Rockaway Beach Branch

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The Rockaway Beach Branch is a rail line owned and operated by Long Island Rail Road in Queens, New York City, USA. The line left the Main Line at Whitepot Junction at Rego Park heading south through Ozone Park and crossed Jamaica Bay to Hammels in Rockaways, turning west to the terminal at Rockaway Park. Along the way it is connected with the Montauk Branch near Glendale, the Atlantic Branch near Woodhaven, and the Far Rockaway Branch in Hammels.

After the fire in 1950, the Jamaican Bay bridge was closed and the southern line of Ozone Park was sold to the city, which rehabilitated the southern portion of Liberty Avenue and connected it to the New York City Subway system as the Rockaway IND Line. The northern part of the subway connection was closed in 1962, and three proposals exist for the reuse of the path.

Video Rockaway Beach Branch

History

Initial history

New York, Woodhaven and Rockaway Railroad was founded on March 21, 1877 and organized on March 24 to build a narrow gauge of 1,067 mm ( 3Ãƒ, ftÃƒ, 6Ãƒ, in ) from Greenpoint, Brooklyn (connected to New York and Manhattan Beach Railway) via Cypress Hills and Woodhaven to Rockaway Beach. This route is made to cut an hour from time travel to Rockaways. The new route will take 30 minutes, while the existing route to Rockaway via the South Side Railroad will take an hour and a half. The plan was later changed (on 13 March 1878) to build a standard gauge line from Hunter Point rather than Greenpoint.

The agreement was made with Long Island Rail Road in 1880 to operate over the Montauk Division to Bushwick and Hunter's Point (via the trackage rights of Glendale Junction) and Atlantic Division to Flatbush Avenue (brought by LIRR locomotive from Woodhaven Junction). To support additional traffic, the LIRR agreed to double the Montauk Division line west of Richmond Hill and the Atlantic Division west of Woodhaven Junction.

After the delay caused by financial problems, the line opened on 26 August 1880, and the LIRR stopped the train from the New York terminal to Rockaway Beach via Valley Stream and Far Rockaway Branch. It continues to operate via train to Far Rockaway, as well as trains between Long Beach and Rockaway Beach.

The company went bankrupt and was sold under foreclosure on July 30, 1887 to Austin Corbin, owner of LIRR, who reorganized as New York and Rockaway Beach Railway (NY & amp; RB) on August 19, 1887 and transferred the property in September. 1, 1887. The old Far Rockaway branch in west Arverne immediately connects with NY & amp; RB in Hammels, and left on the west of a new connection. NY & amp; RB began operating the train to Far Rockaway through this connection.

From 1898 to 1917, the Brooklyn Elevated Railroad (run Rapid Rapid Transit Company) operated the train from Williamsburg (then Lower Manhattan) to Rockaway Beach (west of the Rockaway Peninsula), using a connection to Atlantic Avenue Division at Chestnut Street Junction (now New East York) and the Rockaway Beach Division south of Woodhaven Junction.

NY & amp; RB was operated independently until July 1, 1904, when the LIRR hired him as the Rockaway Beach Division. The southern line of Woodhaven Junction was part of the first electrification of LIRR, along with Atlantic Avenue Division west to Atlantic Terminal, with electric passenger service starting July 26, 1905. Steam trains continued to serve Rockaway Park from Long Island City until June 16, 1910, when Glendale Cut- off electrification opened, extending the northern line from Glendale in the Montauk Division to White Pot Junction at Rego Park on Main Line. This extension also includes another liaison from the Montauk Branch to the west of the Union Turnpike in Forest Park to Parkside Station. At the same time, the Rockaway Beach Division was electrified north of Woodhaven Junction, and the Main Line was powered west of Rego Park (and to Penn Station when the East River Tunnels opened on September 8, 1910). The New York and Rockaway Beach Railway merged into the LIRR on 30 June 1922.

In 1939, a project to completely eliminate the class crossings began in the Rockaway Peninsula by raising the line there, and completing the existing plan since 1901. The elevated structure was completed for Hammels in 1941 and between Hammels and Far Rockaway in 1942.

The June 1947 working day shows 68 cars across the Bay of Jamaica to the north to the south:

28 trains to Rockaway Park from Penn Station and 14 from Brooklyn
five trains to Far Rockaway from Penn and one from Brooklyn
two to Jamaica from Penn and one from Brooklyn
11 to Penn from Penn, and one from Brooklyn to Penn
two to Brooklyn from Penn and three from Brooklyn to Brooklyn

Many trains have a fast connection at Ozone Park station.

