There is some discussion in Brooklyn of using a LIRR-Lower Manhattan link to add needed transit capacity to the Brooklyn transit network. A Community Board 2 committee resolution recently urged construction of a new shared LIRR and subway tunnel between Manhattan and Brooklyn. That would allow the Second Avenue subway to be extended to Brooklyn and presumably piggy-back on the momentum around the downtown LIRR link.

However, before anyone in Brooklyn gets behind the latter, they should be extremely clear that they are supporting something very different than what the LMDC and downtown business leaders are talking about. The fact that three of the four LMDC options to be studied would reduce rather than add to Brooklyn subway capacity is a clear signal that the lower Manhattan advocates of the project do not care about subway access (even if they in reality depend on it) and are operating from a very strong suburban bias. Moreover, a major MTA commitment to the project is likely to slow construction of the Second Avenue subway. It will still be a huge political and fiscal lift to see the Second Avenue project even reach lower Manhattan, let alone Brooklyn. 

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