MTA Announces Express F Service to Return in 2017

On Tuesday the MTA announced that express service is set to return to the F line in Brooklyn beginning this summer and with full implementation in 2017. Express service was cancelled in 1987, but due to a political campaign led by City Council Member David Greenfield, who represents Borough Park, it will be reinstated during rush hour.

The change will save time for many south Brooklyn commuters, but it does mean that express trains will skip Bergen Street, Carroll Street, 4th Ave - Smith Street, and 4th Ave - 9th Street. According to the MTA's ridership data (below) these are some of the most heavily used F stations in Brooklyn. Every other train will go express, and since MTA is unable to run additional trains that means a 50% service reduction at local stations.

In MTA's analysis express stop riders will save an average of 3.4 minutes on trips into Manhattan, while local stop riders will add 1.3 minutes to their trip. In exchange, the agency claims local trains will be less crowded, which may be attractive to Bergen Street riders who sometimes must let packed trains pass them by.

Our local representatives Council Member Lander, State Senator Daniel Squadron, and Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon released a joint statement with other officials expressing dismay at the decision and the MTA's opaque process.

Bergen Street has an express platform on the lower level that has sat defunct for years. The $75 million renovation required to open it to the public means it will not be an option MTA considers any time soon.

2015 MTA ridership data. Express stops in red.

All The MTA's Depressing Details About F Train Express, Like 50% Less Peak Service For Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens | Gothamist

"Harms More People Than It Helps": Brooklyn Officials Angry About F Train Express | Gothamist

(Includes full text of statements from officials in support and against)

Report: Feasibility and Analysis of F Express Service in Brooklyn | MTA

Ten stripes for safety

Cobble Hill's newest crosswalk adds predictability to our pathways

It's now been over two months since NYC's Department of Transportation implemented a much needed crosswalk on Court street (near Bergen St) at the request of the Cobble Hill Association. Pedestrians had been walking sans crosswalk for years and risking their safety along what is a very obvious desire line for those crossing Court Street. Though it has likely taken both pedestrians and drivers some time to adjust to the new changes, there is now zero confusion as to when a pedestrian has right of way and drivers are legally obligated to yield.

Before the stripes were added, pedestrians crossed without a signal or any clear pathway.

Just how well does the new set up work? Yesterday I spotted an entire family walking safely and dragging a last minute Christmas Tree purchase across this safety zone. Cars calmly waited for them to pass before making the left turn from Bergen onto Court Street. While the tree itself probably made the family visible, there is no denying the new stripes and new signal made their intended pathway entirely predictable. Predictable patterns for cars, peds, and bikes alike, help keep us all safe on the road.

Once again, many thanks to the NYC DOT for their continued involvement and willingness to listen to the Cobble Hill Association's concerns along the Court Street corridor. Most especially, on behalf of the thousands who now cross Court street much more safely, thank you to Christopher Hrones at DOT. He has been the point person hearing us out, offering input, and coordinating our requests with the agency. We look forward to working with him to achieve even more improvements on our local streets in 2014.

Signs of new Cobble Hill crosswalk at Congress/Bergen Street

Every day, scores of local residents cross Court street where there is a ADA accesible curb cut but no pedestrian signalization. As part of the Court Street corridor improvement plan which the Cobble Hill Association advocated for last year, a new crosswalk will remedy this danger and bring a signalized intersection to the pictured spot where Bergen becomes Congress Street. Latest word is that the safety enhancements should be installed by early summer, but fortunately you can already see the gray metal box in the ground which will soon house pedestrian signals. It's a small but significant improvement and one we are thankful to the Department of Transportation for taking action upon our request.