Archive for Service Advisories
Mar
19
In new service cuts, V axed as M spared
Posted by: | CommentsIf you’re looking for this weekend’s service advisories, feel free to skip to the listings. Otherwise, check out the rest of this post for an update on the MTA’s plans to cut service this summer.
The poor, poor V train is not long for this world. A child of 2001, the V runs only during the week and only for around 18 hours on a lonely local run between 2nd Ave. and Forest Hills. All of its stops are serviced by other trains, and in a few short months, it will become a part of subway history, doomed to be forgotten until the MTA has money to expand service.
For those who have followed the MTA’s latest proposal to slash service in order to save millions, the death of the V is a surprise. Early reports indicated that the M would be the designation to go. The V, running via the Chrystie St. Cut, would run from Forest Hill to Middle Village during the day and from Myrtle Ave. to Middle Village during late nights and weekends. Late on Friday, though, the MTA announced a handful of revisions to their service cuts, and while no subway cuts were spared, the M has been saved while the V will be axed.
Why the semantic change? According to the MTA, history and tradition were on the M’s side. “Rather than using the V designation for the revised service between Forest Hills-71st Avenue to Metropolitan Avenue,” the report — available here as a PDF — said, “the service would be designated the M. To conform to NYCT’s standard route designation system, which assigns the color of the route based on its Manhattan trunk line, the M would be orange rather than brown, since it would be a 6th Avenue route in Manhattan. While some members of the community were supportive of the service pattern change, many people expressed objection to the elimination of the M designation.”
Subway history, it seems, runs deep. “People were more comfortable with the M designation, being an older and more historic train designation than the V,” Transit spokesman Charles Seaton said to Michael Grynbaum of The Times. This color change, noted Grynbaum, will be the MTA’s first since the Q was rerouted from the orange 6th Ave. lines to the yellow Broadway lines.
In addition to this subway service change, Transit also announced a series of changes to the bus service cuts. The MTA has reduced the proposed cuts by $5.9 million, and certain routes including the Bx18 and Bx33 in the Bronx, the B4 and B13 in Brooklyn, the M22 in Manhattan, the Q14 and Q42 in Queens and the S42/52 and S60 in Staten Island along with some express bus lines will be saved. Many of these routes will still be scaled back from their current service levels but to a lesser extent than the MTA originally proposed.
“The enormous public reaction to the proposed cuts reminds everyone how fundamental the transit system is to New Yorkers and how painful any cut can be,” MTA Chairman Jay H. Walder said. “While our budget deficit forces us to move ahead with most of the cuts, we were able to take a number of the most painful cuts off the table based on what we heard from our customers.”
Despite this spin on the cuts, the simple truth is that the MTA is still cutting service. “Millions of subway riders will still suffer increased waits and greater crowding – as the subway cuts are totally unchanged and remain in effect,” Gene Russianoff of the Straphangers Campaign said in a statement. “And while a few thousand riders have obtained reprieves from very harsh cuts, tens of thousands of other bus riders around the city will suffer longer out-of-the-way trips and longer waits with more packed buses.”
For more on how the new proposal impacts the MTA’s other agencies, check out the authority’s website. Now on to the service advisories.
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Below are the service advisories for the weekend. As always, these come to me via the MTA and are subject to change without notice. Listen carefully to on-board announcements and check signs in your local station. For a map of this weekend’s changes, check out Subway Weekender.
Please note: From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 22, there are no transfers between 23, and J shuttle trains at Fulton Street/Broadway-Nassau. A trains skip Fulton Street/Broadway-Nassau in both directions. There are no 4 trains between Utica Avenue and Brooklyn Bridge. There are no 5 trains between 42nd Street-Grand Central and Bowling Green. A special J shuttle will operate between Delancey Street-Essex Street F and the Prospect Park Q station in Brooklyn as an alternate.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 22, uptown 1 and 2 trains skip 50th, 59th, 66th, 79th and 86th Streets due to station rehabilitation at 96th and 59th Streets.
From 12:01 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. Saturday, March 20 and Sunday, March 21 and from 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, March 22, 3 train service is extended to/from New Lots Avenue due to work on the Fulton Street Transit Center and a cable pull south of Nevins Street.
From 11 p.m. Friday, March 19 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 22, Manhattan-bound 4 trains run express from Burnside Avenue to 125th Street due to a concrete pour at 149th Street-Grand Concourse.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 22, 4 trains run local between 125th Street and Brooklyn Bridge due to work on the Fulton Street Transit Center and a cable pull south of Nevins Street.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 22, there are no 4 trains between Utica Avenue and Brooklyn Bridge. For Utica Avenue, Franklin Avenue and Atlantic Avenue, customers may take the 3. For Nevins Street, Borough Hall, Bowling Green, Wall Street, Fulton Street and Brooklyn Bridge, customers may take the special J shuttle. These changes are due to construction of the Fulton Street Transit Center.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 22, there are no 5 trains between 42nd Street-Grand Central and Bowling Green due to work at the Fulton Street Transit Center. Customers should take the 4 or special J shuttle instead.
