I’ve been on vacation in Puerto Rico this week and felt like unplugging during the trip. I see I missed a train issue caused by a mattress and an otherwise slow holiday week. I didn’t get to try El Tren Urbano this week but have noticed a big increase in the number of people riding bikes since I was last here two years ago. I’ll be back to a regular posting schedule on Sunday night. Until then, enjoy the rest of the July 4th weekend and watch out for falling Astro Towers.
Before I jump into the service changes, though, let me direct your attention to the lengthy G train entry. Tonight marks the first of the Sandy repair-related service outages. The Greenpoint Tube suffered extensive damage during the storm as it filled with three million gallons of water. Temporary repairs were able to serve as a band-aid for a few months, but the MTA has to rebuild key systems. For 12 non-consecutive weeks over the remaining six months of the year, the tube and the G train’s three northern-most stops will shutdown with service replaced by shuttle buses.
“Work to the Greenpoint Tube cannot be put off. This is work that must begin now. While our customers will suffer some inconvenience, the payoff will be completion of this necessary work in the shortest time possible,” said New York City Transit Acting President Carmen Bianco. “In the meantime, we will be providing shuttle bus services during these weekend closures.”
The MTA notes that Greenpoint Av, 21 St, and Court Square will be closed during these weekends, with service replaced by two shuttle bus routes linking the closed stops with the Nassau Av G station (via Manhattan Avenue) and with the Lorimer St L station (via McGuinness Blvd.). During the affected weekends, the shuttle buses will run during all hours the subway is closed. All day Saturday and Sunday afternoon, buses run every four minutes via Manhattan Avenue and every eight minutes via McGuinness Boulevard, for a combined service of every 2 ½-3 minutes. Most other hours, shuttle buses will run every five minutes via Manhattan Avenue and every ten minutes via McGuinness Boulevard. During midnight hours, the shuttles will run every 10 minutes on both routes. Allow extra travel time.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, July 6 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 8, downtown 2 trains run local from 96th Street to Chambers Street and uptown 2 trains run local from 14th Street to 96th Street due to component replacement work at the 34th Street-Penn station compressor plant.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, July 5 to 6:30 a.m. Saturday, July 6, from 11:45 p.m. Saturday, July 6 to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, July 7 and from 11:45 p.m. Sunday, July 7 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 8, 3 service is suspended due to component replacement work at the 34th Street-Penn station compressor plant. Customers should take the 2 and free shuttle buses instead. Free shuttle buses operate between 135th Street and 148th Street.
From 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., Saturday, July 6 and Sunday, July 7, downtown 3 trains run local from 96th Street to Chambers Street and uptown 3 trains run local from 14th Street to 96th Street due to component replacement work at the 34th Street-Penn station compressor plant.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, July 5 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 8, Woodlawn-bound 4 trains skip 138th Street-Grand Concourse due to station painting.
From 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday, July 6 and Sunday, July 7, Dyre Avenue-bound 5 trains skip 138th Street-Grand Concourse due to station painting.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, July 5 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 8, Main Street-bound 7 trains run express from Queensboro Plaza to Mets-Willets Point due to installation of signal cables, equipment and track ties for Flushing CBTC and track panel installation between 52nd Street and 61st Street-Woodside.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, July 5 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 8, Queens-bound A trains run local from 59th Street-Columbus Circle to West 4th Street, then are rerouted via the F line to Jay Street-MetroTech due to asbestos abatement south of Chambers Street.
From 6:30 a.m. to midnight, Saturday, July 6 and Sunday, July 7, Brooklyn-bound C trains are rerouted via the F line from West 4th Street to Jay Street-MetroTech due to asbestos abatement south of Chambers Street.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, July 5 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 8, downtown E trains run express from 34th Street-Penn Station to Canal Street due to asbestos abatement south of Chambers Street.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, July 5 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 8, Coney Island-bound F trains are rerouted via the M line after 36th Street, Queens to 47th-50th Sts due to station work at Lexington Avenue-63rd Street for the Second Avenue Subway Project.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, July 5 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 8, Jamaica-bound F trains run express from West 4th Street to 34th Street-Herald Square due to track tie renewal at 23rd Street, 34th Street-Herald Square and 42nd Street-Bryant Park.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, July 5 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 8, there is no G train service between Court Square and Nassau Avenue. G trains operate between Nassau Avenue and Church Avenue. There is no G service at Greenpoint Avenue, 21st Street and Court Square.
Free shuttle buses operate on two routes:
- Via Manhattan Avenue between Nassau Avenue G and Court Square
- Via McGuinness Blvd between Lorimer Street L and Court Square
Customers may transfer between:
- G trains and shuttle buses at Nassau Avenue
- L trains and shuttle buses at Lorimer Street
- E, M, and 7 trains and shuttle buses at Court Square
From 3:45 a.m. Saturday, July 6 to 10 p.m. Sunday, July 7, Jamaica Center-bound J trains run express from Myrtle Avenue to Broadway Junction due to track panel installation at Kosciusko Street.
From 11:30 p.m. Friday, July 5 to 6:30 a.m. Saturday, July 6, from 11:30 p.m. Saturday, July 6 to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, July 7 and from 11:30 p.m. Sunday, July 7 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 8, N trains are rerouted via the Q line in both directions between Canal Street and DeKalb Avenue due to work in the Montague tube. (See R entry.)
From 10:45 p.m. Friday, July 5 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 8, Manhattan-bound Q trains run express from Sheepshead Bay to Kings Highway due to track panel work at Sheepshead Bay.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, July 5 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 8, Manhattan-bound Q trains run express from Kings Highway to Prospect Park due to station rehabilitation at Parkside Avenue, Beverly Road and Cortelyou Road.
From 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday, July 6 and Sunday, July 7, R trains are rerouted via the Q line in both directions between Canal Street and DeKalb Avenue due to work in the Montague tube.
- No N or R trains at City Hall, Cortlandt Street, Rector Street, Whitehall Street, Court Street and Jay Street-Metro Tech.
- Customers should use the 4 at nearby stations.
3 comments
its funny… the shuttle buses will probably be more reliable than the g train itself
Doubtful. The G Train is pretty reliable. It’s just not terribly frequent. Pay attention to the schedule, and you are unlikely to have many problems with it.
It’s actually amusing how much attention this weekend G-train disruption is getting when it is quite common to have the G replaced by a shuttle bus for a (usually much longer) portion of its route on weekends.
This time around we get extra signs in extra languages, extra staff to assist riders, announcements*, more busses… All because it’s “Fix and Fortify”.
*Well, most G-Train stations don’t yet have PA systems. But I heard them at L-Train stations.