Second Ave. Sagas

Tag: FASTRACK

  • An abbreviated FASTRACK hits the G line

    FASTRACK_mapG_Jan6_10_14

    I’m around 90 minutes late on this, but bear with me. The fact that Transit cut short this new FASTRACK treatment threw me off a bit.

    For seven hours a night, running from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. tonight and tomorrow, there will be no G train service for a big chunk of Brooklyn. As part of the 2014 FASTRACK schedule, the G will run only from Court Square to Bedford-Nostrand Aves. as the stretch of track from Bed Stuy to Hoyt-Schermerhorn will be out of service for repairs. The only replacement service will be shuttle buses operating from Jay St.-MetroTech to Beford-Nostrand.

    This FASTRACK was supposed to start Monday night but due to the cold, it was pushed back to tonight. It’s still pretty cold out, and the IND Crosstown tracks that are out of service are underground. But there you go.

  • FASTRACK for 2014; weekend work for four subway lines

    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.

  • A glimpse at the FASTRACK future

    During Monday’s MTA Board committee meetings, the Transit Committee received an update on the Orwellianly named FASTRACK program. The MTA’s overnight shutdowns have helped speed up maintenance on key subway trunk lines while saving the authority money, and after a series of treatments in the heavily-trafficked and heavily-redundant parts of Manhattan this year, the treatment will spread out of the so-called Central Business District.

    The key slide from the presentation [pdf] for travelers wondering what the MTA’s future plans will be is this one:

    As we see, when FASTRACK moves out of the areas of the city well covered by trains, shuttle buses enter the equation. There me be lines parallel to 8th Ave. one block east, but for some areas, service grows a bit more scarce. Notably, the MTA will have to provide some shuttle bus service in the Bronx and Northern Manhattan as well as along the Queens Boulevard route.

    FASTRACK for the Lexington Ave. line through the Upper East Side is intriguing as well. The double-decked tunnels allow for some interesting service patterns in which express trains will run while locals do not and vice versa. That’s good for people heading to 86th St. and not so great for those trying to reach the stops in between. The MTA has yet to announce any 2013 dates for theses shutdowns, but they’re on the way.

    Meanwhile, the 10-page document offered up some other numbers. During the first quarter of 2012, FASTRACK allowed the MTA to realize savings of over $5 million while addressing backlogged maintenance requests. Ridership drops through the CBD have been around three percent while buses have picked up some of the slack. Finally, the fourth quarter work later this year will involve removing all debris from the rights-of-way and cleaning the Joralemon, Clark, Cranberry and Rutgers tubes.

    One way or another, it sounds as though we’re stuck with FASTRACK for the foreseeable future. It may mean less convenient overnight subway service now and then, but if all goes well, it should mean more reliable service overall. Fair trade?

  • Map: FASTRACK hits the West Side

    Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the MTA’s Orwellianly-named FASTRACK program continues next week as stations and tracks along the West Side IRT will be without service for four nights. Starting on Monday, the MTA will be terminating all 3 service at 10 p.m. while the 1 and 2 will run only between their northern terminals and 34th St./Penn Station. West Side redundancies, however, will ease commuters’ angst.

    To ready for this service change, the MTA has published a map showing connections and the outages. I’ve included the Manhattan portion above and the Brooklyn portion below. To see the entire thing as a PDF, click here. The authority has also summarized the changes.

    From 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. and from Monday night through Friday morning of next week, the following route changes go into effect.

    • The 1 will run between 34 St-Penn Station and 242 St
    • The 2 will run between 34 St-Penn Station and E 180 St; Rerouted via between E 180 St and Dyre Av
    • Free shuttle buses run to/from 3 stations at 148 St, 145 St, and 135 St.
    • The 4 will be extended to New Lots Av early, trains run local in Brooklyn
    • The 5 will run its regular route between Flatbush Av and E 180 St; Rerouted via the 2 between E 180 St and 241 St.
    • 42 Street Shuttle runs all night.

    While those who rely on the East Side trains had fewer redundancies at least north of 14th Street, those who are traveling between Brooklyn and Manhattan on the 2 or 3 will be able to rely on the BMT and IND lines on the West Side or the 4 and 5 in Lower Manhattan. Straphangers who must transfer and wait for another train will find their commutes lengthened.

    FASTRACK will continue along 6th Ave. at the end of the month and along 8th Ave. in mid-March. I have an inquiry in with the MTA as to why the Broadway line hasn’t been included in this program and will report back when I have an update.