During FASTRACK, the nearby 4 train will provide alternative travel for the IND Concourse Line. (via Second Ave. Sagas on Instagram)
Starting tonight at 10 p.m. and running each night this week until 5 a.m. the next morning, Transit’s FASTRACK program will shut down the D train’s IND Concourse Line in the Bronx. The week’s treatment marks the first outside of Manhattan’s Central Business District and parts of Downtown Brooklyn, and it comes after successful outages last year. It is also the first FASTRACK to return since Sandy.
During this week’s outages, D trains will not run between 161st Street and 205th Street in both directions, and the following changes will be in effect:
- B service will end early;
- D service will operate between Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue and 161st Street-Yankee Stadium (Note: Downtown D trains will skip 155th Street.);
- As an alternative, customers should take 4 trains at nearby 4 train stations. A transfer is available between 4 and D trains at 161st Street-Yankee Stadium;
- Free shuttle buses will provide connecting service between the Norwood-205th Street D and the Mosholu Parkway 4 stations only.
With the 4 train so close to the D train in the Bronx, this is a relatively painless FASTRACK. As Transit said in a statement, “These FASTRACK efforts have been designed around the careful determination that there is adequate alternate means of transportation, including enhanced services along some bus lines during work periods.” Still, the MTA is warning late-night riders to allow up to 20 minutes more for their regular trip times.
The next outer borough FASTRACK arrives next week when the 2 shut downs between Franklin and Flatbush Avenues. For more on the year in FASTRACK, check out my 2013 overview from mid-December.
25 comments
The MTA will add extra 4 train service from 149th street to Woodlawn during the fastrack period.
I agree with you Ben about the 4 train being close to the D line it is painless since it very close walking distance.
It is a good thing that there are 4 trains picking up the slack.
It’s also a good thing that the B/D and the 4 closely parallel each other along this stretch of track.
i believe in the future they’re going to run bus shuttle service for other lines that don’t have nearby subway lines.
They already do that, on the 7 west of Queensboro Plaza on weekends.
thats not part of the FASTRACK program.
The next round is on the 2 line in Brooklyn – they’re just going to use the existing B44 limited line – and continue to run it overnight (normal there’s only B44 local overnight)
No, but the concept of shuttle bus service during overnight closures isn’t new.
Wait, why are downtown D trains skipping 155 St again? I thought that the centre track north of 161 Street could also serve as a layup track where trains could just enter the track, then leave in the opposite direction, on the local tracks.
http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/.....west_2.png
A train that terminates northbound can only get onto center track when turning around and cant get onto southbound local track until after 145th st
Oh, that makes sense.
Couldn’t they reverse at 167 Street instead?
they want to shut down the line to do work….
In regards to fastrack on the 2 line: what’s the difference between fastrack and the weekend/overnight service shutdowns that have occurred on the line in recent past (since 2011)?
Fastrack happens on weeknights only, over a period of one week.
Fastrack on the D/N at Coney Island is happening on a weekend.
That’s not Fastrack. That’s a GO.
MTA is saying… its FASTRACK on that part of the closure.
But there’s only one station affected during the closure. Additionally, the F/Q platforms are still open during that closure. So technically, it isn’t really a Fastrack.
anyway to know what work is being done during he FASTRACK? I always find those things interesting.
Signalling and track replacement, among other things.
lots of cleanup maintenance
http://www.mta.info/nyct/servi.....index.html
This is less unproductive, but only compared to previous MTA standards. 7 hours shutdowns leaves less than 6 hours for actual work due to setup and cleanup, and less than that in productive time, as workers need a few minutes to get into a task.
Fastrack should include one continuous shutdown per year of enough length to get work done efficiently and at a higher, tested quality level; I’d suggest 4-7 days.
One requirement for using that time should be roadbed and track laid down with full-strength rather than fast-set concrete and without the defective or weak spots which immediately develop into flexing and misaligned rails. Those defects amplify themselves each time a train passes, giving MTA an excuse to rip out and re-lay the same section 2 years later.
I’d say close parts of the system every night, like they do in every other metro system around the world. This might eliminate the need for midday repairs altogether.
[…] is the same service patterns Transit implemented back in January when the agency first brought FASTRACK to the Bronx. If you’re interested in learning all […]