It’s always easy to tell when tourist season is high swing because the MTA significantly scales back weekend work. Right now, needless to say, we’re in that period between Christmas and New Years when nothing much happens, and the MTA’s slate of weekend work reflects that reality. There are a whopping four subway lines with service changes. We’ll get to those in a minute.
First, let’s dive into the world of FASTRACK. I’ve stopped posting the weekly FASTRACK advisories because they’ve become so routine. Most do not impact too many people, and their frequency makes them the norm rather than the exception. We’ve settled into a new normal where no service overnight seems unavoidable. It makes me wonder how much work the MTA lost by not pursuing this option sooner.
So as FASTRACK enters its third year, we have some new and old routes. The MTA recently posted the full 2014 schedule, and it features some old routes and some new ones. We suffer through the news early on in 2014, and here’s a glimpse at the outages — running from 10 p.m. – 5 a.m. each weeknight — on tap for January.
- January 6 to 10 on the G, no G trains between Bedford-Nostrand Avs and Church Av.
- January 13 to 17 on the 1, no 1 trains between 96 St and Dyckman St.
- January 20 to 24 on the E F M R, no E trains between Roosevelt Av and World Trade Center; no F trains between Roosevelt Av and 21 St-Queensbridge; M and R service ends early each night.
- January 27 to 31 on the 2 3 4, 2 and 4 trains operate express service only between Atlantic Av-Barclays Ctr and Franklin Av; 3 service ends early in Brooklyn each night.
Shuttle buses, which in some cases I feel are totally unnecessary, will replace subway service, and alternate routing will be available for some FASTRACK treatments. This work will continue for the foreseeable future.
Here, meanwhile, is the rest of your weekend work. The vast majority of riders won’t even notice these changes.
From 11:00 p.m. Friday, December 27 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, December 30, A trains are suspended between Broad Channel and Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue due to track panel replacement. Far Rockaway-bound A trains are rerouted to Rockaway Park. Free shuttle buses operate between Beach 90th Street and Far Rockaway.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, December 28 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, December 30, D trains operate in two sections between Stillwell Avenue and Bedford Park Boulevard, and between Bedford Park Blvd and 205th Street due to track maintenance north of Bedford Park Boulevard.
From 11:30 p.m. Friday, December 27 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, December 30, E trains are rerouted on the F line in Manhattan and Queens between Roosevelt Ave and W 4 St, due to electrical work. Free shuttle buses operate between Court Square-23 St and 21 St-Queensbridge.
(Rockaway Shuttle)
From 11:00 p.m. Friday, December 27 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, December 30, Rockaway Park Shuttle trains are suspended and replaced by A train service due to panel installation.
15 comments
I think it is a bad weekend for them to do the E line work. Since 53rd street corridor is busy with tourists still in the city. MoMa, 5th Ave Shops, and many other attractions and they gonna get confused how to get there without the E train.
Should had held that for next weekend.
For the fast track listed: Will the 2 be running to Flatbush Ave?
No 4s to New Lots, No 2s to Flatbush…2 Train Shuttle Buses more than likely run on Nostrand ave and Either Rogers OR NY Ave…4 Train Shuttle buses via Livonia and E Pkwy
I read it wrong…my fault there is service to New Lots and Flatbush…
Yes it will. It just express on the (4) line and then normal route. All local stops will be skipped
Why does the 3 have to end early?all trains run local anyway past 9:30 southbound .there is room for all of them
Express service is ongoing and too many trains on the express track. So they want to reduce the amount of trains that is occurring.
I hope this means that they will start replacing the 125th st. viaduct on the 1 line in January. That will be an interesting project to watch when they replace the structure over several weekends.
I’m also interested in finding out what they plan on doing with the 1 shutdown. All of the other shutdowns except the G (Which is obviously due to Sandy damage)are classic Fast-Track shutdowns, where there are alternate subways nearby. However, it’s a relatively long three avenue, mostly uphill walk from the B/C on 8th ave to Broadway, and St. Nicholas and Morningside parks are closed overnight, (St. Nick at 10pm)making it almost impossible to walk to 116/136.
I know they can turn trains around in the underground yard between 137th and 145th, so shutting down this large a stretch of track implies multiple projects. Is the arch repair at 181st and 168th complete? If it is, then it would make a lot more sense to run trains from 168th on North to take advantage of the in-system xfer to the A. Also, how significant is the work that needs to be done to the viaduct? I know they have the inside lanes of Broadway blocked off near the tunnel-mouth at 135th. Is it just work on the masonry on that end of the viaduct, or do they actually need to replace the iron structure?
So with the 6th avenue FASTRACK, what happens to the F at 63rd street? Does it go down the Broadway line? Is 63rd street the terminal? The nearest switch is at Roosevelt Island station.
———–
No B D F M at 6 Av stations:
14 St, 23 St, 34 St, 42 St,
47-50 Sts, and 57 St
D and F trains are rerouted to the 8 Av line
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If F trains are re-routed via 8th Ave, the only way to do that is via the 53rd St line.
So the stops would be Roosevelt, Queens Plaza, Court Sq, Lex Ave, 5th Ave, 7th Ave, 50th St, etc.
The (F) will run via the 53rd st tube until West 4th street and then it resumes normal (F) service.
As such, the Q will be extended to 21 St-Queensbridge, stopping at 63 St/Lexington, Roosevelt Island, and 21 St.
If only there was the money to do something about the single tracking on the Franklin Avenue Shuttle. For those who still hope, here is a petition that might do the trick.
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/provide-nycta-sufficient-money-enable-double-tracking-entire-franklin-ave-shuttle-line/Jk1JZklQ
As much as I feel the need for it & as much as it is a pain to have 1 track, the govt can
wastespend our money on other things. Even if they make it 2 tracked, the MTA won’t run 2 trains at a time. They have survived for so long with the current method.