Earlier this week, the Transit Museum hosted a panel discussion on the history and look of the New York City subway map. It was the second such event in a month, and it seems that the field of map design is undergoing something of a renaissance, especially in regards to our map. From the pre-Vignelli days to the current John Tauranac-inspired version that you can’t actually use in the subway system due to its absurdly large size, we could (and have) discussed map preferences for posts on end. Perhaps, soon I’ll revisit the topic.
In the meantime, Peter Lloyd, a historian with a specialty in the New York City subway map and its various iterations, is trying to raise funds for a multi-volume book detailing the history of our subway map. With only a few days left in his Kickstarter campaign, he’s a bit short of his goal. Check out his proposal here, and consider if it’s a worthy endeavor. I’m a sucker for subway map histories, and I hope his book can see the light of day.
Meanwhile, we have weekend changes to discuss. There’s a map for those — hosted by the MTA at the Weekender site. The descriptions follow.
From 11:30 p.m. Friday, November 20 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, November 23, 1 trains are suspended in both directions between 14 St and South Ferry. Take the 23 trains and free shuttle buses instead. Free shuttle buses provide alternate service between Chambers St and South Ferry.
From 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Saturday, November 21 and from 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Sunday, November 22, 1 trains run every 16 minutes between 137 St and Van Cortlandt Park-242 St. The last stop for some trains headed towards Van Cortlandt Park-242 is 137 St.
From 3:45 a.m. Saturday, November 21 to 9:00 p.m. Sunday, November 22, Van Cortlandt Park-242 St 1 trains run express from 215 St to Van Cortlandt Park-242 St.
From 11:30 p.m. Friday, November 20 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, November 23, 2 trains run local in both directions between Chambers St and 34 St-Penn Station.
From 6:30 a.m. to 12 Midnight Saturday, November 21 and Sunday, November 22, 3 trains run local in both directions between Chambers St and 34 St-Penn Station.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, November 20 to 7:30 a.m. Sunday, November 22, and from 11:45 p.m. Sunday, November 22 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, November 23, Crown Hts-Utica Av bound 4 trains run express from 14 St-Union Sq to Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall.
From 4:00 a.m. Saturday, November 21 to 10:00 p.m. Sunday, November 22, Woodlawn-bound 4 trains run express from Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall to Grand Central-42 St.
From 6:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Saturday, November 21 and from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Sunday, November 22, 5 trains run every 20 minutes between Eastchester-Dyre Av and Bowling Green. Eastchester-Dyre Av bound 5 trains run local from Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall to Grand Central-42 St.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, November 20 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, November 23, Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall bound 6 trains run express from 14 St-Union Sq to Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall.
From 6:45 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Saturday, November 21 and Sunday, November 22, Mets-Willets Point bound 7 trains run express from 74 St-Broadway to Mets-Willets Point.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, November 21 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, November 23, A trains are suspended in both directions between Euclid Av and Lefferts Blvd. Free shuttle buses provide alternate service and operate between Euclid Av and Lefferts Blvd, stopping at Grant Av, 80 St, 88 St, Rockaway Blvd, 104 St, and 111 St. Transfer between trains and free shuttle buses at
Euclid Av and/or Rockaway Blvd. A service will operate normally between Inwood-207 St and Eculid Av, and between Rockaway Blvd and Far Rockaway every 20 minutes.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, November 20 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, November 23, E trains are rerouted via the F in both directions between Roosevelt Av and W4 St-Wash Sq. Free shuttle buses run between Court Sq-23 St and 21 St-Queensbridge, stopping at Queens Plaza.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, November 21 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, November 23, E trains run local in both directions in Queens.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, November 20 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, November 23, F trains are suspended between Coney Island-Stillwell Av and Kings Hwy.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, November 21 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, November 23, F trains run local in both directions in Queens.
From 11:30 p.m. Friday, November 20 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, November 23, N trains are suspended in both directions between 36 St and Coney Island-Stillwell Av. N trains are routed via the D line in both directions between 36 St and Bay Pkwy-95 St, the last stop. DR trains and free shuttle buses provide alternate service. Free shuttle buses operate between 36 St and Stillwell Av, making all station stops. Transfer between R trains and shuttle buses at 59 St.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, November 20 to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, November 22, and from 11:45 p.m. Sunday, November 22 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, November 23, 36 St-bound R trains stop at 53 St and 45 St.
13 comments
What a weekend for uptown 1 train riders. The 1 is basically 34th to 137th only. People living at 231 St for instance will have to wait up to 16 minutes for a train that will bypass their station and take them to 241, where they’ll have to wait potentially another 16 minutes for a train back to 231.
It looks like that’s really the only station affected like that though. They must be doing some station or platform work at 231?
Uptown trains skip 225, 231, and 238. I just used 231 as an example because 238 is somewhat walkable from 241 and 225 from 215 if you really wanted to. Anything above 137 deals with the “every 16 minutes” problem though.
Which leads right back to how every 8 minutes is totally inadequate for weekend day 1 train service, but that’s been covered before.
Annoying, I agree, but (unless they are transferring from a bus on a pay-per-ride Metrocard) they can take the Bx 7 from 215 St or for that matter from the 207 St A. It’s not really that bad.
Am I the only one that thinks that going back to this map format would be an improvement over the current one? DISCUSS!
Let’s not as it’s been discussed ad nauseum and the MTA aren’t going to change it.
Is the Vignelli NYC subway map the most over-rated piece of graphic design ever? DISCUSS!
“The last stop for some trains headed towards Van Cortlandt Park-242 is 137 St.”
Is this really the wording the MTA used?
I know the MTA is trying to refer to their routes by destination now, instead using the “uptown/downtown” convention, but this just feels pretty silly!
Yeah I agree, especially for the IRT lines where Uptown/Downtown are always clear-cut. Even for tourists, it’s not like “Van Cortlandt Park – 242 St” is any more meaningful, they don’t know where that is!
Are 1 trains running express uptown from 14th to 34th?
I was at 14th yesterday looking to go uptown 86th. The signs in the station said uptown 1s were going to be on the downtown side. We waited for a bit and eventually got on an uptown 2 (on the local track). As the we were boarding the 2, a 1 train stopped on the downtown express track.
Then, as we stopped at 23rd, we were passed on the express track, but I didn’t catch any details (the 2 was packed). We pulled into 42nd on the express track as a 1 was leaving the station on the local.
We caught up to it by 72nd and were able to transfer across the platform.
Yep, that part is left out. They were running express in both directions between 14th and 34th, so every single 1 2 3 train had to cross in front of the others at 34th. What a mess.
I’m waiting to support the MTA’s Second Avenue subway Phase Two kickstarter. I hear they’re a billion or so short.
Once they raise that billion, suddenly they’ll need another billion.