From 10:30 p.m. Friday, March 19 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 22, free shuttle buses replace A trains between Far Rockaway and Beach 90th Street due to station rehabilitations at Beach 67th, Beach 44th and Beach 25th Streets.
From 5:30 a.m. Saturday, March 20 to 10 p.m. Sunday, March 21, free shuttle buses replace trains between 80th Street and Lefferts Blvd. due to track panel installation. Customers may transfer between the shuttle bus and the A train at 80th Street, 88th Street or Rockaway Blvd.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 22, 207th Street-bound A trains run express from Canal Street to 59th Street, then local to 145th Street due to station rehabilitation at 59th Street-Columbus Circle.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 22, Brooklyn-bound A trains run local from 59th Street to Canal Street due to a track chip out at West 4th Street.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 22, A trains skip Broadway-Nassau Street in both directions due to work on the Fulton Street Transit Center.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 22, there is no C train service due to a track chip out at West 4th Street. Customers may take the A or D instead. Note: D trains run local between 145th Street and 59th Street. A trains run local with exceptions.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 22, D trains run local between 145th Street and 59th Street due to a track chip out at West 4th Street.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 22, E trains are rerouted on the F line between West 4th Street and 2nd Avenue due to Chambers Street Signal Modernization project. For service to Spring Street, Canal Street, and World Trade Center/Chambers Street, customers should take the A instead. Note: Uptown A trains skip Spring Street.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 22, Manhattan-bound E trains run express from Forest Hills-71st Avenue to Roosevelt Avenue due to power cable work.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 22, uptown F trains skip 14th and 23rd Streets due to a substation rehabilitation.
From 8:30 p.m. Friday, March 19 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 22, there are no G trains between Forest Hills-71st Avenue and Court Square due to track maintenance. Customers may take the E or R instead.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 22, there is a special J shuttle operating between Delancey Street F and Prospect Park Q as an alternative to 4 service between Chambers Street-Brooklyn Bridge and Atlantic Avenue due to work on the Fulton Street Transit Center.
From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 20 and Sunday, March 21, Jamaica Center-bound J trains run express from Myrtle Avenue to Broadway Junction due to track maintenance.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 22, the last stop for some downtown N trains is Whitehall Street due to track maintenance. Customers continuing to Brooklyn may transfer to a Brooklyn-bound N during the day at Canal Street and overnight at Whitehall Street.
From 11 p.m. Friday, March 19 to 7 a.m. Saturday, March 20, from 11 p.m. Saturday, March 20 to 8 a.m. Sunday, March 21 and from 11 p.m. Sunday, March 21 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 22, uptown Q trains run local from Times Square-42nd Street to 57th Street/7th Avenue due to a track dig-out north of 42nd Street-Times Square.
From 6:30 a.m. to midnight, Saturday, March 20 and Sunday, March 21, Manhattan-bound R trains run express from Forest Hills-71st Avenue to Roosevelt Avenue due to power cable work.
From 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. Saturday, March 20, R shuttle trains run local from 59th Street to 36th Street in Brooklyn due to track cleaning.
From 10:30 p.m. Friday, March 19 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 22, A trains replace S trains between Broad Channel and Rockaway Park due to station rehabilitation at Beach 67th Street, Beach 44th Street, and Beach 25th Street.
Mar
12
An Upper East Side BRT update and the weekend advisories
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Last night, NYC DOT and the MTA gave its most recent Select Bus Service presentation to Manhattan’s Community Board 8. Since I was on an airplane, I couldn’t attend, but Michael Auerbach from Upper Green Side filed a report for me from the event. I’ll have more about the DOT presentation next week. In the meantime, check out Michael’s take on how Select Bus Service will coexist with the Second Ave. Subway construction along the Upper East Side. The weekend service alerts follow.
After a rather tame affair downtown at Community Board 3 on Wednesday night, the DOT and MTA headed north to present details of the City’s highly anticipated (albeit watered down) version of Bus Rapid Transit, or as it is known, Select Bus Service, to Community Board 8’s Transportation Public Forum. The start of the forum was actually delayed because City officials themselves were held up due to the tragic accident on the 6 train last night where a woman was killed at the 77th Street station as she tried to retrieve her bag from the tracks.
