If you're wondering why the 4 tends to stop at 149 st or yankees stadium (even if there's no train ahead of it), it's because the 4 sometimes goes ahead of schedule and has to wait a few minutes to get back on schedule. Edit: piece of advice, if the yankees are playing, avoid the uptown 4 train at all cost
Speed restriction before chambers makes sense in the case of a train that overruns the station. Since chambers slopes down on the express tracks then immediately curves that’s a Malbourne street wreck waiting to happen if a TO makes the wrong choice.
As a regular #5 rider along the Dyre Avenue line for 44 plus years now, I agree that the frequencies and speeds are horrible. The worst is when the 4, 5, and 6 trains share tracks during planned work on weekends along Lexington Avenue and the 5 service is reduced from 12 minutes to 20 minutes or more for a train to arrive. I know this line has low ridership on weekends but this type of service shouldn’t be especially when we all pay the same fare.
The 5 should also be extended to 42nd Grand Central during late nights. It’s such a pain getting from the east side of Manhattan to Dyre late nights. Something that should have been taken care of years ago.
@@ariesmichaelsayan4013 I couldn't agree with you more. The 3 trains go to Time Square late nights with hardly any ridership. But I guess politics has a lot to do with this service pattern.
@@tombarzey7964 I never understood the point of running the 3 express to Times Square overnight. It’s a waste of service. At least turn it into another 2. 145th and 148th along the 3 are not desolate stops. 148th is close to the ABCD, 19, and they can take buses even to 149 and GC or to the 1. Dyre avenue customers really need direct service into the city overnight. I always felt like the 2 line can’t handle that line alone at night. MTA is so out of it.
@@ariesmichaelsayan4013 The MTA know what there doing. If areas along the Dyre Avenue line became gentrified like it is along the Lenox Ave line in Manhattan, there definitely would be late night service to Grand Central.
@@tombarzey7964 very good point!! I remember years ago too when the 3 was a shuttle from 135th to 148th. You’re right.. once they gentrified it.. it changed
Your channel is great. I like the way your ratings are given to the IRT lines. I am a railroad buff who grew up three blocks from the IRT New Lots Avenue station as a child, until I left the neighborhood in 1975. Today, I live not too far from the B-1 and B-2 divisions, but have not forgotten the A-Division my rapid transit root. Your show is quite nice.
I love the (5) because when it goes fast, it’s extremely reliable and fast, try taking the (5) off peak hours like 7 or 8pm, it’s less packed and it can go as fast or faster than the (4)
In my opinion, the 2 is the best since i’m a daily 2 train rider. Since it hauls from allerton to pelham parkway since it’s a huge straight away and the speed limit in that space is 40 i believe.
Yeah the 7th Avenue Broadway IRT Express does perform well. The Lexington Avenue trunk not so much due to some very curve sections. The #7 is the best train in Queens, it's IRT. Where the #1 shines is after 145th Street north, because the distance between stations is widen. It is straight. The #6 is often compare to the #1. But the #6 is more like the #7. It has a peak express service. The stops in Manhattan is better than the #1. It is the only line that has it stops not at a major street (77, 68 and 33rd Street). The #6 does not go to upper Manhattan. The #6 Express is based on it service in Manhattan. It is widely used so it needs a lot of service. And it is the only service serving the local stations like the #1. It service pattern also because the Southern Bronx end has low ridership and doesn't require such frequent service. The #2 is often refer as a super local to many, because the line does stop everywhere. It is compare to the "R" line, especially in lower Manhattan. And than it very long Bronx section that take you to Westchester County border. It does shine in Manhattan, especially the fact it has the newest cars. But I often see two #3s to one #2. Not only is it is extremely crowded going to the Bronx, it has the longest mileage of any IRT. The #3 is better than the #2. It runs slightly more frequently. And it is usually less crowded. It does use older cars though. And the people on the rougher in their personality. We are talking about the Bronx. The #3 people are more chill. The #5 is not as crowded as the #4. And it runs less frequently. I always felt like when I was on the #5, I was on an imitation #4 or #2. I wasn't all that satisfied. But look 😁 The #5 has a little