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Show HN: NYC Subway Simulator and Route Designer

(buildmytransit.nyc)
199 points HeavenFox | 3 comments | 07 Jul 25 14:13 UTC | HN request time: 0.658s | source

Hello HN!

As a long term NYC resident, I have read countless articles on ideas tweaking subway services, but always found them hard to follow without visual aid. So over the long weekend I decided to build one. It has all the basic features: trains would spawn at their origin, stop at stations, and slow down if it gets too close to another. You can also design custom routes by piecing tracks together.

Have fun, and let me know what you think!

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ars ◴[07 Jul 25 21:13 UTC] No.44494739[source]▶
I can't figure out how to add a route from Bay Ridge to Clinton in NJ. That's my wishlist subway - got to Newark Airport from Brooklyn without going through Manhattan.

Edit: Actually Clifton is in NY, and playing with Google maps there's ZERO public transport from Staten Island to NJ, except by going through Manhattan!

So my idea wouldn't help anyway, unless they extended that subway all the way over the Goethals Bridge.

replies(2): >>44494975 #>>44496084 #
throwaway2037 ◴[08 Jul 25 01:14 UTC] No.44496084[source]▶

    > ZERO public transport from Staten Island to NJ
I only see three bridges off the island. Can you walk any of them? Hoboken light rail in Bayonne isn't so far.
replies(2): >>44496176 #>>44496484 #
1. ars ◴[08 Jul 25 02:42 UTC] No.44496484[source]▶
Looks like a 2 or 3 mile walk from the nearest public transport stops that I can find. Maybe someone local can find a closer stop.

Forest Ave/Goethals Rd North to Bayway Ave at Mckinley St.

Edit: This could be a fun game - find the two spots with the greatest ratio of driving vs public transport. I think those two are pretty good candidates.

Distance: 2.5 mile.

Drive 9AM: 5-9 minutes, 11PM: 4-6 minutes.

Public transport 9AM: 1:52, 11PM: 3:34.

Ratio (using the average drive time) 9AM: 16, 11PM: 42.8.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/WU1jzjYh8tkTCuh87

replies(1): >>44499614 #
2. madcaptenor ◴[08 Jul 25 13:08 UTC] No.44499614[source]▶
Another game: when is public transport slower than walking?

According to Google Maps it's not in this case - I'm getting a walking time of 14:37 (!), where the "walk" includes a ferry from Weehawken to Manhattan and the Staten Island Ferry. However Google Maps doesn't seem to know you can walk across the Goethals bridge.

replies(1): >>44502625 #
3. ars ◴[08 Jul 25 18:23 UTC] No.44502625[source]▶
It's not the bridge, the starting point seems to be on a freeway or something, if you move the starting point slightly toward the bridge it will show proper walking directions.