Service Advisories

A stranded N train sits idle at 8th Ave. as an MTA worker attempts to dig out the station. (Photo courtesy of New York City Transit)

It’s been a rough 24 hours for the MTA. Faced with what one spokesman called the worst weather-related service impact “in recent memory,” the authority spent Monday trying to get its system up and running again. Bus sat stranded in the snow-bound streets of New York while commuter rail lines and above-ground subway routes were felled by the snow.

As Tuesday dawns and temperatures remain near the freezing mark, the MTA assures its riders that crews are working to free the subways and buses that power the city. “Our real priority now is digging everything out and getting everything in place for service,” MTA CEO and Chairman Jay Walder said during a press conference. “It will be a tough day. We will have limited service.”

Like much of the city, the MTA was knocked out by the sheer force of the snow. The storm dumped nearly 20 inches of snow on New York in short order, and workers found themselves unable to reach areas buried after the blizzard. Stations — such as Carroll Street along the Culver Line — remained largely inaccessible, and as snow drifted through air grates, even some underground stops saw accumulations of up to a few inches.

In a statement sent out late on Monday night, the MTA promised better service on Tuesday, but it won’t be perfect. Bus service will slowly return to something resembling normal while subway service, with some notable exceptions, will be on or close to schedule. The authority offered up more: “MTA crews are continuing round-the-clock work to restore service throughout the system as soon as possible in a manner that is safe for our customers, employees and equipment after the blizzard that dumped almost two feet of snow throughout the MTA’s service territory. Nonetheless, impacts on service will continue into tomorrow, and MTA customers should look to MTA.info before they leave for the latest specific information, and should allow extra travel time.”

As far as the subways go, the MTA had the follow to say: “The New York City Subway is operating with outages affecting a number of lines that are elevated or in open cuts, particularly in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and the Rockaways in Queens. New York City Transit expects to restore service to all portions of the subway system for tomorrow morning’s rush hour except for the Q train, the A line between Euclid Av. and the Rockaways, the N line in Brooklyn, and the L line from Myrtle Av. to Canarsie. Customers should go to MTA.info for the latest service updates.”

It’s unclear when the Brighton line, the elevated A sections, the Sea Beach line and the L will reopen. Right now, crews are trying to remove snow drifts that blanket the tracks, and the trenched subway lines make removal very difficult. As long as no one else has to spend all night trapped on an A train, most New Yorkers will find travel through Manhattan sluggish but acceptable on Tuesday.

This snow storm, the region’s first of the winter, was a bad one. Hopefully, it’s not a harbinger of things to come. Our generally reliable transit network just couldn’t stomach the snow this time around, and the system should resurface later this week just in time for a fare hike. Mother Nature seems to have a funny sense of humor that way.

Stranded N trains await rescuing. (Courtesy of New York City Transit)

As of 9:30 a.m. on Monday, few trains were running.

As Monday morning dawns in New York City, travel around and into the city is nearly impossible. Every subway line but the 7 is suffering through delayed or suspended service, and the MTA’s website is straining under the pressure of millions of straphangers trying to find some info. LIRR service has been completely suspended, and most Metro-North trains aren’t running either. Here’s what the Authority had to say:

Due to the extreme nature of the ongoing blizzard, including high winds and major snow drifts, the MTA is urging its customers to stay home this morning if at all possible. There are major suspensions across our transportation network that may continue through the morning rush hour, including a full suspension of service on the Long Island Rail Road, suspension of Metro-North Railroad’s New Haven Line, and suspension of several of the lettered subway lines.

The MTA has asked folks to check out MTA.info for updates, and the authority has urged people to stay home except for “urgent” travel. As the authority’s website is currently facing an extremely high volume of visitors, I can’t access the individual outages, but it’s safe to assume most outdoor lines are shuttered. I’ll update this post as I hear more.

After months of back-and-forth over this one, the MTA is planning on implementing a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to texting and driving, the Daily News reported yesterday. In the past, drivers were simply suspended for texting and driving, but after Jeremy Philhower struck and killed a pedestrian on the first day back on the job after such a suspension, the authority decided to take action.

“Customers who board our buses expect a safe and professional ride,” Darryl Irick, Transit’s acting vice president of buses, said. “As a public transportation agency, we are responsible for protecting our passengers, operating safely around other motorists and safeguarding pedestrians.”

Of course, TWU officials said they would challenge this safety measure. John Samuelsen, who never met a regulation he liked, called the new measure a “blanket policy that calls for Draconian disciplinary action against drivers based on some manager’s testimony.” The Daily News’ editorial pages called it a long overdue policy, and it’s tough to disagree with their assessment. This should be yet another petty fight between labor and management over a seemingly common-sense passenger and pedestrian safety initiative.