Seasoned from weeks of practice in front of boards across the City, the DOT came to CB8 with their SBS schpiel ready to go. The presentation began with DOT identifying station locations and describing exactly where each design choice will be implemented along the corridor and why. In areas of “intense traffic,” particularly around the 59th Street Bridge entrances and exits, Design C (curbside bus lane, shared bike lane) would be used. whereas in areas of lighter traffic further up 1st and 2nd Avenues, Design A (offset bus lane and protected bike lane) would be utilized. For the most part, no real bombshells were dropped last night save for the small shocker that when M15 SBS service is up and running, all M15 buses (including locals) will terminate at South Ferry. That means no more M15’s making they’re last stop at City Hall. However, DOT did mention that customers wishing to travel to City Hall will still be able to take the M103.
Of particular interest (and long a burning question to the readership of this blog) has been exactly how SBS will co-exist with the ongoing construction for the Second Avenue Subway. Last night we finally got some answers: As per DOT officials, the City does not intend to paint the bus lanes or install any physical infrastructure in the roadway on 2nd Avenue from 100th to around 67th Street until SAS construction is complete. DOT does plan however to install two temporary SBS stations on 2nd avenue at 88-89th streets and 67-68th streets, respectively. Both stations will have fare collection machines installed so people can pay the SBS fare before they board, enabling DOT to realize some of the promised SBS time-saving goals in the short-term.
Once construction of the SAS is complete (or better yet, when conditions on the roadway allow) the DOT will then implement full SBS on 2nd avenue, which includes painting the bus lane, installing a physically separated bike way on segments of the avenue, relocating the temporary stations, and adding additional ones. According to last night’s presentation, it still appears that SBS will be somewhat hampered in the SAS zone due to construction crews that take up lanes of traffic on the avenue. DOT regulations require the MTA to maintain 4 lanes of moving traffic through the SAS zone at all times. A DOT official even went as far as to say that the current curb side lane (once a fully functional bus lane back in the day) is now NOT in fact a bus lane, but simply a lane for buses. Which also means it’s a lane for cars, and a lane for trucks…The statement makes one really wonder whether or not SBS will be able to truly achieve its stated goal of speeding bus trips along the corridor.
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I’d like to thank Michael for this report. Definitely check out Upper Green Side for more livable streets analysis about the areas impacted by the Second Ave. Subway. In the meantime, below are your weekly service advisories. Subway Weekender has the map, and it’s worth repeating that work on the 7 line has wrapped three weeks early. As always, these comes to me via the MTA and are subject to change without notice. Listen to announcements and check signs in your local station.
Please note: From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 13 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 15, there are no transfers between A, 23, and 45 trains at Fulton Street-Broadway-Nassau. Manhattan-bound A trains are running on the F line from Jay Street to West 4th Street. Queens-bound A trains run local from West 4th to Jay Streets, bypassing Fulton Street-Broadway Nassau. In Manhattan, free transfers are available between 45 trains at Fulton Street and AE23 trains at the World Trade Center/Chambers Street/Park Place station. Customers must exit and re-enter the system when making this free connection. In Brooklyn, customers may transfer at Nevins Street between 23 and 4 trains.
From 11 p.m. Friday, March 12 to 7 a.m. Saturday, March 13, from 11 p.m. Saturday, March 13 to 8 a.m. Sunday, March 14 and from 11 p.m. Sunday, March 14 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 15, 2 and 3 trains run local between 96th Street and Times Square-42nd Street due to a track dig-out near 50th Street.
From 12:01 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. Saturday, March 13 and Sunday, March 14 and from 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, March 15, 3 train service is extended to/from 34th Street-Penn Station due to a track dig-out near 50th Street.
From 11 p.m. Friday, March 12 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 15, Manhattan-bound 4 trains run express from Burnside Avenue to 125th Street due to a concrete pour at 149th Street-Grand Concourse.
At all times until September 2010, the Whitlock Avenue and Morrison-Sound View Avs. stations are closed for rehabilitation. Customers should use the Elder Avenue 6 station or the Simpson Street 25 station instead. The Bx4 bus provides alternate connecting service between stations.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 13 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 15, A trains run local between 168th Street and 145th Street, between 59th Street and West 4th Street, and between Jay Street and Euclid Avenue due to the Chambers Street Signal Modernization project and station rehabilitation at 59th Street-Columbus Circle.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 13 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 15, Manhattan-bound A trains run on the F line from Jay Street to West 4th Street due to the Chambers Street Signal Modernization project.
At West 4th Street, customers may transfer to a:
- Brooklyn-bound A to reach Canal, Chambers or High Streets or
- World Trade Center-bound E to reach Spring Street.
