Getting Around

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

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NEW YORK SUN CONTRIBUTOR

Q: What on earth is the point of the V train? It follows the same route as the F, except that it doesn’t go into Brooklyn and stops a few stations earlier in Queens. Why doesn’t it follow the same route as the F all the way into Brooklyn, or else not exist at all?


A: The point of the V train is to ease traffic on the second- and third-most traveled circuits in the subway system. The only busier corridor than Queens Boulevard in Queens is the Lexington Avenue line in Manhattan.


Before 2002, the E, F, G, and R trains served Queens Boulevard, and riders complained for years about overcrowding. The V train was added in September 2002 to create a one-seat ride from Queens Boulevard through to the third busiest track in New York, the Sixth Avenue line.


The reordering allowed MTA planners to squeeze nine more trains into the city over the course of a day, and increased service along Queens Boulevard.


To make room for the new train, the F train was shifted north to a little used tunnel beneath 63rd Street and began to run express along Queens Boulevard all day, rather than just at rush hours. The F became the quickest way into Manhattan, but riders who wanted to transfer to the no. 6 at the busy 53rd Street station in Manhattan had to change to the V, or start on it.


The V doesn’t run to Brooklyn simply because there isn’t enough demand there for an extra train, and because the track through Downtown Brooklyn is already crowded with the F and the G trains.


But since the G doesn’t run to Manhattan, morning rush-hour riders who sardine themselves onto the F between Prospect Park and Jay Street may wish the V could make its way a bit farther south.


On its annual State of the Subways report card, the Straphanger’s Campaign gave the V a mark of $1.20, implying that service had improved markedly over 2002, when the line opened, though it ranked just 10th out of 21 lines.


The V line was criticized for dirtiness and missing its scheduled arrival times, but 70% of riders can expect to get a seat, even during rush hours.



Got a question about getting around New York City? Write to transit@nysun.com.

NY Sun
NEW YORK SUN CONTRIBUTOR

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.


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