Meanwhile, since just about everyone is spending today and tomorrow away from the Internet and with their families, I’m going to take it easy. This will be my last post until Sunday. Enjoy the time off, and if you’re celebrating, have a merry Christmas.

Below are the weekend’s service advisories. Today — Christmas Eve — trains will operate on a Saturday schedule, and there are a handful of other weekend changes that could impact travel. These come to me via New York City Transit. Check the signs in your local station and listen to on-board announcements. Subway Weekender has the map.

From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, December 26, uptown 6 trains skip Castle Hill Avenue, Zerega Avenue, Westchester Square, Middletown Road and Buhre Avenue due to rail repairs near Westchester Square.

From 12:01 a.m. Sunday, December 26 to 5 a.m. Monday, December 27, D trains run on the R line between DeKalb Avenue and 36th Street, Brooklyn due to switch renewal north of Pacific Street.

From 12:01 a.m. Sunday, December 26 to 5 a.m. Monday, December 27, Manhattan-bound N trains run on the D line from Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue to 36th Street, Brooklyn due to track panel installation north of Kings Highway to north of Bay Parkway. There are no Manhattan-bound N trains at 86th Street, Avenue U, Kings Highway, Bay Parkway, 20th Avenue, 18th Avenue, Ft. Hamilton Parkway and 8th Avenue stations. Traveling to these stations, customers may take the N to 62nd or 36th Streets and transfer to a Coney Island-bound N.

From 12:01 a.m. Sunday, December 26 to 5 a.m. Monday, December 27, Coney Island-bound N trains run on the R line from DeKalb Avenue to 59th Street, Brooklyn and Manhattan-bound N trains run on the R line from 36th Street, Brooklyn to DeKalb Avenue due to switch renewal north of Pacific Street.

This snow thrower is just itching for some action. (Photo via MTA New York City Transit)

It’s not supposed to snow in the New York area until next weekend at the earliest, but New York City Transit gearing up for winter. Last year, they had to do battle with snow-related service changes 10 times, and their plans include diverting trains and ending some above-ground services early on. The thing up there atop this post is an industrial strength snow thrower that can clear tracks in short order.

Meanwhile, we’ve got service changes but not too many of them. These come to me via the MTA and are subject to change without notice. Check out the local signs and listent on-board announcements for the latest and greatest. Subway Weekender has the map.

From 4 a.m. Saturday, December 18 to 10 p.m. Sunday, December 19, uptown 2 trains operate express from East 180th Street to Gun Hill Road, skipping Bronx Park East, Pelham Parkway, Allerton Avenue and Burke Avenue stations due to track panel and tie installation north of Pelham Parkway. For service to these stations, customers may take the uptown 2 to Gun Hill Road and transfer to a downtown 2.

From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, December 18 and Sunday, December 19, uptown 4 trains skip 176th Street, Mt. Eden Avenue, 170th, 167th and 161st Streets due to rail replacement at 161st Street-Yankee Stadium.

From 10:30 p.m. Friday, December 17 to 5 a.m. Monday, December 20, free shuttle buses replace A trains between Far Rockaway and Beach 98th Street due to station rehabilitations. A trains replace the S (Rockaway Park Shuttle) between Broad Channel and Rockaway Park.

From 11 p.m. Friday, December 17 to 5 a.m. Monday, December 20, D trains run on the R line between DeKalb Avenue and 36th Street, Brooklyn due to switch renewal north of Pacific Street and track work south of DeKalb Avenue.

From 11:30 p.m. Friday, December 17 to 5 a.m. Monday, December 20, M trains are replaced by free shuttle buses between Metropolitan Avenue and Myrtle Avenue due to platform edge rehabilitation.

From 11 p.m. Friday, December 17 to 5 a.m. Monday, December 20, N trains run on the R line between DeKalb Avenue and 59th Street, Brooklyn due to switch renewal north of Pacific Street and track work south of DeKalb Avenue.

From 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. on Saturday, December 18, Sunday, December 19 and Monday, December 20, Manhattan-bound N trains are rerouted over the Manhattan Bridge from DeKalb Avenue to Canal Street due to Lawrence Street station rehabilitation. (No Manhattan-bound trains at Lawrence Street, Court Street, Whitehall Street, Rector Street, Cortlandt Street or City Hall. Customers may take the 4 train at nearby stations.)

