Tessera

Effective Transit Alliance

@etany.org

ETA advocates for high-quality, accessible, and forward-looking transit through internationally-inspired, technically-oriented analysis in greater New York.

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Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · last wk.

This morning, ETA commented to the MTA board on it's study extending LIRR electrification to the new Yaphank-BNL station. It's exciting to see electrification of commuter rail, however we urge the agency to study more cost-effective catenary for extensions. www.etany.org/statements/y...

ETA welcomes the MTA's commitment to study electrification and double-tracking to the new Yaphank-BNL station. But prior studies rested on assumptions that inflate costs and reduce benefits, jeopardizing the value of the project.
The LIRR's environmental assessment put electrification beyond Ronkonkoma at 25 million dollars per mile, in today's dollars. Recent international commuter rail projects electrify for 2 to 3 million dollars per mile — an order of magnitude less. The difference is catenary and modern installation methods. Catenary requires less track work and fewer substations, and supplies more power for faster acceleration. The MTA instead proposed third rail, a legacy technology.
We ask the LIRR to study catenary electrification, and to study railcars that run on both third rail and catenary, like the M8, and that clear every LIRR tunnel. ETA's "M10" concept is one example worth examining.
We also ask the LIRR to consider passing sidings rather than full double-tracking, as Utah's Frontrunner 2x is doing. That requires less track and signal work, freeing funds for service increases elsewhere. Several diesel branches carry more riders than this stretch of the Main Line, and deserve the same study.
Finally, this work should serve a region-wide goal: incrementally unifying on a single electrical standard, 25 kV 60 Hz AC Catenary, as expensive-to-maintain third rail equipment reaches its normal end of life.
Scoping the study this way will identify the most cost-effective ways to improve service for LIRR riders. We ask that you include these suggestions. Thank you.

Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · 2w ago

TONIGHT, come join ETA for TOD: Transit-Oriented Drinks July! Join us for drinks, transit discussion, and transit advocacy! TONIGHT Friday July 24, 2026 from 6-8pm at Vanderbilt Market 45th & Vanderbilt behind Grand Central. All are welcome!

TONIGHT Friday July 24, 2026
from 6-8pm
at Vanderbilt Market
45th & Vanderbilt behind Grand Central.

Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · 2w ago

Big news for regional transit: FRA’s Phase 1 report confirms that through-running can boost Penn Station’s capacity without expansion. ETA examined why this is a good first step—and why, with the operational changes of Phase 2, its true potential is even greater. www.etany.org/statements/f...

ETA Statement on the FRA’s Phase I Report, read at https://www.etany.org/statements/fra-phase1-statement

Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · 3w ago

ICYMI, this week Manhattan BP Brad Hoylman-Sigal held a forum on through-running for Penn Station. Watch ETA's executive director Blair Lorenzo, the RPA's Tom Wright, and NYU Wagner's Polly Trottenberg debate how through-running can improve service and capacity: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ms3i...

Penn Station Through-Running Town Hall

YouTube video by Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal

youtube.com

Benjamin Schneider @benschneider.bsky.social · 3w ago

The fundamental math of @etany.org 's thru-running proposal. There are 11 platforms at Penn. Assume 10 minutes per train. That adds up to 66 trains per hour, easily enough to handle the 48 tph of the Gateway tunnels. Lots of caveats and complexities but that’s the basic plan.

Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · 3w ago

Last night, ETA's Blair Lorenzo sat down with Manhattan BP Brad Hoylman-Sigal and others to argue that not only is through-running possible, but it would improve capacity at Penn Station while also building a regional transit network. Watch here!: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ms3i...

Penn Station Through-Running Town Hall

YouTube video by Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal

youtube.com

Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · 3w ago

We hope to see you tonight! (NOTE: the location has shifted to the nearby Katie Murphy Ampitheatre, 300 7 Av at 28th St.)

