The Second Avenue Subway’s first phase is so close, we can almost hear it rumbling under our feet. The first phase, running the Q train through a rehabilitated station at Lexington Avenue and East 63rd Street to new stations on Second Avenue at 72nd Street, 86th Street, and 96th Street, is set to be open in December. How good will it be, in concrete numbers? One app has answered that question by peering into the future.
The free Citymapper navigation app has added a beta function that allows you to see how the Second Avenue Subway will cut down the length of a trip (h/t CityLab). You enter your start and end points, just like any mapping system. Then you get estimates for walking, biking, and Uber, followed by existing subway and bus lines. After that, however, you get a listing for "The Future."
"The Second Avenue subway is one of the most infamous, for-so-long hypothetical lines," Joe Hughes, the head of mobile engineering for Citymapper, told CityLab. "Now that it’s finally on the horizon, we thought: What is this going to make possible?"
We plotted a trip from Curbed NY’s offices to a destination in the upper 70s between Second and First avenues. It would take 23 to 29 minutes via current subway options, but only 16 minutes via the future Q train. It’s estimated that the line will have a daily ridership of 200,000 people from day one. Are you one of them? Download the app and have some fun!
• See How the 2nd Avenue Subway Will Help Your Commute [CityLab]
• An Exercise in Time Travel: Adding the 2nd Avenue Line [Citymapper]
• Photos: The 2nd Avenue Subway's Progress (And Rails!) [Gothamist]
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