(Rockaway Park Shuttle)
From 11 p.m. Friday, December 17 to 5 a.m. Monday, December 20, A trains replace the S (Rockaway Park Shuttle) between Broad Channel and Rockaway Park due to station rehabilitations.

Yesterday evening from around 4 p.m. until shortly after 9:30 p.m., Second Ave. Sagas was offline, and I wanted to address that for a brief minute. The cause of the outage was a DDoS attack aimed at my server. SAS piggybacks off of the server we own to power River Ave. Blues, and our host accidentally dropped the firewall. Everything is fine now, and that should be the end of that. Thanks for your patience during the outage and thanks for reading.

Now onto the service advisories. As the holiday season progresses, the weekend work has continued to slow. Just a handful of lines are diverted, and the diversions aren’t major. As always, these come to me via New York City Transit and are subject to change without notice. Listen to on-board announcements and check signs in your local station. Subway Weekender has a map, and his map already features the new Jay St.-MetroTech station. The MTA’s online map doesn’t.

From 4 a.m. Saturday, December 11 to 10 p.m. Sunday, December 12, uptown trains operate express from East 180th Street to Gun Hill Road, skipping Bronx Park East, Pelham Parkway, Allerton Avenue and Burke Avenue stations due to track panel and tie installation north of Pelham Parkway. For service to these stations, customers may take the uptown 2 to Gun Hill Road and transfer to a downtown 2.

From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, December 11 and Sunday, December 12, uptown 4 trains skip 176th Street, Mt. Eden Avenue, 170th, 167th and 161st Streets due to rail replacement at 161st Street-Yankee Stadium.

From 4 a.m. Saturday, December 11 to 11 p.m. Sunday, December 12, Flushing-bound 7 trains skip 82nd, 90th, 103rd, and 111th Streets due to switch renewal work at 111th Street. Customers traveling to these stations may take a Flushing-bound 7 to Junction Blvd. or Mets-Willets Point and transfer to a Manhattan-bound 7.

From 11 p.m. Friday, December 10 to 5 a.m. Monday, December 13, D trains run local between DeKalb Avenue and 36th Street, Brooklyn due to switch renewal north of Pacific Street.

From 4 a.m. Saturday, December 11 to 7 p.m. Sunday, December 12, J trains run every 20 minutes between Jamaica Center and 111th Street due to work at the fan plant north of 121st Street. The last stop for some Jamaica Center-bound J trains is 111th Street.

From 11:30 p.m. Friday, December 10 to 5 a.m. Monday, December 13, M trains are replaced by free shuttle buses between Metropolitan Avenue and Myrtle Avenue due to platform edge rehabilitation.

From 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. on Saturday, December 11, Sunday, December 12 and Monday, December 13, Manhattan-bound N trains are rerouted over the Manhattan Bridge from DeKalb Avenue to Canal Street due to Lawrence Street station rehabilitation. (No Manhattan-bound trains at Lawrence Street, Court Street, Whitehall Street, Rector Street, Cortlandt Street or City Hall. Customers may take the 4 train at nearby stations.)

From 11 p.m. Friday, December 10 to 5 a.m. Monday, December 13, N trains run local between DeKalb Avenue and 59th Street, Brooklyn due to switch work north of Pacific Street.

(Rockaway Park Shuttle)
From 10:30 p.m. Friday, December 10 to 5 a.m. Monday, December 13, free shuttle buses replace Rockaway Park Shuttle (S) trains making station stops between Rockaway Park and Beach 60th Street.

As the week draws to a close, I wanted to take the opportunity to once again plug my Jay Walder interview. You can find the various pieces here:

• Part 1: On the MTA’s fiscal state
• Part 2: On labor relations and advertising revenues
• Part 3: On the Second Ave. Subway and weekend work
• Part 4: On the death of the MetroCard

As Friday evening dawns, New Yorkers can look forward to a rare weekend of few service changes. In fact, Transit has increased service beginning this weekend and extending through December 19. That’s a nice holiday present for harried commuters and weekend travelers.

Still, there are a handful of changes, and they are below. As always, these come to me from New York City Transit and are subject to change without notice. Check signs in your local station and listen to on-board announcements. Subway Weekender has the map, and the Nostalgia Train runs on Sunday.

From 4 a.m. Saturday, December 4 to 10 p.m. Sunday, December 5, uptown trains operate express from East 180th Street to Gun Hill Road, skipping Bronx Park East, Pelham Parkway, Allerton Avenue and Burke Avenue stations due to track panel and tie installation north of Allerton Avenue. For service to these stations, customers may take the uptown 2 to Gun Hill Road and transfer to a downtown 2.

