[non_repro_blue]

125th Street really, really needs some cross town service.

Something connecting all the way from Riverside Drive/Henry Hudson Parkway passing through the 125th Metro North Railroad station. (...and maybe even shuttling to Randals Island, why not?)

It's faster walking than it is to take the buses that run that route. Cold weather means waiting for the buses sucks, and the only time it's worth a trade is when you're carrying something heavy.

Car service in Harlem is slightly schizophrenic, even with car hailing apps and "boro cabs" (because normal yellow cabs don't operate in Harlem, for reasons I still don't understand...).

[bradleyjg]

The same is true for much of the city. Other than the S at 42nd, crosstown is a big weakness of the system.

But as the article points out, there's many ambitious plans that could be done if it weren't for the insane price tags and construction times. Heck how about some reasonable way to get to LGA?

[woodruffw]

Manhattan's topology gets really strange after about 106th street on the West Side. That's not an excuse in itself, but the fact that Manhattanville is lower than its surroundings on all sides makes for some interesting tunneling. Elevated lines (like the 1 after 116) are also a problem in terms of maintenance and noise/light pollution.

> because normal yellow cabs don't operate in Harlem, for reasons I still don't understand

This is an ugly relic of NY's more violent (and more explicitly racist) past. I went to school with the kids of cabbies, and anything past the UWS was essentially off limits thanks to 30 year old stereotypes about the people living there.

[maverick_iceman]

>because normal yellow cabs don't operate in Harlem, for reasons I still don't understand

Can it be because of any racial reason? (This is a non-rhetorical question. I'm honestly curious to know.)