Second Ave. Sagas

The root of a Queens Boulevard slowdown

Written by

Benjamin Kabak

in

For the last few months, I’ve fielded a lot of questions — mostly from the same person — about the trains along Queens Boulevard. The express trains, it seems, have been anything but that as they crawl out to Forest Hills.

Today, amNew York’s Urbanite blog revealed why. According to transit beat writer Heather Haddon, NYC Transit is replacing 800 feet of track in between Roosevelt Avenue and Forest Hills-71st Avenue. While most of the actual track replacement work is being completed over the weekends, the tunnel is currently replete with temporary tracking so trains have to run at slower speeds.

According to NYC Transit spokesperson Deirdre Parker, the work is scheduled to last until the end of the year but it should wrap up by September. Meanwhile, to combat the expected five- to ten-minute slowdowns, Transit will be running two fewer rush hour trains down an already-overcrowded line. While Haddon found a commuter who decried maintenance and upkeep as “heartless,” it’s simply the cost of a well-kept system. Them’s the breaks.

Comments

9 responses to “The root of a Queens Boulevard slowdown”

  1. AlexB

    In the link, it says the E, F, & V lines are running with delays. Can someone explain how the R remains unaffected?

    Reply
    1. Benjamin Kabak

      Probably just an oversight by amNY. The R should be running with similar delays. Or the V isn’t running with delays. I’m not clear on that point.

      Reply
  2. Girlfriend

    I’m definitely not holding my breath for September…you know it’s not getting wrapped up until end of year. Sigh.

    Reply
  3. JoeP

    They did the same thing last year in the other direction when some rush hour (F) trains ran local. The express trains were horribly slow. This lasted about 6-8 months.

    The late night (F) trains will also be running local from 71st to Roosevelt in both directions until at least July. *begin rant* Why can’t they just run it express on the local track? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen them do that late nights when there’s no work going on.

    Also, I saw signs yesterday at 23rd-Ely saying there are less rush hour trains until the end of the year. That’s all it said. I think their explanations of why they are making the service changes on the signs needs to be expanded. I’m sick of “We are making track improvements”

    *end rant*

    Reply
  4. kynes

    yea real heatless making sure you don’t derail or get stuck for a really long time with track fires. How dare they do maintenance

    Reply
  5. Roosevelt Island 360 (Eric)

    The decrease in frequency of mornig rush trains is not helpin g any station and certainly the fols here on Roosevelt Island are getting hammered as expected due to the fewer trains being more packed. Ouch.

    Reply
  6. The Secret Conductor

    Well the good news is that once it is done you will feel and see the difference including train speeds faster than before. The train will be able to take the curves better and faster and so forth.

    It got to geet fixed before it can get better. Believe me, the workers who have to work the line are no happier about the delays than the riding public is. Remember, you guys get off the train once you get to where your going, we have to stay and go back…. and don’t have a bathroom emergencey while you are in that line. It is the main reason why I avoid it.

    Reply
  7. Alon Levy

    According to NYC Transit spokesperson Deirdre Parker, the work is scheduled to last until the end of the year but it should wrap up by September.

    If anyone’s interested in a pool, my money is on a May 2010 completion.

    Reply
  8. An easy answer to the F train problems :: Second Ave. Sagas | A New York City Subway Blog

    […] In Brooklyn, the train snakes a path from Coney Island up McDonald Ave. through the southern parts of Park Slope and north up Smith St. toward Manhattan. For much of that ride, unused express tracks taunt riders stuck on one of the city’s most crowded rush hour trains. In Queens, meanwhile, it runs nominally express but has been slowed by track work. […]

    Reply

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