Effective Transit Alliance@etany.org · 3w ago

TOMORROW NIGHT, join us for a discussion on through-running and the future of Penn Station. ETA's Blair Lorenzo will join the RPA's Tom Wright & NYU's Polly Trottenberg to discuss how to build a better transit future for greater New York! Register here: bpbhs.com/ThroughRunning

Flyer for Through-Running Panel, all details at bpbhs.com/ThroughRunning

Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · 3w ago

Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · 4w ago

Next Tuesday, 7/14, join us for a discussion on through-running and the future of Penn Station. ETA's Blair Lorenzo will join the RPA's Tom Wright & NYU's Polly Trottenberg to discuss how to build a better transit future for greater New York! Register here: bpbhs.com/ThroughRunning

Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · last mo.

What's the future of Penn Station & commuter rail in greater NY? Join us next Tuesday, 7/14 @ 5:30PM for the Manhattan BP's forum on through-running, the international standard for regional rail! ETA's Blair Lorenzo will join Polly Trottenberg & Tom Wright to discuss our transit future.

Could “through-running" help un-clog Penn Station?
Penn Station is the busiest rail station in the Western Hemisphere, serving Amtrak, NJ TRANSIT, and the LIRR across 21 tracks.
With a master developer selected for the redesign of Penn Station, the idea of through-running is receiving increased attention, which would allow commuter travel through Penn Station, instead of having trains begin or end their trips there.
Could through-running increase capacity at Penn Station or improve service? What investments and operational changes would it require? What are the potential benefits, challenges, and tradeoffs for riders and the region?
Join B.P. Brad Hoylman-Sigal as he moderates a discussion with:
Blair Lorenzo (Executive Director of the Effective Transit Alliance)
Polly Trottenberg (Dean of NYU Wagner and former Deputy Secretary of Transportation)
. Tom Wright (President and CEO of the Regional Plan Association)
Opening remarks from Andy Byford (Special Advisor to Amtrak).
When: Tuesday, July 14, 2026, 5:30 pm
Where: FIT Fisch Presentation Hall (220 West 28th St.)
Register: bpbhs.com/ThroughRunning
SPONSORED BY:
Borough President
Brad
Hoylman-Sigal
Congressman
Jerry
Nadler
State Senators
Erik Bottcher
Liz Krueger
Assembly Member
Tony
Simone
Council Member
Carl
Wilson

Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · last mo.

TONIGHT, come join ETA for TOD: Transit-Oriented Drinks June! Join us for drinks, transit discussion, and transit advocacy! TONIGHT Friday June 26, 2026 from 6-8pm at Vanderbilt Market 45th & Vanderbilt behind Grand Central. All are welcome!

TONIGHT Friday June 26, 2026
from 6-8pm
at Vanderbilt Market
45th & Vanderbilt behind Grand Central.

Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · last mo.

The @queenslink.org project would turn an abandoned rail line into a busy subway line. Unfortunately, the project is at risk due to a competing project which would block its path. The best plan for New York’s future is QueensLink. Read on our website: www.etany.org/statements/t...

QueensLink is a proposal to open a new subway line connecting Rego Park, Forest Park, Howard Beach, and the Rockaways. Much like the Interborough Express, the project would reactivate an intact, mostly abandoned rail line to provide service to underserved neighborhoods. In the case of QueensLink, this is the former LIRR Rockaway Beach Branch, which was abandoned in 1955 except for its southern part, which was reactivated to bring the A train to the Rockaways in 1956. Put simply, QueensLink would turn currently abandoned tracks into a busy subway line serving tens of thousands of riders a day.
Unfortunately, the proposal is at risk due to a competing proposal called QueensWay. QueenWay seeks to convert the same right-of-way into a linear park with no transit service. QueensLink, in contrast, would include both transit and green space along the majority of the route, wherever there is room, including the same location as QueenLink. Regrettably, on June 30th the New York City Council is set to vote on an Adopted Budget which includes $50 million of city funding to construct the first phase of the QueensWay park, the Metro Hub, directly blocking QueensLink’s path.

