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Should the Port Authority consider the development of a railway/subway line from New Jersey to Staten Island?
Everyone knows that Staten Island is the bumhole of NYC transit, having one heavy rail line that runs worse headways during off-peak than any 24h Subway line during the night. That even includes the Rockaway Park shuttle whose five stops are among the nine least used on the entire network according to 2014-2019 figures.
Now every half assed transit enthusiast knows that Staten Island once had a line going from St. George along the north coast of the borough. The continuation of that line is now a cargo rail line into New Jersey. This provides two opportunities
>A rail line along the existing right of way to Elizabeth and Newark, providing direct rail service to Newark Airport and potentially midtown Manhattan
>A subway (PATH) or light rail (in collaboration with NJ Transit) line that crosses the state border over the Kill van Kull and then uses the existing right of way at Port Richmond
All three options will need at least a 3 mile long tunnel to reconnect St. George with the elevated section at Port Richmond. The rail line option would need a connector to the Northeast Corridor line at Elizabeth Port, while both the subway and light rail options would need a bridge or tunnel to cross the river. And of course the Subway would need a major extension project across Hudson County.
How realistic would such a project be, and do you think it would be reasonable or maybe even needed? Also I am not an American so I don't have expert knowledge on all the different parties required to make such a project happen so feedback would be welcome in that regard.
Everyone knows that Staten Island is the bumhole of NYC transit, having one heavy rail line that runs worse headways during off-peak than any 24h Subway line during the night. That even includes the Rockaway Park shuttle whose five stops are among the nine least used on the entire network according to 2014-2019 figures.
Now every half assed transit enthusiast knows that Staten Island once had a line going from St. George along the north coast of the borough. The continuation of that line is now a cargo rail line into New Jersey. This provides two opportunities
>A rail line along the existing right of way to Elizabeth and Newark, providing direct rail service to Newark Airport and potentially midtown Manhattan
>A subway (PATH) or light rail (in collaboration with NJ Transit) line that crosses the state border over the Kill van Kull and then uses the existing right of way at Port Richmond
All three options will need at least a 3 mile long tunnel to reconnect St. George with the elevated section at Port Richmond. The rail line option would need a connector to the Northeast Corridor line at Elizabeth Port, while both the subway and light rail options would need a bridge or tunnel to cross the river. And of course the Subway would need a major extension project across Hudson County.
How realistic would such a project be, and do you think it would be reasonable or maybe even needed? Also I am not an American so I don't have expert knowledge on all the different parties required to make such a project happen so feedback would be welcome in that regard.
