The Idea Of A Marine Park Subway Line Resurfaces

Sean Egan -
Adaptation of possible Marine Park subway line. Photo edits by Sheepshead Bites.

It’s been talked about for over a century, but could this be the time the idea comes to fruition?

Despite not knowing where funding will come from for current transit projects, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) put $5 million towards a study to look into laying tracks along Utica Avenue to bring a subway to Marine Park last year, according to a New York Post report.

According to the Brooklyn Daily however, the MTA is hoping that the feds will pay for the study.

The state Department of Transportation is asking Uncle Sam for $4.6–$7.5 million on behalf of the subway authority to consider stretching the 2 and 5 trains from Eastern Parkway to Avenue U — mostly along Utica Avenue — through a subway-starved section of Brooklyn, according to a recently published list of proposed ventures through 2020 called the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program.

Even though this idea has been shuffled around since as early as 1910, a study about the possibility would be the farthest this plan has come to being a reality. Like-minded ideas were put forward in 1929, 1939, and 1968, but were abandoned due to events like the Great Depression, World War ll and fiscal mismanagement, according to a report by Gothamist.

There is little faith amongst officials that the extension will happen this time around, according to the Brooklyn Daily:

But the whole notion is a colossal waste of time and money, because the authority likely can’t afford to build the extension, construction would be disruptive, and the line would duplicate the recently rolled-out B46 Select Bus Service, the local community board’s district manager said. Instead, it should use the cash to better existing service rather than duplicating the
“This will never become a reality because it will take billions upon billions, the community will probably be put into disarray — you will have to displace businesses, residents, streets,” said Dottie Turano. “I know the ridership has increased that’s why they put in the Select Bus Service line, Spend all that money on actually improving what you got.”

The federal government will rule on the plan by October 1, according to state officials.