From 4 a.m. Saturday, December 4 to 11 p.m. Sunday, December 5, Flushing-bound 7 trains skip 82nd, 90th, 103rd, and 111th Streets due to switch renewal work at 111th Street. Customers traveling to these stations may take a Flushing-bound 7 to Junction Blvd. or Mets-Willets Point and transfer to a Manhattan-bound 7.

From 10:30 p.m. Friday, December 3 to 5 a.m. Monday, December 6, free shuttle buses replace A train service between Far Rockaway and Beach 98th Street due to station rehabilitations. A trains replace the S shuttle train between Broad Channel and Rockaway Park.

From 11 p.m. Friday, December 3 to 5 a.m. Monday, December 6, D trains run local between DeKalb Avenue and 36th Street, Brooklyn due to switch renewal north of Pacific Street and track work south of DeKalb Avenue.

From 4 a.m. Saturday, December 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, December 5, J trains run every 20 minutes between Jamaica Center and 111th Street due to work at the fan plant north of 121st Street. The last stop for some Jamaica Center-bound J trains is 111th Street.

From 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. on Saturday, December 4, Sunday, December 5 and Monday, December 6, Manhattan-bound N trains are rerouted over the Manhattan Bridge from DeKalb Avenue to Canal Street due to Lawrence Street station rehabilitation. (No Manhattan-bound trains at Lawrence Street, Court Street, Whitehall Street, Rector Street, Cortlandt Street or City Hall. Customers may take the 4 train at nearby stations.)

From 11 p.m. Friday, December 3 to 5 a.m. Monday, December 6, N trains run local between DeKalb Avenue and 59th Street, Brooklyn due to switch work north of Pacific Street and track work south of DeKalb Avenue.

(Franklin Avenue Shuttle)
From 7 a.m. Saturday, December 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, December 5, free shuttle buses replace the Franklin Avenue Shuttle between Franklin Avenue and Prospect Park, making all station stops. This is due to ground work on the track bed.

(Rockaway Park Shuttle)
From 10:30 p.m. Friday, December 3 to 5 a.m. Monday, December 6, A trains replace the Rockaway Park Shuttle (S) between Broad Channel and Rockaway Park due to station rehabilitations. Free shuttle buses replace A trains between Far Rockaway and Beach 98th Street.

The last few weeks have been busy ones for transit in the area, and as the fare hikes loom, the news promises to come fast and furious. In addition to finding out all of the latest on site, you can find more Second Ave. Sagas across the Internet. Be sure to follow me on Twitter for tidbits traveling around the city and become a fan — or like — Second Ave. Sagas on Facebook.

Additionally, I’ve added a few features to the site. I’m now updating on Saturdays and Sundays, usually with just one post per day, and the weekend service advisories will always been available in the main column and on the weekend service advisories page. Bookmark that for easy access.

Meanwhile, it’s Friday night, and you know what that means. The weekend work will slow down after this weekend when Thanksgiving and the holiday season descends on New York. For now, we have another weekend of work. These come to me via New York City Transit and are subject to change without notice. Check the signs in your local station and listen to on-board announcements for the latest. Subway Weekender has the map.

From 11:30 p.m. Friday, November 19 to 5 a.m. Monday, November 22, 1 service is suspended between 242nd Street and 168th Street due to rehab work between 242nd Street and Dyckman Street stations. The A train, free shuttle buses and the M3 bus provide alternate service. Free shuttle buses operate:

• On Broadway between 242nd Street and 215th Street stations, then connecting to the 207th Street A station.
• On St. Nicholas Avenue between 191st and 168th Street stations.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, November 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, November 22, uptown 1 and 2 trains skip 50th, 59th, and 66th Streets due to track work south of 66th Street. Customers traveling to these stations may take the 1 or 2 trains to 72nd Street and transfer to a downtown 1.

From 4 a.m. Saturday, November 20 to 11 p.m. Sunday, November 21, Flushing-bound 7 trains skip 82nd, 90th, 103rd, and 111th Streets due to switch renewal work at 111th Street. Customers traveling to these stations may take a Flushing-bound 7 to Junction Blvd. or Willets Point and transfer to a Manhattan-bound 7.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, November 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, November 22, Manhattan-bound A trains run on the F line from Jay Street to West 4th Street, then local to 59th Street-Columbus Circle due to work on platform edges, tiles and stairs at Broadway-Nassau St. Manhattan-bound A trains skip High, Broadway-Nassau, Chambers, Canal and Spring Streets. Customers traveling to these stations may take the A to West 4th Street and transfer to a downtown A.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, November 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, November 22, A trains bypass Broadway-Nassau St. due to work on the Fulton Street Transit Center.