secret that no other line has in the Bronx. It is the only line that skips 8 stops. And it rarely White Plains Road Express service is what does it for me.l! If only if they ran it local after Gun Hill Road, would more passengers use it. The #2 just doesn't run frequent enough to justify using it and waiting for a long awaited #2 train. Although a few times you can get lucky to pass the #2 train. The #5 is compare to the "A", because of it many branches. But the "A" stands alone unlike the #5, which the #4 is supreme. The "A" is the primary express in most places and there is no alternative. The #4 is the primary express on Lexington Avenue. It does have an all local section in the Bronx, which is where the #5 shines. But to get back at the #5 it skips 138th Street in the peak direction 😁 Well. But you got to like this strange arraignment. And the #7 is hard to beat, because it has capacity on it side. And it just feeds that capacity where it is needed. Unfortunately, that capacity don't mean much after a certain point. I'm talking about that section after Queensboro Plaza heading to Manhattan. This is where this line wind it way into Long Island City. At this point, it becomes very unattractive to many riders. This is where the N/W comes in. Other than 53rd Street, 59th Street is very attractive to riders. But overall the Broadway BMT is the most attractive in distributing rider from the Eastside simultaneously; making it like a crosstown line. And I like the shuttle. It is closes to the street. Right outside fare control. While the #7 is in a deep tunnel. And the #7 has limited capacity in Manhattan. It no longer terminates at Times Square. And even than that line sits longer. While the shuttle is dispatch instantly. And it is always full! There is really no comparison. The walk to Grand Central is a lot to be desire. The shuttle use to be the Broadway and Park Avenue South line before 7th Avenue was created and extended south of Varrick Street. Lexington Avenue did not exist until later.
@@ariesmichaelsayan4013 The #7 still can, but they would have to extend the platforms. But there is a back story for the IRT specifically. The IRT use to go to Astoria. The BMT terminated at Queensboro plaza. So the #7 had two branches out of Times Square. Later the BMT was extended into the Astoria Branch severing this IRT connect. And all it took was shaving the platforms back. And all viaducts are built to BMT/IND standards.
For the 5, I think you got the 5 a bit wrong in terms of scheduling. The frequencies on the 5 in Manhattan to the Bronx in all are every 3-7 min in peak, not 6-8. Also, a lot of the time the 5 is slow because it is scheduled to be right behind a 4, but otherwise, it’s fast on Lexington.
You might think the five has garbage me of course you think that because you took it during the rush-hour and you know how Lexington is going the rush hour
@@therailfanenthusiast8766 I took the 4 on Lexington during rush hour (case in point, the 4 skipping 138th), and that was way faster than the 5 can ever be.
The northbound express (Track 3) along Park Avenue South is slow, north of 33 Street, because of timed signals toward Grand Central Station. In the old days, the motormen knew to reduce the speed approximately 300 feet toward the curves leading to the 42 Street, Grand Central Station. Also, I hate the slow speed between Franklin Avenue-Medgar Evers College and Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center stations. Most of the section is straight track, until it is below the Grand Army Plaza station. Then, the next kicker is behind Bergen Street. The A-Division lines could be improved.
As someone that lived in the upper west side and currently takes a lot of the Queens lines now. I think the 1 train is so undervalued. It is constantly coming and actually arriving on time (Granted like any other train it will have it's delays). There are times I take it and feel like it runs faster than the A express because of the speed alone. The whole upper west side would really benefit from bringing back the 9 train and making it super express like the 7 train. There is just such a dense population it serves.
Entertaining video, but disappointed that you didn't mention how unique the Dyre Av shuttle is aesthetically (at grade, under the streets). And there is something important with the 5 express that you didn't see: take it from the other direction, at Jackson Av, one of the two trains will be held so that the express track merges (the express track originally spurs out to the 3rd Av El, it now being a 5 express is a tacky thing). And taking the 2 train peak direction, you will never ever get a seat, ever.
