long Island Railroad passengers.

A full-length Second Avenue Subway that extends to Brooklyn's Atlantic Terminal is a much better alternative for improving lower Manhattan commuter access. I urge the LMDC to include the Second Avenue Subway among its "proposals for review."

Sincerely,

Marty Markowitz