With up to five inches of snow predicted for the New York City area, the MTA has canceled most of the weekend’s planned GOs. Still, the 7 line shutdown continues. Let’s take a look at what’s going on there.
For the next thirteen — 13! — weekends, there will be no 7 service between Queensboro Plaza and Times Square. The shutdown will last each weekend from 11:45 p.m. on Friday through 5 a.m. on Monday. For Presidents Day weekend, the outage will continue until Tuesday morning. Essentially, the weekend of my 30th birthday is the next time the 7 train will run between Times Square and Queensboro Plaza over the weekend.
So why? This is all part of the MTA’s plan to install Communications Based Train Control on the 7 line. This will allow for more frequent service and countdown clocks. Right now, the MTA has to install fiber optics and computer equipment along the entire length of the 7 line, and the MTA is predicting service changes that will last for years. “We realize this will be an inconvenience,” the agency said in a statement, “but the work is necessary to modernize and improve the reliability of the 7 line.”
In the interim, the MTA recommends taking the E, F, N or Q trains. There will be a free shuttle bus between Vernon Boulevard-Jackson Avenue and Queensboro Plaza with Q service extended to Astoria-Ditmars during the day. The 42nd St. Shuttle will operate overnight.
Meanwhile, with snow most — but not all — service changes have been canceled. The 7 and some work at Columbus Circle remain. Enjoy:
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, December 28 to 5 a.m. Monday, December 31 (and the next 12 weekends), there is no 7 train service between Times Square-42nd Street and Queensboro Plaza due to Flushing Line CBTC. Customers may take the E, N, Q and S (42nd Street shuttle) and free shuttle buses as alternatives.
- Use the E, N or Q* between Manhattan and Queens
- Free shuttle buses operate between Vernon Blvd-Jackson Avenue and Queensboro Plaza
- In Manhattan, the 42nd Street S Shuttle operates overnight
*Q service is extended to Ditmars Blvd.
From 11 p.m. Friday, December 28 to 6:30 a.m. Saturday, December 29 and from 11 p.m. Saturday, December 29 to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, December 30 and from 11 p.m. Sunday, December 30 to 5 a.m. Monday, December 31, uptown A trains run express from Canal Street to 125th Street due to ADA-related platform work at 59th Street-Columbus Circle.
From 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday, December 29 and Sunday, December 30, uptown C trains run express from Canal Street to 145th Street due to ADA-related platform work at 59th Street-Columbus Circle.
10 comments
Why everytime when a forecast of snow they always cancel the other weekend work and keep the 7 train GO? However that might change later on I read in the local paper that Lunar New Year parade officals are trying to tell the MTA to cancel 2 weekends of work for the parade.
Because the 7 line work is for CBTC and delays are more expensive for CBTC than other general work.
1) The work being done is underground and away from the elements of nature and thus aren’t affected by the inclement weather.
2) They want to get the work done before the Mets season starts in April.
I know I sound like a noob, but what does GO stand for????
General Order. It’s a order for work to be done in the system and the order itself is General because it applies to/affects many different divisions of the system. Rapid Transit Operations which is the division that operates the trains. The C division which is the construction division. Signal and power divisions respectfully are also affected.
i thought it was for the rhyme.
“Why everytime when a forecast of snow/
they always cancel the other weekend work and keep the 7 train GO?”
I always thought it stood for General Overhaul, but looks like I was wrong after all.
By the way, does anyone notice that whenever there is a GO, some rolling stock changes are (almost) always involved?
If only the weathermen can make a bogus snow forecast every weekend.
If only, but weathermen can’t predict the future.