Some reckless train conductor made the MTA instate a 40mph speed limit, all of our trains can go up to 50mph… but can’t WMATA trains go up to 80mph? or am I trippin
Only the section south of 170th street. It would’ve ran on Gerard avenue (one block east of river avenue and the stadium) and emerged above ground where the S curve currently exists where river avenue ends at Jerome and Gerard (basically where the 34th pct is now)
Great content. you mentioned the 1 running every 4-5 minutes but i gotta say for the past year the times were baaaad. I dont know if it was because of construction or what but sometimes as bad as 7-10 min between trains in UWS/Harlem area.
Since I lived in Co-op City for the bulk of the time I lived in New York, I rode the 4, 5, and 6 fairly frequently; the 1 and 2 more rarely, the 7 only if I wanted to get to Queens from Manhattan, and the 3 very rarely if at all. But the last time I was on a NY MTA train was 2008 and a lot may have changed since then... Looking forward to the IND video (and I can comment about that but I probably can't comment about the BMT)
I like this, to add on to the 2, ik it was slow between 42nd and Chambers, but that’s probably because it was behind a 3, I had the same experience on a 3 because it was behind a 2…so speed can def vary
I work for the MTA it slows to a crawl before speeding up because of a rule we must follow when bypassing a station that states, " The train will enter the stations being bypassed at the normal speed for the area; the Train Operator will then begin to decelerate gradually, ensuring that the train does not go faster than fifteen (15) miles per hour as it leaves the station. The Train Operator must sound a short series of blasts of the horn or whistle at the entering and leaving end of the station. After the Train Operator’s cab has passed the leaving end of the station at fifteen (15) miles per hour, normal train speed for the area may be resumed."
You should definitely observe the 2/4/5 and how mediocre those lines are between 3 Av-149 St/161 St-Yankee Stadium and 135 St (Lenox)/125 St (Lexington)
@@Reformperson MysticTransit "analysis" of potential station crowding at 149th St-GC fails to account for the increased capacity gained by rerouting trains via Jerome Ave. At present the whole station operates at ~3/4 capacity, particularly the (4) platforms at half capacity, because of the S-curve. The (4) platforms could reach their maximum capacity by converting Bedford Park Blvd into a 4-track line and adding a fourth track on the Jerome El that way the (4) can run all day Express Service to Woodlawn on the Jerome Avenue Line while the (5) Handles Local Service to Bedford Park Blvd on the Outer Tracks to Accommodate Short-Turning (5) trains while the (4) continues to Woodlawn on the Inner Tracks as Woodlawn can only handle 24 TPH, there by absorbing as many transferring riders as there is capacity on the Lexington Avenue Express. Basically, the S-curve at 149th St-GC is a scourge apron system capacity that should not be used for revenue service. Adding bypass tracks wouldn't alleviate the stations quo, but rather entrench it. If overcrowding really becomes an issue, then there's a solution that costs orders of magnitude less than new bypass tracks: expand the mezzanine and add stairs to the platforms -- something the MTA has gotten very good at. If it really comes to it, to where the narrow (4) platforms become unsafe from overcrowding, then they could deck over the center track and merge the two platforms into one big platform. I see no reason why 149 St-GC shouldn't emulate the kind of high capacity transfer facilities found in other major city transit networks, or why bypass tracks would be fundamentally necessary at this location. Remember: schedule before electronics before concrete. The (5) is a bastard line that only really exists because of the constraints of Rogers Junction, and therefore would essentially become a filler line for the (4) until the 3rd Ave El Replacement Project and the Utica Avenue Subway gets built which the (5) will be free to cover service there and once that junction is improved with new crossovers. We shouldn't shoehorn the (5) into permanence with new tracks just because it provides a one seat ride from White Plains. That loss can easily be mitigated with a simplified and robust service pattern and a quick transfer. In fact, in a world where the (2) and (4) each run every two minutes, the transfer would probably be QUICKER than taking the (5) through the dreaded S-curve. As for increasing capacity via Lenox Avenue so as to reroute the (5) without reducing capacity to White Plains, there's also a solution that costs less than new tunnels under the river: add a third track in a cut&cover trench that skirts along the western side of the existing tracks to 135th St, where the southbound platform is moved to the middle track, and the westernmost track is partially retained as a bumper block terminal to serve a new shuttle platform that connects to 148th-St via the new third track; riders would then connect to the northbound platform via a passageway under the tracks. Much cheaper than a redundant and circuitous tunnel, but the end result is still 30 tph between 7th Ave and the Bronx with regular service to 145th St. I'm sure the folks along Lenox Avenue wouldn't mind having a little shuttle train all to themselves, if it means the folks along Jerome Avenue get twice as many trains. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Anybody who complains about losing their one seat ride can cry me a river.
