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F/G train rumble — Brooklynian

F/G train rumble

thegardener
thegardener
edited November -1 in Windsor Terrace / Kensington
Every 5 years or so, the residents of Fuller and Howard Place need to hound the MTA to maintain the F line tracks that run under the houses. The rumble and shaking from the subway gets pretty bad when the tracks deteriorate and the speed limits are ignored. And now the G train has added to the number of trains passing by.

Any advice, contacts, suggestions and stories from other F line shakers would be appreciated. Doesn't have to be from our particular stretch of track, but should be from Windsor Terrace I think.

We work with Jim Brennan's office on this but looking to be more pro-active if possible.

thanks!

Comments

  • tiredbk
    tiredbk
    How have the residents addressed this in the past? Am curious as I feel the rumble too, but only for the past 2 1/2 years as I now have a ground floor apartment. For the 10 years before that I was on the 2nd floor and didn't feel it. I have no way of judging if it has gotten any worse. I'd be curious as to what type of response (if any) you receive
  • thegardener
    thegardener
    We have needed to HOUND the MTA, with local politician's help. The tracks need to be maintained well. The wheels on the train cars need to be in good shape, otherwise they thunk-a-thunk-a-thunk. Sometimes speed limits need to be in place and enforced around certain bends in the line.

    This comes up every 5 years or so--this is my third go-around with the issue--and there are usually town-hall type meetings @ Holy Name.

    We discovered a few years ago that there is an express track that runs from 7 ave to Ft. Hamilton and/or Church. It's meant to be used for a lot of the non-passenger type of trains or for shuttling subway cars back and forth. It turned out that the MTA was NOT using this express track, but was running these trains--often at very high speeds--on the regular track, often in the middle of the night. The track that goes under our houses. And causing a lot of extra noise and rumbling and property damage. Collectively we complained and some of that abated. But I'm wondering now if that's some of the same problem.

    If you'd like to "list" your rumble complaint here, I'll add it to our list. If you'd rather PM, that's fine too.
  • bergend
    bergend
    The rumble doesnt necessarily bother me that much. I was a little surprised when I first moved in. It has just become one of those noises (a la the heat kicking in, the motor in the fridge, etc.) that I have become accostomed to.

    I'm also not the homeowner, but there are some new cracks in my house, so my LL might be interested in attending. If you do get another town hall meeting , please post the date and time here and I'll let them know.

    Thanks.
  • vidro3
    vidro3
    hmm i only hear the rumbling when the do use the express track,
  • hamilton
    hamilton
    I would recommend contacting Joe Longonbardi or Randy Peers at Community Board 7, they are members of the board and both live in the Windsor Terrace.
    718-854-0003 or [email protected].

    Ask them to hold their next meeting, which should be the third Wed in April at Holy Name basement, where they can present someone from the MTA ,who will address your problem.
  • cpnscarlet
    cpnscarlet

    Subject: Express Tracks in WT

    I'm an old WT resident and after much research found that the tracks pass under windsor pl near 11th on their way to prospect av where they join the local tracks and continue under them until church av where they separate into that 4-track station. Up until my last years in wt, the tracks were ocassionaly used for work trains and shuttling empty trains. I remember as a kid the rumbling under 245 windsor during AM and PM rush hours when the express was in service (1930s-1970s). During the dismal NYC decline in the 70s (thanks to the BASTARDOS Lindsey and Beam) there was no money for track work and the express was discontinued. The lower section of Bergen St has since been turned into a storage depot and is no usable, 7th and Church can still be express stops before the Culver EL. Running the F express from J to 7th and the G local to Church was a good idea in 1934 and a good idea now. Only poor planning and budgeting stopped it.
  • thegardener
    thegardener
    thank you all for the suggestions.
  • erratum8mm
    erratum8mm

    Subject: Re: Express Tracks in WT

    cpnscarlet wrote: The lower section of Bergen St has since been turned into a storage depot and is no usable, 7th and Church can still be express stops before the Culver EL. Running the F express from J to 7th and the G local to Church was a good idea in 1934 and a good idea now. Only poor planning and budgeting stopped it.
    The express tracks could be reopened for regular use once the viaduct repairs are completed (another 3? years). The proposal I saw most often was to make the V the express and the F and G local. With the V being discontinued this is problematic. Bergen St lower level could be restored, all it would take is money :) though when I last saw it in the 90's it looked like it had never been finished in the first place - it was like a basement - no tiles, minimal lighting from bulbs strung from a wire.
  • cpnscarlet
    cpnscarlet

    Subject: Bergen Street

    That's what it looked like after it was converted to a storage area. Before, it looked like the Ft. Hamilton Parkway Station in green.
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