Note: A trains do not stop at Broadway-Nassau Street in either direction.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 13 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 15, there is no C train service due to the Chambers Street Signal Modernization project. Customers may take the A or D instead. Note: D trains run local between 145th Street and 59th Street. A trains run local with exceptions.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 13 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 15, D trains run local between 145th Street and 59th Street due to station rehabilitation at 59th Street-Columbus Circle.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 13 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 15, there are no D trains between Pacific and 34th Streets due to the Broadway-Lafayette to Bleecker Street transfer construction. The N and free shuttle buses provide alternate service.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 13 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 15, E trains run local between Forest Hills-71st Avenue and Queens Plaza due to track maintenance.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 13 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 15, F trains run local between Forest Hills-71st Avenue and 21st St-Queensbridge due to track maintenance.
From 8:30 p.m. Friday, March 12 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 15, there are no G trains between Forest Hills-71st Avenue and Court Square due to track maintenance. Customers may take the E or R instead.
From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, March 13, Manhattan-bound J trains skip Flushing Avenue, Lorimer Street and Hewes Street due to track repairs.
From 12:01 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. Saturday, March 13 and Sunday, March 14, and from 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m., Monday, March 15, N trains are rerouted over the Manhattan Bridge between DeKalb Avenue and Canal Street due to Jay Street station rehabilitation and construction of the underground connector to Lawrence Street.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 13 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 15, N trains run local between Pacific Street and 59th Street in Brooklyn due to Broadway-Lafayette to Bleecker Street transfer construction.
From 11 p.m. Friday, March 12 to 7 a.m. Saturday, March 13, from 11 p.m. Saturday, March 13 to 8 a.m. Sunday, March 14 and from 11 p.m. Sunday, March 14 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 15, uptown Q trains run local from Times Square-42nd Street to 57th Street/7th Avenue due to a track dig-out north of 42nd Street-Times Square.
From 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. Saturday, March 13, downtown Q trains run local from 57th Street/7th Avenue to Times Square-42nd Street due to track cleaning.
From 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, March 14, downtown Q trains run local from 34th Street-Herald Square to Canal Street due to track cleaning.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 13 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 15, Q train service is extended to/from Ditmars Blvd.
From 12:01 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. Saturday, March 13 and Sunday, March 14 and from 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, March 15, there are no R shuttle trains between 36th Street and 59th Street in Brooklyn due to Broadway-Lafayette to Bleecker Street transfer construction. Customers may take the N instead.
From 6:30 a.m. to midnight Saturday, March 13 and Sunday, March 14, R trains are rerouted over the Manhattan Bridge between DeKalb Avenue and Canal Street due to Jay Street Station Rehabilitation and Construction of Underground Connector to Lawrence Street.
From 10:30 p.m. Friday, March 12 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 15, free shuttle buses replace S trains between Rockaway Park and Beach 67th Street due to station rehabilitations at Beach 98th and Beach 90th Streets.
Mar
05
A busy weekend of work at Fulton St.
Posted by: | CommentsUpdates coming later. In the meantime, you know the drill. As a note, I’m working on a glossary of track work terms to provide some context on this service changes. If anyone has technical knowledge of the terms Transit uses each work, please contact me.
Please note: From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 6 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 8, there are no transfers between A, 2/3 and 4/5 trains at Fulton Street-Broadway-Nassau. In Manhattan, free transfers are available between 4/5 trains at Fulton Street and A/E/2/3 trains at the World Trade Center/Chambers Street/Park Place station. Customer must exit and re-enter the system when making this connection. In Brooklyn, customers may transfer at Nevins Street between 2/3 and 4 trains. Manhattan-bound A trains are running on the F line from Jay Street to West 4th Street.
From 11 p.m. Friday, March 5 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 8, Manhattan-bound 4 trains run express from Burnside Avenue to 125th Street due to a track chip-out at 149th Street-Grand Concourse.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 6 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 8, downtown 4/6 trains run express from 14th Street-Union Square to Brooklyn Bridge due to gap filler replacement at 14th Street-Union Square and the Broadway-Lafayette Street to Bleecker Street construction.
From 1 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, March 7, downtown 4 trains run local from 125th Street to Grand Central-42nd Street due to a track cable pull.
From 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, March 7, downtown 5 trains run local from 125th Street to Grand Central-42nd Street due to a track cable pull.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 6 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 8, Pelham Bay Park-bound 6 trains run express from 3rd Avenue-138th Street to Hunts Point Avenue due to track chip out at Longwood Avenue.
At all times until September 2010, the Whitlock Avenue and Morrison-Sound View Avs. stations are closed for rehabilitation. Customers should use the Elder Avenue 6 station or the Simpson Street 25 station instead. The Bx4 bus provides alternate connecting service between stations.