(read the rest at etany.org)

According to estimates from The Transit Costs Project’s A Better Billion proposal, QueensLink would cost $2.8 billion in 2025 prices, and see ridership of 105,000 people every weekday. The high ridership is a combination of all of the following travel markets:
New service from currently unserved areas of Rego Park, Forest Park, and Woodhaven
Trips parallel to Woodhaven Boulevard, which corridor has 30,000 weekday bus riders
New trips between Manhattan and JFK, currently served by the slower A train
Leisure trips between Manhattan or Central Queens and the beaches in the Rockaways
Trips from the Rockaways, Howard Beach, and Ozone Park to Manhattan or Long Island City, currently served by the A via Lower Manhattan
Additional trips from the Queens Boulevard Line to Brooklyn, since the diversion of M trains from Forest Hills allows bringing back the G to the Queens Boulevard local tracks

(read the rest at etany.org)

In short, by building on an existing right-of-way, QueensLink can serve a huge number of riders for a comparatively affordable cost. If QueensWay is built, however, it will sever this part of the corridor, either meaning the park would have to be demolished in the future (a difficult proposition) or a long and expensive subway would need to be built under Woodhaven Boulevard.
The Rockaway Beach Branch is a unique opportunity for New York: a publicly owned right-of-way in a dense urban corridor with high property value. Corridors like that do not grow on trees, and any city would be foolish not to take advantage. The best plan for New York’s future is QueensLink.

(read the rest at etany.org)

Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · last mo.

This Friday, come join ETA for TOD: Transit-Oriented Drinks June! Join us for drinks, transit discussion, and transit advocacy! Friday June 26, 2026 from 6-8pm at Vanderbilt Market 45th & Vanderbilt behind Grand Central. All are welcome!

Friday June 26, 2026
from 6-8pm
at Vanderbilt Market
45th & Vanderbilt behind Grand Central.

Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · 2mo ago

This is the wrong decision for transit in New York. Existing rights-of-way that travel through dense, under-served neighborhoods do not grow on trees, and it's a massive own goal for any city to not take advantage of them. No plan does this better than @queenslink.org.

Streetsblog NYC@nyc.streetsblog.org · 2mo ago

Mayor Mamdani is going full speed ahead with plans to build the QueensWay park over abandoned train tracks in Central Queens, after his administration decisively told advocates for bringing transit to the right of way that he won’t change course.

Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · 2mo ago

TONIGHT, come join ETA for TOD: Transit-Oriented Drinks May! Join us for drinks, transit discussion, and transit advocacy! Tonight, Friday May 29, 2026 from 6-8pm at Vanderbilt Market 45th & Vanderbilt behind Grand Central. All are welcome!

Tonight, Friday May 29, 2026
from 6-8pm
at Vanderbilt Market
45th & Vanderbilt behind Grand Central.

Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · 2mo ago

Affordable monthly passes are one of the best tools transit agencies have to boost ridership while lowering per-rider cost. www.etany.org/reports/mont...

Bring Back the Monthly — Effective Transit Alliance New York

Reasonably-priced monthly passes are an international best practice for a reason: they are one of the strongest ways to encourage transit ridership, reduce fare evasion, and make proof-of-payment fare...

etany.org

Travis R. Eby@travis-robert.bsky.social · 2mo ago

It’s on Threads, so grain of salt, but hundreds of transit normies here complaining about the loss of weekly/monthly MTA passes & lack of visibility into charges w OMNY And I agree. Fare-capping is great (tho much less so when it’s so hard to keep track of your balance) but WE NEED THE MONTHLY BACK

Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · 2mo ago

This Friday, come join ETA for TOD: Transit-Oriented Drinks May! Join us for drinks, transit discussion, and transit advocacy! Friday May 29, 2026 from 6-8pm at Vanderbilt Market 45th & Vanderbilt behind Grand Central. All are welcome!

Friday May 29, 2026
from 6-8pm
at Vanderbilt Market
45th & Vanderbilt behind Grand Central.

Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · 3mo ago

Streetsblog talked to ETA about New York's short-sighted policy of stopping buses to inspect fares. A policy change can't come fast enough: cities around the country and the world keep passengers moving by inspecting fares while vehicles are in motion.

"There's a pretty clear preference for keeping vehicles moving during fare inspections, for obvious reasons," said Effective Transit Alliance Executive Director Blair Lorenzo. "Both speed and reliability are key factors that drive ridership, and random, unpredictable stops to inspect everyone on a bus obviously harms both."

Streetsblog NYC@nyc.streetsblog.org · 3mo ago

MTA bus fare enforcement “EAGLE teams” have begun to conduct some fare inspections on moving buses — departing from the MTA’s longstanding, frustrating practice of forcing riders to wait on stopped buses while fare inspectors check one-by-one if they paid.

Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · 3mo ago

NY riders face some of the highest transit pass costs globally, needing 50 rides a month under current fare capping just to break even. An affordable monthly pass would align the city with international standards and provide genuine financial relief for daily riders. www.etany.org/reports/mont...

A graph of worldwide pass ratios, with NY's old system under MetroCard in dark red and it's current weekly cap in bright red.

Both are far higher than the international average of 29, and especially higher than Europe, where ratios are much lower.

Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · 3mo ago

The LIRR has some of the highest operating costs of US commuter rails, and the current strike centers on one key reason: work rules dating back to the steam era. Modernizing these agreements is critical to expanding service & ensuring fiscal stability. ETA's analysis: www.etany.org/statements/l...

ETA statement on the LIRR and work rules. Read a text version at https://www.etany.org/statements/lirr-work-rules-vestiges-of-the-steam-era

Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · 3mo ago

A fire in the East River tunnels has shut down almost all LIRR service into and out of Penn Station. While disasters like this are thankfully rare, they highlight the value of an emergency operations plan—especially for a railroad with as many terminals as the LIRR. www.etany.org/statements/m...

Penn Station Fires and the
Value of an Emergency Plan
May 15, 2026
On Thursday, May 14, a midday fire knocked out two of the four East River tunnels that the
Long Island Rail Road uses to access Penn Station. Because one additional tunnel was closed
for a long-term overhaul, this left only a single track for all trains between Penn Station and
Long Island during May 15th’s AM rush. This has caused massive disruptions: at first, the LIRR
suspended most service west of Jamaica. Since then, the railroad has begun to divert some
trains to Grand Central Madison (GCM) and Atlantic Terminal as it very slowly resumes
operations to Penn Station.
Before going further, it is important to note that this is not an ordinary week for the LIRR. The
railroad is preparing for a possible strike beginning at Midnight, which should it not be called off
at the last minute would prevent any trains leaving terminals as of that time. This further
complicates the situation by requiring the agency to modify schedules and make other
preparations to ensure that trains are in locations that permit for a rapid resumption of service if
the potential strike ends. For more info on the strike, the LIRR has set up an information page
with final trains, and alternative service. ETA encourages straphangers to keep an eye on LIRR
social media and alerts for the latest strike information.
Fires and other severe disruptions are thankfully rare, and ETA is happy that no one has been
injured. At the same time, thanks to its redundancy, the LIRR can and should develop
emergency service plans that can be implemented on short notice for major disruptions like
this1.
This is not unprecedented. Trains on NJ Transit’s Morris & Essex, Montclair-Boonton, and
Gladstone Lines that normally run into Penn Station via MidtownDIRECT are being diverted to
Hoboken Terminal under an emergency operations plan. From there, riders can take PATH... read the rest on etany.org

