A new rail service launched this week could save commuters as much as 40 minutes on trips between Long Island and Manhattan.
The Long Island Rail Road started operations to Manhattan’s Grand Central Terminal this Wednesday, reports Michelle Kaske in Bloomberg CityLab, marking a milestone for the city’s transit infrastructure. The LIRR will arrive at a newly built station, Grand Central Madison, located directly below Grand Central Terminal. “The LIRR will begin limited service on Wednesday for at least three weeks with riders changing trains at the Jamaica stop in Queens during the initial launch. Direct service into Grand Central will roll out after that, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.”
Construction on the $11.1 billion project began in 2001 and faced years of delays and increased costs. Now, the MTA estimates it will save some commuters as much as 40 minutes on their daily trips. The new service could also help with overcrowding at other popular New York City transit hubs. “The transit provider anticipates about 45% of LIRR riders will choose to arrive at Grand Central, relieving persistent crowding at Penn Station.”
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UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
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Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research