Home Service Advisories FASTRACK arrives on the BMT Broadway line

FASTRACK arrives on the BMT Broadway line

by Benjamin Kabak

The Broadway Line will be without overnight service this week. (Click to enlarge)

The BMT Broadway line enjoyed a FASTRACK-free 2012, but the pleasures of uninterrupted overnight service come to end this evening at 10 p.m. Until 5 a.m. each night this week, there will be no service along the BMT Broadway line throughout Manhattan. As FASTRACK goes, this is one of the easier treatments with the three-block walk from 59th St. and 5th Ave. to 57th St. on the F representing the longest gap between the Broadway Line and any other train line in Manhattan.

As far as service changes, here’s what’s happening:

  • The N will run between Ditmars Boulevard and Queensboro Plaza and between Stillwell Ave. and Jay St.-Metrotech, making local stops north of 36th St.
  • The Q will run from 57th St./6th Ave. over the Manhattan Bridge via the 6th Ave. line. Q trains will make express stops in Manhattan.
  • R service in Manhattan ends early, and the R shuttle between Bay Ridge and 36th St. will start earlier than normal.

The folks who have it the worst here are those trying to go from Manhattan to Astoria. A simple one-train ride now because a three-seat ride involving a trip up to 42nd St. and a short stint on the 7. Anyone traveling to Brooklyn via the Brighton Line should be able to replicate their usual one-seat ride with a short walk, and those looking for N service can turn to the D instead. All in all, it’s not terrible.

The next FASTRACK treatment will be on the A Line north of 168th Street for four consecutive weeknights from Monday, February 25 to Friday, March 1.

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26 comments

Someone January 28, 2013 - 4:40 pm

Why doesn’t the Q run all the way to 21 St-Queensbridge?

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Someone January 28, 2013 - 4:41 pm

I meant Forest Hills-71 Avenue, sorry.

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Alex C January 28, 2013 - 8:49 pm

While nostalgic and/or cool to see, probably not cost-effective.

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D.R. Graham January 29, 2013 - 3:39 am

As someone else wisely mentioned a day or two before, that station can only turn around about 20 TPH. The Q would send that number up to 30 which would compromise Brighton Line service. But also the growth in Astoria warrants a second line of services if not more N service and more N service is not really a true possibility when having to compete with space on Broadway (ehhh) but more so on 4th Avenue in Brooklyn.

When the Q moves to 96th and 2nd in a few years the W will likely have to make a return to assist Astoria with service.

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Someone January 29, 2013 - 8:49 am

The R doesn’t run to 71 Ave during late nights, and neither does the M. Plus, the E is local on QB late nights, not terminating at 71 Avenue. The Q does have room to end there.

As for the W, when it gets reactivated, the MTA should extend it from Whitehall Street to Bay Parkway during rush hours.

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D.R. Graham January 29, 2013 - 11:16 am

I was speaking more in terms of the rush. I didn’t know you were referring to nights only.

Frank B January 28, 2013 - 10:08 pm

Said the same thing. The IND 63rd Street Line is there for a reason. They should bloody use it already.

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LLQBTT January 28, 2013 - 5:04 pm

It doesn’t seem to say what the Queens Blvd local service is going to be.

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Benjamin Kabak January 28, 2013 - 5:07 pm

Why would that service pattern change here? It’s always the E train and only the E train.

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Someone January 28, 2013 - 5:17 pm

Oh, I thought the G train went there overnights…

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Benjamin Kabak January 28, 2013 - 5:23 pm

It’s been quite a few years since the G train went there overnight. The G train’s northern terminal is always Court Sq.

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Someone January 28, 2013 - 5:30 pm

That seems logical, but couldn’t the G be extended to Forest Hills at least during late nights?

Benjamin Kabak January 28, 2013 - 5:49 pm

To what end? I don’t think there’s much demand for the service really, and the E is hardly crowded late at night.

Someone January 28, 2013 - 7:24 pm

I meant to say to extend G service just for the Fastracks on the Broadway line.

aestrivex January 28, 2013 - 7:26 pm

the E train overnight is fine, but will the M be running later than normal to cover for the R?

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Someone January 28, 2013 - 8:56 pm

It doesn’t look like it on the map.

The R never serves Queens Boulevard during late nights, regardless of whether or not there is a Fastrack. So the M probably won’t go there either.

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Matthias January 30, 2013 - 9:41 am

The M and R both run until about midnight, so there’s no reason for the M to run later.

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alek January 28, 2013 - 5:05 pm

Wished for an overnight B service for this fastrack.

I hope they finally fix the Montauge Tunnel Signal system even the tube is operating but the signal problems has been popping up often.

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Mika January 28, 2013 - 7:24 pm

Your pic at the top is private.

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Someone January 28, 2013 - 8:55 pm

Which pic at the top? The banner that says “Second Ave. Sagas” or the picture with the Broadway Fastrack map?

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John-2 January 28, 2013 - 9:48 pm

One correction — the Q’s going to 57th and Sixth late night. They’d have to smash a hole in the roof of the D train’s stop on 53rd St. to get the Q from Rockefeller Center to 57th and Seventh.

They really should run the M overnight to Queens Plaza this week, just to allow for more trains to 23rd-Ely-Court Square for the other transfer option to the 7 for Astoria customers or N riders who transfer to the 7 at QBP.

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Someone January 29, 2013 - 8:23 am

Also, 57/Seventh is closed, so it is obviously illogical for the Q to go there…

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Matthias January 30, 2013 - 9:44 am

Also, I’m pretty sure the N is running local north of 59th Street.

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Someone January 30, 2013 - 1:25 pm

I think that the N uses the express tracks up to 36 Street so the R could terminate.

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