From 11:30 p.m. Friday, March 5 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 8, there are no 7 trains between Times Square-42nd Street and Queensboro Plaza due to track panel installation on the Davis Street curve, installation of a new switch at Hunters Point Avenue, track chip-out at Vernon Blvd.-Jackson Avenue and construction of the Long Island City-Court Square to 45th Road-Court House Square transfer.
The N and Q and free shuttle buses provide alternate service. Note: The 42nd Street S shuttle runs overnight and Q train service is extended to/from Ditmars Blvd.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 6 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 8, Queens-bound A trains run local from 168th to 145th Streets and from 125th to 59th Streets, then make express stops to Jay Street, then resume local service to Euclid Avenue due to the installation of conduits for the public address system. The Queens-bound A will skip 50th Street, 23rd Street, Spring Street, and Fulton Street-Broadway Nassau.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 6 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 8, Manhattan-bound A trains run local from Euclid Avenue to Jay Street, then are rerouted to the F line to West 4th Street. Trains resume local A service to 59th Street (D trains are running local between 59th Street and 145th Street to replace C service.) This is due to the Chambers Street Signal Modernization project.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 6 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 8, there is no C train service due to the Chambers Street Signal Modernization project. Customers may take the A or D instead. Note: D trains run local between 145th Street and 59th Street. A trains run local with exceptions.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 6 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 8, there are no D trains between Pacific and 34th Streets due to the Broadway-Lafayette to Bleecker Street transfer construction. The N and free shuttle buses provide alternate service.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 6 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 8, D trains run local between 145th Street and 59th Street due to installation of conduits for public address system.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 6 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 8, E trains run local between Forest Hills-71st Avenue and Queens Plaza due to track maintenance.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 6 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 8, F trains run local between Forest Hills-71st Avenue and 21st St-Queensbridge due to track maintenance.
From 8:30 p.m. Friday, March 5 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 8, there are no G trains between Forest Hills-71st Avenue and Court Square due to track maintenance. Customers may take the E or R instead.
From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, March 6 and Sunday, March 7, Manhattan-bound J trains skip Flushing Avenue, Lorimer Street and Hewes Street due to track repairs.
From 12:01 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. Saturday, March 6 and Sunday, March 7, and from 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m., Monday, March 8, N trains are rerouted over the Manhattan Bridge between DeKalb Avenue and Canal Street due to Jay Street station rehabilitation and construction of the underground connector to Lawrence Street.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 6 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 8, N trains run local between Pacific Street and 59th Street in Brooklyn due to Broadway-Lafayette to Bleecker Street transfer construction.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 6 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 8, Q train service is extended to/from Ditmars Blvd. to supplement lost 7 service in Queens.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 6 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 8, uptown Q trains run local from Canal Street to 57th Street-7th Avenue due to a concrete pour at Union Square.
From 12:01 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. Saturday, March 6 and Sunday, March 7 and from 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, March 8, there are no R shuttle trains between 36th Street and 59th Street in Brooklyn due to Broadway-Lafayette to Bleecker Street transfer construction. Customers may take the N instead.
From 6:30 a.m. to midnight Saturday, March 6 and Sunday, March 7, R trains are rerouted over the Manhattan Bridge between DeKalb Avenue and Canal Street due to Jay Street Station Rehabilitation and Construction of Underground Connector to Lawrence Street.
From 12:01 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. Saturday, March 6 and Sunday, March 7 and from 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, March 8, the 42nd Street S shuttle runs overnight to replace 7 trains in Manhattan (due to track panel installation on the Davis Street curve.)
From 10:30 p.m. Friday, March 5 to 5 a.m. Monday, March 8, free shuttle buses replace S trains between Rockaway Park and Beach 67th Street due to station rehabilitation at Beach 98th and Beach 90th Streets.
Feb
26
In subway shake-up, line managers lose some oversight
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Update (12:25 p.m. Sunday): For many people, a managerial shake-up at New York City Transit won’t mean very much. It can be seen as some backroom wheelin’ and dealin’ by the MTA. But this announcement from the MTA about some personnel moves at Transit is intriguing for what it portends.
The news is this: Steve Feil, senior vice president of the Department of Subways, is out at that position. He will be the new Vice President and Chief Maintenance Office of the Subway division, responsible for maintenance and some technical functions of the subway system and is going to help Jay Walder realize his goal of bringing more technological innovation to the city’s transit system.
“Steve is a respected transit executive who has worked in many of these areas himself and has done so from the entry level up to the highest levels of senior management,” Transit President Tom Prendergast said. “He also has a keen appreciation for the need to embrace and utilize new technology with direct experience in its implementation at some of the older, more established agencies like Amtrak and NYCT.”
He will be replaced Carmen Bianco, formerly of the MTA and Amtrak. Bianco was Assistant Vice President for System Safety at Transit from 1991 to 1995 and held similar positions at NJ Transit and Amtrak. Tom Namako of The Post reports that this will be one in “a series” of changes, and although riders won’t notice the impact, the way the subways are run on a managerial level will change.