@@CR1Creative with those improvements done on Jerome this allows the 3 to take over service to Eastchester Dyre Ave. The 3 would then become a supplemental variant of the 2 as extra 3 trains would become peas direst in express 2 trains that would go to Wakefield. While the 4 becomes an express variant of the 5, as the 5 would be one to supply for the 4 while the 3 supplies extra 2 trains. Those two supplementary lines would deem essential for the 2 and 4 lines. Bear in mind that peak direction 2 trains can skip the stops before and after E 180 St all the way to Wakefield. We would also have to widen the platform at Grand Concourse to accommodate the transfers, and hold more people, as people won’t be waiting long for 2, 3, 4 and 5 trains. We would use 145th St and the 148th St Station would be abandoned and would be turned into extra storage for 3 trains. With the 4 ending at Utica however we can install switches at Rogers Junction after the part where the 2 branches off to the Nostrand Ave Line so that 2 and 3 trains don’t interfere with 4 and 5 trains. Here’s how it will be 2: Wakefield 241st St to Flatbush Ave Brooklyn College 3: Eastchester Dyre Ave to Flatbush Ave Brooklyn College 4: Woodlawn to Crown Heights 5: Bedford Park Blvd to New Lots Ave
@@Reformperson The 145th St and 148th St Stations would be abandoned and converted back into Lenox Yard to store those extra (3) trains and the Southbound platform on the 135th St Station will also be abandoned to turn around (3) trains while the Northbound platform will be converted to an island platform serving both (2) and (3) trains Here's how (2): Wakefield to Flatbush Avenue (WPR Lcl) (7th Avenue Exp) (Eastern Pkwy Lcl) (Nostrand Ave) (Peak Direction Exp Service WPR) (3): Dyre Avenue to Flatbush Avenue (WPR Lcl) (7th Avenue Exp) (Eastern Pkwy Lcl) (Nostrand Ave) (4): Woodlawn to Crown Heights (Jerome Exp) (Lexington Exp) (Eastern Pkwy Exp) (Exp to Crown Hts) (5): Bedford Pk Blvd to New Lots Ave (Jerome Lcl) (Lexington Exp) (Eastern Pkwy Exp) (New Lots Line) (Lcl to New Lots Avenue)
I feel as though you knocked down the local 7 too much in terms of comfort and and speed. I’m sorry, but the 3 past Utica is pretty scary. Stations are old. And the area leaves much to be desired. If you gave the 3 a 7 in terms of comfort, no amount of noise should rate the 7 lower in terms of comfort. The 7 local should have at least a 7/7.5 in comfort and speed.
First of all, the MTA did renovations on New Lots, and the stations look quite nice. I have been in the area numerous times and it is fine. In fact, the area around New Lots Ave is beautiful. When I took the 3, the trains got decently filled up, and it wasn’t rush hour. Of course, take some precautions, but stop believing everything you see on TV. For the 7, I stand by my decision. I am used to loud sounds in the subway like the Steinway Tubes, but this was so loud that I wanted to cover my ears. And there is no reason for the 7 to be this loud, considering that this portion was built during the 2000s. And that was not even the main issue in my mind. I literally stated, if the 7 didn’t delay itself at Hudson Yards and 111th and 82nd, it would have been a 33/40, which would have tied the 1 to be in 2nd place.