Last year

The fire on the bridge across Jamaica Bay between The Raunt and Broad Channel stations on May 7, 1950 cut off service in the center of the line. This is about 30 fires on the line since 1942. LIRR continues to operate above the line with two services: one to Rockaway Park west of Hammels via Far Rockaway Branch via Nassau County, and the other to Hamilton Beach via Main Line connection to the Rockaway Branch via Whitepot Junction. While the Jamaica Bay bridge remains inoperative. LIRR, then bankrupt, saw the Rockaway Beach Branch in south Ozone Park as a liability and did not want to spend large sums to fix it, and tried to sell or leave it. New York City, however, saw great potential in expanding subway services in Jamaica Bay and bought the line on June 11, 1952 for $ 8,500,000.

All stations south of Ozone Park did not operate on June 27, 1955, and no trains ran along the southern route of Ozone Park during the winter of 1955-1956 to allow the New York City Transit Authority to rebuild the subway lines for operations.. After rebuilding all trestles and changing lanes for transit operations, which included connections to the IND Fulton Street Line on Liberty Avenue via the former Fulton Street lane, the city began operating as IND Rockaway Line on 26 June 1956 for a festive season.

The line connection with the Atlantic Branch at Woodhaven Junction, consisting of an interconnected tunnel portal and a rising tilt to meet the elevated Rockaway Branch, was closed and removed in October 1955. This relationship was primarily used to allow the train from Brooklyn to reach the Aqueduct. Remnants of interlocking can still be seen in the Atlantic Avenue tunnel, while the slope is now used by the Logan School Bus Company, which parks their bus fleet along the hill.

The LIRR service continued on the remaining 3.5 miles (5.6 km) part of the Rockaway Beach Branch between Rego Park and Ozone Park, under a lease from the New York City Transit Authority. The service was greatly reduced and cut off into a single track operation between two end points beginning in 1956. Protection fell sharply over the next few years, with services consisting of one train from Ozone Park to Penn Station in the morning, and trains from Manhattan to Queens at night on weekdays. The line and station, meanwhile, began to deteriorate due to vandalism and lack of maintenance. There is no connection with IND Rockaway Line made in Ozone Park, which further injures the potential for passenger growth. The LIRR, realizing that the line was the only LIRR line that did not serve Long Island well, the service quietly stopped on June 8, 1962.

Inheritance and planned restoration

The city never proposed to leave an isolated double track section between Elmhurst and Ozone Park, due to the connections to the IND Queens Boulevard Line train. This has been proposed under the Second System of IND and then by Robert Moses, with the provisions that exist in the subway station of 63rd Drive for future connections to Whitepot Junction. An additional plan proposes connections to BMT Jamaica Line around Brooklyn Manor station. However, in October 1955 shortly after the LIRR service in the Queens branch of Far Rockaway ended, it was decided to end the subway service on Liberty Avenue, with only connections to Fulton Street El completed. The right-of-way was sold to New York City and is now in the most part administered by the New York City Department of Municipal Administration Services ("DCAS"), except for the 7 hectares (2.8 ha) section in Park Forest that has been mapped as garden. This line officially does not work and is known by locals as a "forgotten spur", a name dating from the mid-1950s when the subway plan to spur fell.

Much of the original infrastructure has been removed, damaged, decomposed or damaged, although some rails, wooden bonds, electric towers and even de-electrification electric tracks can still be found in some parts, with most originating from 1908 or earlier, when the line originally flowed electricity. The failure to reactivate the north of the line has been linked to the high potential costs linking it to the Queens Boulevard Line, and capacity issues on the path that survive to this day, making Fulton connections more viable. There are proposals for train and rail services on this right lane. One proposal pairs the two plans.

The Rockaway Beach branch is a regular place for pedestrians and urban explorers who have documented the stations left behind along this route. The right path can be easily seen, especially along the dikes that were left in Woodhaven and Ozone Park. The line is owned by the City of New York, with certain areas around the former intersection with the Montauk Branch that has been rebuilt for temporary use, including many Logan Bus Companies.

Passenger services

Since the service ended in 1962, there was repeated talk about restoring the lanes to active passenger services. The first of these proposals was a 1963 proposal that would reactivate the line by connecting it to the IND Queens Boulevard Line.