diesel branch trains to Hunterspoint Ave, and has not to the station past Hunterspoint Ave, Long
Island City, which can not take full length trains. Significant numbers of trains in the
reverse-peak direction were cancelled, or truncated at Jamaica.
By sending trains to its other terminals, the LIRR could offer the following connections:
To Atlantic Terminal:
● 2/3/4/5/B/D/N/Q/R at Atlantic Terminal
● A/C at Nostrand Ave
● L at East New York
To Hunterspoint Ave and Long Island City:
● E/F/M/R at Forest Hills
● 7 at Woodside
● 7/G at Hunterspoint Ave
● 7 at Long Island City
To Grand Central Madison:
● 4/5/6/7/Times Square Shuttle At Grand Central Station
● Metro-North Railroad at Grand Central Terminal
This emergency operation would offer Long Island riders transfers to every subway line except
the 1, the Franklin Avenue shuttle, and the Rockaway Park Shuttle.
The $11 billion Grand Central Madison was a questionable piece of transportation planning, as it
split service into Manhattan two termini2. The one clear advantage of this set up, however, is
that it provides redundancy in case of disasters like this. Grand Central Madison was designed
to easily handle 24 tph (trains per hour), but even in these emergency conditions, the LIRR was
not running a full complement of trains to its only active Manhattan terminal. Indeed, for today’s
PM rush, the railroad was only showing 10 tph from 4-5 pm, 15 tph from 5-6 pm, and 12 tph
from 6-7 pm, on to TrainTime as of mid-afternoon on May 15th3. It then placed a number of
diversions on the status page on mta.info with notes that other trains going to Penn Station are
cancelled.
Of course, a major railroad like the LIRR cannot completely change its schedule and operations
on a moment’s notice: schedules are written assuming that trains and crew will be in certain
places at certain times. Given the amount of redundancy in the LIRR system, however, it ... read the rest on etany.org

Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · 3mo ago

NY's Penn Station is clogged by trains. Thankfully, there's a solution that does not involve costly reconstruction: through-running. In a newly public report, ETA illustrates how the region can use Metro-North Penn Access to build a truly regional rail network. www.etany.org/reports/thro...

Through-Running: First Connections — Effective Transit Alliance New York

A phased plan for through-running service at Penn Station using Metro-North's Penn Station Access as a launching pad. Prepared in 2025.

etany.org

Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · 3mo ago

Monthly passes are one of the strongest ways to encourage transit ridership and reduce fare evasion, but the MTA retired the pass when it retired the MetroCard last year. Read ETA's latest report: www.etany.org/reports/mont...

Bring Back the Monthly — Effective Transit Alliance New York

etany.org

Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · 3mo ago

ETA joins with our partners opposing a bill mandating two person trains. One-person train operation—and increasingly, full automation—is the standard across both the country and the globe, for good reason. It is safe, and allows for improved service at lower cost.

Reinvent Albany@reinventalbany.bsky.social · 3mo ago

View our group memo of opposition with @cbcny.bsky.social, @etany.org, @partnership4nyc.bsky.social, @rpa.org, and Transits Cost Project on a bill that would require two-person crews on every NYC subway train reinventalbany.org/2026/04/grou...

Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · 3mo ago

TONIGHT, come join ETA for TOD: Transit-Oriented Drinks, April! Join us for drinks, transit discussion, and transit advocacy! Tonight, Friday April 24, 2026 from 6-8pm at Vanderbilt Market 45th & Vanderbilt Behind GCT All are welcome!

Tonight, Friday April 24, 2026 from
6-8pm at
Vanderbilt Market
45th & Vanderbilt
Behind GCT

Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · 4mo ago

This Friday, come join ETA for TOD: Transit-Oriented Drinks, April! Join us for drinks, transit discussion, and transit advocacy! Friday April 24, 2026 from 6-8pm at Vanderbilt Market 45th & Vanderbilt Behind GCT All are welcome!

Friday April 24, 2026 from
6-8pm at
Vanderbilt Market
45th & Vanderbilt
Behind GCT

Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · 4mo ago

ETA will be at the 2026 North Jersey Transit Forum, hosted by our friends at Hudson County Complete Streets (@hudcostreets.org)! Join us and other transit leaders on April 25 to help shape a new vision for regional mobility in NJ and across the region! Register here: www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticket...