@@jointransitassociation I completely disagree in terms of stations. I frequently go to Rockaway Ave for work and the station looks atrocious, especially below platform level. The 7 local is a lot more convenient and comfortable than the 3 train. The 7’s queens portion has a comparable number of stops and length to the 3 train in Brooklyn. Yet the 7 local from flushing will get you to Manhattan faster than a 1-seat ride on the 3 from New Lots. It’s not even close when you consider the difference in frequencies. Speed and comfort on the 7 local, for most people who ride both lines frequently, goes to the 7 over the 3. Comfortably. I’m not saying the 7 local deserves a 9 or 10, but it should definitely be rated higher than the 3.
@@jointransitassociationon overall score perhaps, but on speed and comfort you gave the 3 8s on both. The 7 had a 6 and 7 on those metrics. I dont necessarily agree with all your ratings, but I can somewhat understand them. It’s just the score on these two metrics, speed and comfort, that stood out as wrong, wrong, and wrong as someone who rides both lines frequently. In terms of speed, neither 7th Ave express should get anything higher than a 7. They may fly between 96th and chambers, but they are dreadfully slow if you have to ride them past those stations. The 2, with it’s ridiculous number of stations in the Bronx, and the 3 with its middling performance and poor frequency in Brooklyn should knock them at least a point further down. I don’t have much of an issue with the rest of your rankings.
@@unknown1201 "The 7 had a 6 and 7 on those metrics." Take the 7 from Times Square to Hudson Yards. Sometimes all it takes is for a certain section to be extremely loud to knock down it down a couple of points. I would have given the 7 an 8 if it wasn't for the horribly loud tunnel that was built 10 years ago. And also, I take the 7 all the time. And before rehabilitation, there is no slowdowns at 111th and 82nd, and I would have given it an 8. But there are and I really don't understand why trains are like that. Also, during rush hours, the 7 local serves 103rd, 90th, and 82nd, and the dwell times at those stations is insane. I once had to take the 7 local because the express was suspended, and the 7 local took 10 minutes longer. That is like a minute per station when it is supposed to be 30 seconds. And also, to your 3 train point, have you taken a look at how bad the stations are on the Flushing line? They are literally falling apart to the point where the MTA is rehabilitating it. When I used the 3, the station entrances were way better than the 7. "They may fly between 96th and chambers, but they are dreadfully slow if you have to ride them past those stations. The 2, with its ridiculous number of stations in the Bronx, and the 3 with its middling performance and poor frequency in Brooklyn should knock them at least a point further down." Yeah, that is why the 3 gets an 8. I was surprised, so I have to give it credit where it is due. The 3 in Brooklyn wasn't too bad, your typical train making stops, which was the same on the 7. The 2 may have a ton of stations on White Plains, but we were out of the northern portion in 12 minutes and the southern portion didn't take too long. Also, I have an entire frequency section. That is where I docked points. Speed and frequencies are two separate sections and have nothing to do with each other. I gave the 3 an 8 for speed and a 6.5 for frequency. As for the 2, I should have knocked down at least a point for frequency, but since I came out of that 14 minute frequency for the 5, anything was better than that.
@@jointransitassociation Yes, please. I like the A Train, but a friend of mine who used to take it regularly between Manhattan and The Rockaways complained once it was the longest subway ride of his life and didn't recommend it. I haven't ridden the full length of the A Train, so I'm interested to find out how long it actually takes.
The 5 does not have garbage speed it during rush-hour, which is why you think it has garbage speak and obviously Lexington is not the best during rush hour
That what I was saying lexington most times can be slow during rush hours but the 5 is nowhere near slow he just got on 5 during rush hours ofc it is going to be slow when you got a train 2 mins in front of you and other right behind you I been on the 5 and it be going 45 mph it goes fast he just got on the wrong time I was confused on what he was talking about
As someone that takes Lexington very frequently during mornings, afternoons, rush hour, nights, and weekends, the 5 is slow. Only weekends are fast, and even then the 5 arrives every 12 minutes, further enticing me to take the 4.