As part of the 1968 Action Program, there was a proposal to extend LIRR back to John F. Kennedy International Airport via the Van Wyck Expressway. Many Rockaway and Queens residents want links to walk along unused Rockaway Beach Branch, rather than along Van Wyck, so Rockaways can simultaneously get express service to Manhattan. The revised plan through the Rockaway Beach Branch was approved by the New York City Council of Estimate in 1969. The $ 210 million LIRR plan faced major criticism, and one part was heavily criticized. New York State Senator John J. Santucci, representing Rockaways, voiced concern that the 2,900-foot (880 m) tunnel for the connection, which will connect with the Rockaway Beach Branch, will require a razing part of the Forest Park, a plan opposed by constituents. Santucci said the link construction would devastate parts of the park irreversibly, destroying community landmarks and "disarming people's resources for the luxury of a few." In October 1974, the president of the Hammel Holland Seaside Civic Association wrote to Mayor Abraham Beame, "This is our sincere request to you that your decision on Forest Park rape is canceled." The association president further said that although the cost would not be effective for creating premium services to JFK Airport, the Rockaway Beach Branch would still have to be reactivated for local passengers. In April 1976, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Chairman William Ronan said that the relationship was "unfeasible" due to the economic downturn and associated air traffic degradation.

The next study for a two-lane high speed bus line to JFK along the Rockaway Beach Branch, called "Transitway", was released in 1982. The line will also accommodate taxis, limousines and vans to the airport. The Port Authority canceled the plan the following year in the face of the almost unanimous opposition of the people along the route.

In 2001, the MTA suggested routing the proposed AirTrain JFK airport service on the line. This route begins at Penn Station, following the route from the original Rockaway Beach Branch, via Rego Park, Ozone Park, and finally branching out at the current Howard Beach-JFK Airport subway station (train A ) is served by IND Rockaway Line. The route was welcomed with the approval of advocacy groups including the Rockaway-based Committee for Better Transit, Inc. and Rockaway Transit Coalition. However, local and political opposition from Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Richmond Hill and Glendale injured the prospect of restored services, as residents along the line complained that noise levels would increase and the environment would be aesthetically damaged. An MTA study on the feasibility of reactivating the line found that it would not be comfortable for 68% of passengers traveling between the outer districts and Rockaways; In addition, people traveling from Far Rockaway have to wait longer, on average, for trains. The MTA also mentions high operational and construction costs as a loss. It has been argued that restoration is needed to enable rebuilding of Rockaways, "a potentially very attractive area that has long suffered from slow transit services." Higher property values â€‹â€‹and influx of people interested in quick service to Midtown can revitalize en-route environments such as Richmond Hill. "

The success of the new racino at Aqueduct Racetrack produced a proposal from Governor Andrew Cuomo to build a large convention center around him. The talk reactivate the line was openly supported in February 2012 by Assemblymen Phillip Goldfeder and Michael G. Miller. Goldfeder commented "The journey for people here will only change from bad to worse.You can not talk about the convention center without talking about transportation." Goldfeder and Miller said they were not opposed to converting parts of the line into a park called Queensway, but said people living in Rockaway, Ozone Park, Howard Beach, and other areas along the right path had no quick or easy way. to get into Manhattan. The Genting Group, which operates the racino and asked to build a convention center, is evaluating several plans to improve transport access, and is committed to paying for some of the transport improvements. Queensway supporters oppose the resumption of rail services, which states that the current bus service meets current transportation needs in the area.

Congressmen Hakeem Jeffries and Gregory Meeks added their support for the project in March 2013. Both representatives will encourage to allocate federal transportation subsidies to study plans for restored passenger services.

The latest recommendation for reuse is from the MTA's Twenty-Year Capital Needs Assessment for 2015-2034, published in October 2013. The problem the MTA is trying to address is providing a transversal route between core core routes. The report shows that the cheapest, easiest, and fastest way to do this is by revitalizing existing lines like Bay Ridge Branch (for Triboro RX service) or the Rockaway Beach Branch. No money was allocated to the project, and MTA spokeswoman Kevin Ortiz said that while it is only putting the options for the future. Assemblyman Phillip Goldfeder, representing Howard Beach and Rockaway, announced in November 2013 that Queens College will conduct a study of all options for unused lines. The study will be conducted by students, who are Queens locals. The State of New York approved a new MTA study to reactivate the Rockaway Beach Branch, with a report scheduled for March 2017. On January 5, 2017, the MTA and the Port Authority were evaluating the use of Rockaway Beach LIRR for one seat ride between Penn Station and Grand Central and JFK.