MD80 FLC ACKNOWLEDGES CLB CLRNC AND HEADING ASSIGNMENT ON DEP. FLC RECEIVES A FREQ CHANGE AND ALT ASSIGNMENT IS CHALLENGED. FLC REACTS TO TCASII RA FOR TFC AT 7000 FT AND DSNDS. FLC CONTINUES ON COURSE. FLC CONCERNED WITH TFC COMPLEXITY SATURATION AND FREQ CONGESTION FLYING IN THE NE.

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WE WERE ON A FLT FROM EWR TO PBI. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF AND WERE EXECUTING THE ARTHUR KILL 2 DEP. THE FIRST CTLR TURNED US TO HDG 260 DEGS AND UP TO 10000 FT. I REPLIED; THEN RECEIVED HDOF TO ANOTHER CTLR. I CHKED ON CLRED TO 10000 FT; THEN WAS GIVEN A HEADING TO INTERCEPT THE COL 350 DEGS INBOUND. REPLIED; AND WAS GIVEN ANOTHER FREQ. I CHKED ON 'CLRED TO 10000 FT AND WAS GIVEN TA. I CALLED 'NEGATIVE CONTACT.' THE CAPT AND I SAW THE PLANE ON TCASII BUT NOT VISUALLY. THE COURSE WAS TO BE CLOSE; SO THE CAPT SLOWED CLB RATE. I INQUIRED ABOUT RTE; 'VERIFY ACR #1 CLRED 350 DEGS COL.' THE ANSWER WAS GARBLED IN BEGINNING BUT TFC AGAIN WAS POINTED OUT. I REPLIED 'NEGATIVE CONTACT; VERIFY ACR #1 CLRED 350 DEGS COL.' CTLR REPLIED 'AFFIRMATIVE; TFC 12 O'CLOCK POS; 7000 FT.' THE RA ON TCASII WENT OFF; WE FOLLOWED INSTRUCTIONS; AND TOLD CTLR ABOUT RA. THEY REPLIED; WE WERE ONLY CLRED TO 6000 FT. THE CAPT AND I SAID 'NO; 10000 FT.' THE AREA AROUND NEW YORK IS VERY CONGESTED AND MISTAKES WILL HAPPEN; BUT CONTINUED VIGILANCE ON BOTH SIDES NEEDS TO BE OBSERVED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 406093: ASSIGNED 220 DEG HDG; CLB AND MAINTAIN 10000 FT. TOLD TO JOIN COL 350 DEG RADIAL; CAUTION IFR TFC AT 7000 FT. I VOICED MY CONCERN AFTER LOOKING AT TCASII AND SEEING A POSSIBLE CONFLICT STARTED TO SLOW THE CLB. TCASII RESPONDED WITH RA DSND FROM 6500 FT TO 6000 FT. WHILE MAKING A 20 DEG TURN TO THE R; DEP WAS INFORMED OF RA. HE ADVISED 'I TOLD YOU ABOUT TFC; MAINTAIN 6000 FT.' LAST CLRNC WE HAD WAS TO 10000 FT. ON A PERSONAL NOTE -- WITH TFC SATURATION INCREASING; ESPECIALLY IN THE NE; FLYING COMPLICATED SIDS; ALONG WITH TRANSITING TFC GOING THROUGH THE TCASII IT IS AN INVITATION TO DISASTER. WHEN DO WE START LIMITING THE NUMBER OF ACFT IN THE AREA AND UPGRADE THE ATC SYS.