Nassau County Transit System
| After some discussion on the SubTalk forum, I thought I would turn my attention to what could be done to improve mass transit, and to alleviate traffic congestion. Clearly the Long Island Railroad (shown in blue above) remains the preferred method for transportation to Manhattan. But traffic to Manhattan does not do much to contribute to congestion within Nassau County. Many have suggested "extending the subways" into Nassau County, but I reject this idea, because of the load that it would put on the subways and also because it doesn't answer the needs of people not going to the city.
Yes, I have extended the Subway system into Nassau County, (shown in light blue) these lines are part of the new Fifth Avenue / Myrtle Avenue Express System. All of these subway lines shown merge at Jamaica Center. They are intended for people who wish to go to Brooklyn or Queens, but would not seem to be the best route to Manhattan, although they will indeed cover that service too. The Heart of the Nassau County Transit System is a web of street cars (shown in green) running generally north and south. There are 20 such routes running to and from four major transit hubs at Green Acres, Hempstead, Roosevelt Field, and Broadway Mall in Hicksville. The main car barn and repair facility is at Roosevelt Field, with an additional barn at Broadway Mall. The street cars are articulated low-riders allowing direct transfer of wheel chairs. Cars are about 100' long and operate mostly on a dedicated right of way in what used to be the parking lane of the roads that they are running on. On quieter roads, they can operate in the regular traffic lanes and flow. Cars are uni-directional having a front and a rear, and employ loops for change of direction. The Backbone of the Nassau County Transit System consists of four elevated lines (shown in red) running generally east and west. In the west they all connect to the New York City Subway system, and in the East they terminate at Republic Airport, and/or Sunrise Mall. El Cars are bidirectional articulated cars running on a closed computer controlled trackway. The yards and maintenance facilities are at Republic Airport. |