The MTA says that the biggest change will come through a restructuring of its maintenance procedures. For the last few years, the Group & Line General Managers had been overseeing maintenance on a decentralized level, but this scheme had left the line managers bogged down in maintenance calls. The line managers will remain in place for now but will focus more on transportation and customer service.
I’ve heard rumblings for weeks that the new Transit team may be doing away with the line managers, and Feil’s departure moves that one step closer to reality. Until today, the line managers had been reporting to Feil, and with Biacno assuming control and stripping the line managers of their maintenance oversight, the storm clouds are swirling.
In the grand scheme of Transit, this isn’t that big of a deal. Riders won’t notice the difference, and it’s hard to say if the line manager program has produced a net benefit for anyone. In light of the current fiscal climate, the MTA needs to trim its management structure anyway.
On an other note, all weekend service changes have been canceled due to the snow. Enjoy a shuttle bus-free weekend wherever your travels may take you.
Feb
25
Amidst slush, Transit scales back service
Posted by: | CommentsWith a heavy and wet snow blanketing the New York City area, the MTA has implemented its inclement weather service schedule. For information on commuter rail and bus service changes, head on over to the authority’s website. For those of you relying on the subways to get around the city tonight, check out the inclement weather service plan. The B, V and W trains will end service earlier than normal. Most express trains will run local for all or part of their routes, and the Queens-bound G trains will terminate at Court Sq. It’s messy and slippery out there. So be careful on the way home tonight.
Feb
19
Weekend ch-ch-ch-changes
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Update (2:00 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 20): For the last few weekends, getting around the city has been far from easy. This week, for instance, riders trying to take the G at all or F from Jay St. to Church Ave. are confronted with some bed travel choices. The trip now involves taking a shuttle bus servicing the G this weekend and switching to another shuttle bus that services the F from Jay St. to Church Ave. The buses run fairly frequently and offer reliable service, but most people would rather not have to suffer through subway and bus rides for what is generally a one-seat trip.
As one might imagine, New Yorkers aren’t too happy about these constant changes. People are upset with the 7 line work in Queens and are despondent over the G outages in Brooklyn. That is, however, the cost of upgrading the system, and for other lines, it’s going to get worse before it gets better.
Per a Transit press release, those passengers who rely on the A and C at Broadway/Nassau are in for months of pain as the Fulton St. project proceeds apace. Here are just some of the changes in place from now until July with more to follow:
- March 6 and 13 – The northbound A is operating via the F line between Jay and West 4th Streets; the southbound A will bypass Fulton Street/Broadway-Nassau; there is no C service.
- March 19 – The A bypasses Fulton Street/Broadway-Nassau in both directions; there is no C service.
- March 26 – Northbound A trains will stop at Fulton Street/Broadway Nassau; southbound A trains will be rerouted via the F line.
- April 3 and 17 – The northbound A operates via the F from Jay to West 4th Streets; the southbound A bypasses Fulton Street/Broadway-Nassau; there is no C service.
- April 10 and 24 – Northbound A trains will stop at Fulton Street/Broadway Nassau; southbound A trains will be rerouted via the F line.
- May 1 – The northbound A operates via the F from Jay to West 4th Streets; the southbound A bypasses Fulton Street/Broadway-Nassau; there is no C service.
- May 8, 15, 22 – A and C bypass Fulton Street/Broadway-Nassau in both directions.
- May 29 – The northbound A operates via the F from Jay to West 4th Streets; the southbound A bypasses Fulton Street/Broadway-Nassau; there is no C service.
- June 5 and 26, July 10, 17, 24, 31, Aug 7 and 14 – No A or C service at Fulton Street/Broadway-Nassau, details to be determined.
Transit promised additional changes throughout the year as the need arises. Sounds like fun to me.
Anyway, you know how the rest of this works. The changes after the jump come to me from the MTA and are subject to change without notice. Listen to on-board announcements and read the signs in your local station. To see these changes in map form, check out Subway Weekender. Read More→
Feb
18
The C Train blues
Posted by: | CommentsWith apologies to Duke Ellington for the headline, it seems as though some Transit riders were stymied by the MTA’s last-minute IND midweek service changes. When the snows came last week, Transit had to postpone a major service change along the Central Park West lines north of 59th St., and after a three-day weekend, the agency decided to announce the changes late on Monday afternoon. Despite getting the word out to news outlets throughout the city, the Daily News notes that many C train riders simply didn’t get the message.