2026 North Jersey Transit Forum

Join the North Jersey Transit Forum and engage in meaningful discussions on urban planning and transportation policies. This event brings together stakeholders, transportation agencies, government, no...

zeffy.com

Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · 4mo ago

ETA and other civic orgs are urging NY not to require two operators on every train. One-person train operation (OPTO) is a standard practice used on every subway system around the world—including on the MTA. This bill would hurt riders and lock NY's transit system in the past. tinyurl.com/etatpto

Dear Speaker Heastie, Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and Chairs Cooney, Comrie, and
Braunstein:
We urge you to oppose S9586 (Parker) and A10706 (Chandler-Waterman), that would restrict
the MTA’s use of one-person train operation (OTPO), the industry standard for subway systems
in the U.S. and internationally. Under your leadership, the Legislature has done an outstanding
job supporting the MTA through new dedicated tax revenues. We thank you for this and hope
you continue focusing on big picture questions like the MTA’s financial sustainability as it faces
out-year budget gaps and federal funding challenges.
The bills require each New York City Transit subway train to have at least two crew members: a
conductor, and operator. This is not required for any other U.S. transit system, except for the
Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH), or the world’s other major transit systems. This legislation
would prevent the MTA from adopting the industry standard and realizing operational
efficiencies as it deploys new trains designed to work with the billions of dollars of advanced
signal technology being installed throughout the subway system.
A 2025 report by NYU’s Marron Institute of Urban Management’s Transit Costs Project, “How
Many People Does it Take to Operate a Train?” found that less than 6% of 400 rail lines around
the world use two or more train operators. Of the 94% that use one or fewer operators, many
are completely automated and more are working towards automation as modern signal
systems are installed. These systems have operated safely without conductors, or any staff in
some cases, on board. The MTA has also safely and successfully operated one-person subway
trains since 1996 on shuttles and at off-peak hours.

We supported Governor Hochul’s veto of S4091/A4873 in 2025 because leaving operational
strategies and decisions to management is the best, most flexible path to high-quality service at
the lowest cost. The MTA should be able to follow facts and implement national and
international best practices for staffing and technology investments. Good management and
good transit service are based on facts, not special interest politics.
Mandating specific staffing levels by law also risks squandering the billions in capital
investments to modernize subway signals that are being spent by the MTA and NY State
government, including $5.4 billion in the 2025-29 capital program, and $5.0 billion in the
2020-24 program. It will also make it harder for the MTA to improve service—the key to building
higher ridership. We look to you as proven champions of better transit to focus your efforts on
forward-looking investments, not policies micromanaging subway staffing and operations.
Thank you,
John Kaehny
Executive Director
Reinvent Albany
Andrew Rein
President
Citizens Budget Commission
Blair Lorenzo
Executive Director
Effective Transit Alliance
Eric Goldwyn
Professor and Program Director
NYU Marron Transit Costs Project
Steven Fulop
President and CEO
Partnership for New York City
Tom Wright
President and CEO
Regional Plan Association
Cc:
Governor Kathy Hochul
Janno Lieber, Chair and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority

New York Daily News @nydailynews.com · 4mo ago

Groups urge Albany to reject NYC transit union’s 2-person subway crew push

Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · 4mo ago

A 125th St Q extension is the right route, but with a price of > $7B/mi and deep stations forcing 5+min escalator trips, the current plan doesn't work. ETA sat down with @jointtransit.bsky.social to talk fixes for this vital link. Watch!: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Fgy...

Did NYC's Newest Subway Just Get Better?

YouTube video by Joint Transit Association

youtube.com

Effective Transit Alliance @etany.org · 4mo ago

TONIGHT come join ETA for TOD: Transit-Oriented Drinks, March! Join us for drinks, transit discussion, and transit advocacy! TONIGHT, Friday March 27, 2026 from 6-8pm at The Irish Exit Moynihan Food Hall Penn Station All are welcome!

TONIGHT, Friday March 27, 2026 from
6-8pm at
The Irish Exit
Moynihan Food Hall
Penn Station