@@jointransitassociation And also there is literal video proof of five 5 trains in a row entering grand central before a 4 train pulled up. And as a rider myself, The time on the 5 may be inconsistent at times but its really not that bad. in rush hours it averages 4-7 minute headways most of the time, some of them of course running right behind a 4 train, which slows the train down. Same can go for the 4 as well. Cant really blame the 5 train for its speed on Lexington on this one
Perhaps instead of de-interlining Rogers, we can eliminate it completely by having the 1 and 6 extended via brand new tunnels under the East river to Brooklyn, connecting to the Nostrand Avenue branch and making it a separate line, having the 2 run with the 3 to New Lots, and the 5 run with the 4 to Crown Heights. The 1 and 6 will meet up at a new platform at Jay Street-MetroTech, and then run 4 tracks (1 runs local while the 6 runs express) along Myrtle Avenue, before diving down to run along Nostrand (starting at DeKalb-Lafayette Avenues, where passengers can transfer to the G at Bedford-Nostrand Avenues), and then the express tracks will run underneath the existing Nostrand branch. (President Street will be an express station, with a transfer to the 2 and 3) After Brooklyn College (also an express station, with express tracks built next to the existing tracks), the line will be elevated, and the 1 will terminate at Shore Parkway-Emmons Avenue, while the 6 travels one stop further, towards Manhattan Beach Park-Oriental Boulevard (which may have to be built underground due to houses obstructing the way for an elevated subway line).
That's never going to happen besides the 1 and 6 trains doesn't have to go to Brooklyn, and the loop would be render useless(consider that it has a far slow turn like the 5 at grand concourse. Also we need to de interline Roger's junction as 5 trains cuts in front of 3 and 4 trains plus it's very slow on Lexington Avenue which makes no sense okay de interline 5 to Broadway junction and reroute to Bedford park via Jerome Express(direction service) with an island platform at Yankees stadium since during rush hour d trains go Express peak direction people need to the stadium to see the baseball game in the bronx.
No, not really. I have been wanting to do this for 3 months now. I will go back to my regular content sometime next week, but I will say, one more review video is coming lol.
I should have knocked down the frequency points that the 2 gets to a 7, but since I came out of that horrible 5 train frequencies, anything was better than a 14 minute wait.
Again, I take Lexington all the time, from mornings to evenings, from weekdays to weekends. And except for weekends, the 5 is always slow. I even took the 4 during rush hours to see the speed, and the 4 is way faster than the 5 can ever be. It is a 5 train problem.
@@jointransitassociation Really? cuz im a frequent Lexington rider as well, And the 4 and 5 trains are the same exact way on Lexington during rush hour. Some 4 trains are just like the 5 train in this vid and some 5 trains are like the 4 train in this video. Its just most of the time when you ride the 5, a train is ahead and its most likely, a 4 train, And it just happens that you get more lucky with the 4 in terms of spacing with the train in front. If the countdown says that a train is 2-3 minutes behind another train, then thats how you know its a slow ride. Most of the time when trains dont do 42 mph through Astor place, it is because of another train at 14 street, ahead of the train thats at Astor. ik because I seen it for myself for countless amounts of times. im talking about years here
@@therailfanenthusiast8766 Well, I take Lexington a lot, and every single time, it is extremely slow. And I take at all hours, afternoons, mornings, middays, and evenings. And every single time I take the 5, it is extremely underwhelming.
WARNING: IN THE BE DIVISION THE (D) TRAIN IS TRASH AND COMES EVERY (D) MINUTES. I've nicknamed it the line that comes whenever it wants regardless of the schedule. Like there was this one time at 145 St when the (D) Train was supposedly 6 minutes away yet it came in 10 minutes lmao. THE (D) TRAIN SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!