According to Kate Nocera and Pete Donohue, Transit workers manning the system on Tuesday weren’t prepared for widespread ignorance of the last-minute change. Signs on the platforms did not reflect the temporary service patterns, and major stations did not feature additional MTA personnel instructing straphangers of the changes. Conductors on some E trains made announcements but not, says the Daily News, at stations where riders would usually be able to transfer to the C. As a result, many riders were simply unaware of the problems they would face.
What is comforting, though, is Transit’s willingness to accept responsibility for the lack of information. In an era in which Jay Walder, the new CEO and Chair, has pushed for transparency and accountability, Transit took the blame. “This was a last minute addition to the diversion schedule but there’s no excuse for not having the proper information out at affected stations,” agency spokesman Paul Fleuranges said. “We can and should do better and we will.” Fleuranges’ statement doesn’t get at the fact that people in the subways often simply disregard the signs even when they’re up, but that’s a topic for another day.
Feb
16
After the snow, mid-week travel woes on the IND
Posted by: | Comments
When the MTA called off all weekend work on February 5, the agency knew it was taking a gamble. Snow was in the forecast, but chances of a big storm coming our way were small. With service changes impacting nearly every subway line that weekend, the authority knew it would have to scramble to finish the completed work, and when the weather was milder than expected, the agency had seemingly lost its gamble.
During the past weekend, subway-bound New Yorkers saw firsthand how the decision to cancel work could impact service a few days later. The G train, for instance, was out of commission from 10:30 p.m. on Friday night until 5 a.m. this morning, a span of 77.5 hours. During most three-day weekends when service on Monday runs on a weekend schedule, the crews are called off the job on the holiday, but this past weekend, nearly every change stretched through Monday to make up for lost time.
Still, it wasn’t enough for the MTA to complete the work they needed to complete, and late yesterday afternoon, Transit announced some changes to the IND routing this week. This change was originally supposed to go into effect last week, but with the actual snowstorm, it was postponed until now. Here’s what’s happening:
As part of the signal modernization project near Chambers St., the uptown C and D trains will switch routes north of 59th St. The uptown C will run express along the A tracks from Canal St. to 145th St.; the uptown D train will run local under Central Park West from 59th St. to 145th St.; and the E will continue to make all local stops from its World Trade Center terminal to 50th St. along 8th Ave.
Transit straight-railing the switch north of Canal St., and so during this week, C trains cannot make the move from the tracks out of Brooklyn onto the local tracks under 8th Ave. Transit apologized for the late notification of this service change, and I’m sure more than few riders were in for a surprise this morning.
Feb
15
Saturday service on a Monday
Posted by: | CommentsI’ll be back later in the day with some posts, but for everyone traveling on Presidents Day, keep in mind that service will run on a Saturday schedule. Some weekend service changes are still in effect while others are not. Listen to the on-board announcements, and check the signs in your local station.
Feb
12
Subway workin’ during the three-day weekend
Posted by: | Comments For most people, three-day weekends are the best. Sunday night doesn’t carry with it the threat and dread of a Monday morning, and most people can kick back and enjoy an extra day off. For those working on the subway, this three-day weekend offers up a chance to catch up after Transit prematurely canceled last weekend’s work due to the threat of a snow storm that never really came. With Monday’s service set to follow a regular Saturday schedule, some lines — the A, G and 7, in particular — will see its work stretch through the entire three-day weekend.
Anyway, the fine print: These advisories came to me from New York City Transit and are subject to change with no notice. Check the signs at your local station and listen to on-board announcements for the latest. Subway Weekend has the map right here. The rest of the alerts follow:
12:01 a.m. Saturday, February 13 to 5 a.m. Monday, February 15, downtown 1 and 2 trains skip 86th, 79th, 66th, 59th and 50th Streets due to a concrete pour for switches north of 72nd Street and station rehabilitation at 96th Street.
From 12:01 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. Saturday, February 13 and Sunday, February 14, and from 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, February 15, 3 train service is extended to/from 34th Street-Penn Station due to a concrete pour for switches north of 72nd Street and station rehabilitation at 96th Street.
From 11 p.m. Friday, February 12 to 6 a.m. Saturday, February 13, from 11 p.m. Saturday, February 13 to 8 a.m. Sunday, February 14, and from 11 p.m. Sunday, February 14 to 5 a.m. Monday, February 15, Manhattan-bound 4 trains run express from Burnside Avenue to 125th Street due to a track chip-out at 149th Street.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, February 13 to 5 a.m. Monday, February 15, downtown-bound 4 trains run express from 14th Street-Union Square to Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall due to construction of the Bleecker Street to Broadway-Lafayette transfer.