From 6:30 a.m. to midnight, Saturday, November 20 and Sunday, November 21, there are no C trains between Manhattan and Brooklyn due to preparation work on the Culver Viaduct. C trains are rerouted to the E line between Canal Street and World Trade Center station, the last stop. (When we do work on the Viaduct, we usually suspend the C because operating the F on the A, C line in Brooklyn would causes delays if all three lines are operating together. However, suspending the C would cause the A to make all local stops in Manhattan and Brooklyn which would increase travel time. Instead, we are rerouting the C to the WTC station to accommodate E customers. The A will run normally in Manhattan and Brooklyn and the F will run local in Brooklyn on the A,C line to Euclid Avenue.)

From 6:30 a.m. to midnight, Saturday, November 20 and Sunday, November 21, C trains bypass Broadway-Nassau Street due to work on the Fulton Street Transit Center.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, November 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, November 22 in Manhattan, D trains run local between 34th Street and West 4th Street due to work on the 5th Avenue Interlocking Signal System. In Brooklyn, D trains run local on the R line between 36th Street and DeKalb Avenue due to preparation work on the Culver Viaduct.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, November 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, November 22, Coney Island-bound D trains run on the N line from 36th Street to Coney Island/Stillwell Avenue due to structural repair and station rehabs from 71st Street to Bay 50th Street and ADA work at Bay Parkway. There will be no Coney Island-bound D trains at 9th Avenue, Ft. Hamilton Parkway, 50th, 55th, 71st, 79th Streets, 18th and 20th Avenues, Bay Parkway, 25th Avenue and Bay 50th Street stations. To reach these stations, customers may take the D or N to New Utrecht Avenue/62nd Street or Coney Island/Stillwell Avenue and transfer to a Manhattan-bound D.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, November 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, November 22, E trains run on the F line between Roosevelt Avenue and 34th Street-6th Avenue due to work on the 5th Avenue Interlocking Signal System. The platforms at 5th Avenue, Lexington Avenue-53rd Street and 23rd Street-Ely Avenue stations are closed. Customers may take the R, 6 or free shuttle buses. Shuttle buses connect Court Square (G)/23rd Street-Ely Avenue (E), the Queens Plaza (R), and the 21st Street-Queensbridge (F) stations.

From 11:30 p.m. Friday, November 19, to 5 a.m. Monday, November 22, free shuttle buses replace F trains between Jay Street and Church Avenue due to preparation work on the Culver Viaduct. F trains run in two sections:

• Between 179th Street and Jay Street, then rerouted on the C to Euclid Avenue and
• Between Church Avenue and Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue.

From 11:30 p.m. Friday, November 19 to 5 a.m. Monday, November 22, G trains operate between Court Square and Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts. Customers may take the A or F at Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts. to Jay Street and transfer to a free shuttle bus making all F, G stops to Church Avenue. These changes are due to work on a temporary platform, signal work and preparation work on the Culver Viaduct.

From 11:30 p.m. Friday, November 19 to 5 a.m. Monday, November 22, free shuttle buses replace M service due to platform edge rehabilitation between Metropolitan Avenue and Myrtle Avenue-Broadway.

From 12:30 a.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, November 21, free shuttle buses replace N trains between Ditmars Blvd. and Queensboro Plaza due to work on the elevated structure.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, November 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, November 22, Brooklyn-bound N trains are rerouted over the Manhattan Bridge from Canal Street to DeKalb Avenue due to grouting and track work at Cortlandt Street. There is no N service at City Hall, Rector, Whitehall, Court, and Lawrence Streets. Customers may use the 4 train at nearby stations instead.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, November 20 to 5 a.m. Monday, November 22, Manhattan-bound N trains run on the D line from Coney Island/Stillwell Avenue to 36th Street due to track panel installation between Kings Highway and north of Bay Parkway. There are no Manhattan-bound N trains at 86th Street, Avenue U, Kings Highway, Bay Parkway, 20th Avenue, 18th Avenue, Ft. Hamilton Parkway and 8th Avenue stations.

From 6:30 a.m. to midnight, Saturday, November 20 and Sunday, November 21, Brooklyn-bound R trains are rerouted over the Manhattan Bridge from Canal Street to DeKalb Avenue due to grouting and track work at Cortlandt Street. There is no N service at City Hall, Rector, Whitehall, Court, and Lawrence Streets. Customers may use the 4 train at nearby stations instead.