USING THE 63RD STREET TUNNEL TO IMPROVE TRANSITT ACCESSIBILITY BETWEEN QUEENS AND MANHATTAN

The main objective of this project was to develop and analyze alternative concepts for increasing accessibility and decreasing crowding on rail transit lines between Queens and Manhattan, optimizing use of existing infrastructure, particularly the currently under-utilized 63rd Street Tunnel. A secondary objective was to look at accessibility within Long Island City as a means of promoting the New York City policy of encouraging the development of Long Island City. Seven alternative concepts were developed and analyzed. Four of the alternatives were variations on heavy rail (subway) connections between the 63rd Street Tunnel and the Queens Boulevard corridor subway lines, which include the E and F, the most crowded in the City. The other three alternatives look at other ways of connecting the many rail transit lines in Long Island City. Quantitative and qualitative analyses indicated that the optimal alternative was a single-track subway connection with triple-track operation of service on the basis of crowding relief, increased access to Manhattan, and lowest capital cost.