The light blue line is the Second Avenue Subway Line that is now under construction. The faded green line just to the left is the existing line that will be relieved. The yellow line is an existing train line that will expand its service on the northern portion of the Second Avenue Line.
Stopped completely twice due to budgetary problems and taking over 70 years to complete, the Second Avenue Subway Line on the east side of Manhattan is finally coming to fruition. It is designed to relieve congestion on the Lexington Avenue Line only three avenues to the west and provide more access on the east side. It will finally be completed in April of 2018.
However, there is something on my mind that bothers me. The existing line just three avenues west has a four track configuration while the second avenue line has a two track configuration (Refer to Figure 1). If I want to get uptown or downtown the fastest possible, I am more likely going to take the existing line then the new one because of the express trains.
I do understand that it will provided more access on the east side and that is a great thing for the future growth along the east side. I only wish that they would have continued with the four track plan that has express stations as originally proposed, but due to the overwhelming cost, it was cancelled.
(http://secondavenuesagas.com/2011/09/27/east-side-access-completion-date-postponed-to-2018/)
You might find these two articles interesting. The First deals with why U.S. transportation projects are so expensive and long to construct and uses this as an example and the second deals with why they are expensive to run.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-26/u-s-taxpayers-are-gouged-on-mass-transit-costs.html
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-27/labor-rules-snarl-u-s-commuter-trains.html
Maybe the reason why they have stopped making the four track lines has to do with budgeting. In order to finally complete this line once and for all by 2018 it has to be two track instead of four? I think this new addition would be great and I think it will serve its purpose. I think this because I find that people will always choose convenience if they are not crunched for time. So those who will be trying to gain access to the east side of New York City will really utilize this line instead of the Q.
What do you think about that?