The 7 train is one of the most congested lines in the NYC subway system. Part of the massive ridership comes from Flushing-Main Street station. Flushing Main Street station is one of the most used subway stations in NYC, with 17.5 million riders passing through it in 2019. This makes it more busy than larger complexes, like Atlantic Ave Barclays Center and Coney Island. 

However, Flushing-Main Street wasn't designed to be the last stop of the line. Instead, the 7 train was supposed to extend further into Northeastern Queens to serve College Point, Whitestone, and Bayside. However, funding for the extension dried up during the Great Depression. Since Main Street was never designed to have this many riders it meant dangerous backups at the station and the surrounding streets. This makes it hard for Flushing residents to walk or drive on the surrounding streets, which decreases their quality of life. In addition, many riders who use the 7 train have one of the longest commutes in the nation, and live in Whitestone, College Point, and Bayside. 

But by introducing regional rail on the parallel Port Washington branch, it can help address the congestion on the 7 and serve transit deserts like Auburndale, Bayside, and Little Neck. By having a $2.75 fare and 6 minute service on the branch, which is made possible by the opening of East Side Access, this rail line would be attractive enough to decongest the 7. To further reduce congestion on the 7, two new infill stations at Elmhurst and Corona would be added so that nearby 7 train riders have an option to take this rail line.

Once regional rail is implanted, the 7 should be extended to Whitestone, College Point, and Fresh Meadows. Even though Port Washington serves new neighborhoods, there will still be areas in Northeast Queens out of reach by the Port Washington branch. Extending the 7 would close those service gaps. There will be more benefits to extending the 7. Currently, the number of trains that can run to Flushing is restricted because of bumper blocks at Flushing. This is why many trains start and end at 111th St or Mets Willets. But by building a more suitable terminal farther east, all trains can be run to Flushing, which be a boon as Flushing is one the fastest growing neighborhoods in the city.

As Queens grows to be the largest and most diverse borough in the city, we need to find ways to expand our rail infrastructure, which hasn’t expanded since 2001. Redesigning buses would be a good start, but they are still going to be slow and low capacity. But by expanding Port Washington and 7 train service, this would a good step forward in dealing with the rising population in our borough.

If you want to learn more, please check out our project proposal here.

Photo Credit: veen.jpg (1620×1080) (fordhamobserver.com)