From 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Saturday, February 13 and from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., Sunday, February 14, 5 trains run every 20 minutes between Eastchester-Dyre Avenue and Bowling Green due to construction of the Bleecker Street to Broadway-Lafayette transfer.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, February 13 to 5 a.m. Monday, February 15, downtown-bound 6 trains run express from 14th Street-Union Square to Brooklyn Bridge due to construction of the Bleecker Street to Broadway-Lafayette transfer.
At all times until September 13, 2010, the Whitlock Avenue and Morrison-Sound View Avenues stations are closed for rehabilitation. Customers should use the Elder Avenue 6 station, the Simpson Street 25 station, or the Bx4 bus, which provides alternate connecting service between stations.
From 11:30 p.m. Friday, February 13 to 5 a.m. Tuesday, February 16, there are no 7 trains running between Times Square-42nd Street and Queensboro Plaza due to track panel installation on the Davis Street curve, installation of new switch at Hunters Point Avenue, track chip-out at Vernon Blvd.-Jackson Avenue, and construction of the Long Island City-Court Square to 45th Road-Court House Square transfer. The NQ and free shuttle buses provide alternate service. Note: 42nd Street Shuttle runs overnight; Q trains are extended to/from Ditmars Blvd.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, February 13 to 5 a.m. Tuesday, February 16, Queens-bound A trains run local from 168th to 145th Streets, express to Canal Street (except during midnights, when the A is normally local) and resume local service to Euclid Avenue with the following exceptions: 12:01 to 5 a.m., Saturday—Queens-bound trains skip Liberty, Van Siclen and Shepherd Avenues; 12:01 to 5 a.m., Sunday—Queens-bound trains run express from Hoyt-Schermerhorn Streets to Utica Avenue; 12:01 to 5 a.m., Monday—Queens-bound trains skip Ralph and Rockaway Avenues. This is due to wall tile cleaning and the Chambers Street Signal Modernization project.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, February 13 to 5 a.m. Tuesday, February 16, Manhattan-bound A trains run local from Euclid Avenue to Jay Street, then are rerouted onto the F to West 4th Street, where they resume local service to 59th Street, express to 145th Street, then local to 168th Street. This is due to the Chambers Street Signal Modernization project.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, February 13 to 5 a.m. Tuesday, February 16, there are no C trains running due to Chambers Street Signal Modernization. Customers should take the A instead. Note: A trains run local with exceptions.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, February 13 to 5 a.m. Tuesday, February 16, D trains run local from 59th Street-Columbus Circle to 145th Street due to the Chambers Street Signal Modernization project. The D substitutes for the C train from 59th Street to 145th Street.
From 10:30 p.m. Friday, February 12 to 5 a.m. Tuesday, February 16, there are no G trains running. This is due to a switch replacement at Bedford-Nostrand Avenues, asbestos removal at Greenpoint Avenue, fan plant work at Jackson Avenue and track maintenance work at various locations. For service between Forest Hills-71st Avenue, customers should take the R during the day and the E during the late night hours. Free shuttle buses run between Queens Plaza and Jay Street. For service to Church Avenue, customers should transfer between the shuttle bus and F trains at Jay Street.
From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, February 13 and Sunday, February 14, the last stop for some Jamaica Center-bound J trains is 111th Street due to track maintenance. Customers should transfer at 111th Street to continue their trip.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, February 13 to 5 a.m. Tuesday, February 16, Queens-bound N trains run local from Canal Street to 34th Street-Herald Square due to a concrete pour at 14th Street-Union Square.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, February 13 to 5 a.m. Tuesday, February 16, Queens-bound N trains are rerouted over the Manhattan Bridge between DeKalb Avenue and Canal Street due to the Lawrence Street station rehabilitation and construction of the underground connector to Jay Street.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, February 13 to 5 a.m. Tuesday, February 16, uptown-bound Q trains run local from Canal Street to 34th Street-Herald Square due to a concrete pour at 14th Street-Union Square.
From 11:30 p.m. Friday, February 12 to 5 a.m. Tuesday, February 16, Q train service is extended to/from Astoria-Ditmars Blvd. due to track panel installation on the Davis Street curve.
From 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. Saturday, February 13, downtown-bound Q trains run local from 57th Street-7th Avenue to 34th Street-Herald Square due to track cleaning.
From 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, February 14, uptown-bound Q trains run local from 34th Street-Herald Square to 57th Street-7th Avenue due to track cleaning.
From 6:30 a.m. to midnight, Saturday, February 13, Sunday, February 14 and Monday, February 15, R trains are re-routed over the Manhattan Bridge between DeKalb Avenue and Canal Street due to Lawrence Street station rehabilitation and construction of the underground connector to Jay Street.
From 11:30 p.m. Friday, February 12 to 5 a.m. Tuesday, February 16, the 42nd Street S shuttle runs overnight to replace 7 trains in Manhattan (track panel installation on the Davis Street curve.
