Bus-stituting over perfectly functional New York City Transit subway lines is a very Port Authority thing to do. (Click to enlarge)
Due to a variety of circumstances — a post-Sandy rebuild, Positive Train Control installation — the Port Authority has had to shut down one of the two trans-Hudson PATH tunnels at various points over the past few years. The agency has come under fire for not providing alternate service, and they rang up quite a bill for ferry subsidies when the WTC tunnel was out of service. Now, with PTC installation coming to the 33rd St. line, service from Hoboken to Midtown will be out every weekend between now and late December.
As part of the service plan, the Port Authority will run free shuttle buses per the map above. Trains will run up 6th Ave. and down 7th Ave. Buses won’t pick passengers up at the new WTC Transit Hub because it’s not really a transit hub, and the buses will mirror existing New York City Transit buses and, of course, the subway. Why, you might ask, is one transit agency bustituting above another transit agency’s perfectly fine service? This is a good question, and it highlights how our region’s separate transit agencies cannot and often do not cooperate.
Allowing PATH riders to transfer to the subway and vice versa is simply an economic exchange. The PA could pay the MTA, and the MTA could provide free transfers. One obstacle is how the MTA can’t exchange PATH’s SmartLink cards, but these are solvable operational problems, not intractable obstacles. I don’t know if the PA approached the MTA for a solution; a press official from the MTA is working on finding this out for me. But for some reason, more buses are going to fill the streets of Manhattan when preexisting transit options are plentiful because the PA and MTA can’t cooperate. It’s simply silly.
These weekend changes are necessary because of capital construction work on the MTA New York City Transit subway system. This work is part of NYC Transit’s ongoing Capital Rebuilding Program aimed at upgrading and maintaining our tracks, stations and signal systems in order to continue to provide our customers with safe and reliable service. For more information on the 2015-2019 Capital Program log on to www.mta.info/capital. Customers who rely on these lines should allow for additional travel time.
Meanwhile, we have subway changes for this weekend. These come to me from the MTA and are subject to change without notice. Check signs; listen to announcements. Everything is listed after the jump.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, August 19 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, August 22, South Ferry-bound 1 trains run express from 145 St to 96 St.
From 11:30 p.m. Friday, August 19 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, August 22, 2 trains are suspended in both directions between Manhattan and Brooklyn. Take the 5 instead. For service to/from Park Place, Fulton St, Wall St, Clark St, Borough Hall, and Hoyt St, use nearby 4/5 stations instead. For service between Manhattan and Brooklyn, take the N/Q/R. Transfer between 2/3 and N/Q/R at Times Sq-42 St. Transfer between N/Q/R and 4/5 trains at Atlantic Av-Barclays Ctr.
From 11:30 p.m. Friday, August 19 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, August 22, 3 trains are suspended in both directions between 14 St and New Lots Av. Take the 4 instead. 4 service will operate all weekend between Woodlawn and New Lots Av.
From 11:30 p.m. Friday, August 19 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, August 22, 4 service will operate all weekend between Woodlawn and New Lots Av, replacing the 3 in Brooklyn. 4 trains will run local in Brooklyn.
From 6:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, August 20, New Lots Av-bound 4 trains will run express from Burnside Av to 149 St-Grand Concourse.
From 8:45 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Sunday, August 21, New Lots Av-bound 4 trains skip Mosholu Pkwy and Bedford Pk Blvd.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, August 19 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, August 22, 5 trains are suspended in both directions between Eastchester-Dyre Av and E 180 St. Free shuttle buses provide alternate service and operate all weekend between Eastchester-Dyre Av and E 180 St, making all stops. Transfer between trains and shuttle buses at E 180 St.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, August 20 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, August 22, A trains run local in both directions between 168 St and 145 St.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, August 19 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, August 22, A trains are suspended in both directions between 168 St and Inwood-207 St. 1 trains and free shuttle buses provide alternate service. Free shuttle buses operate along two routes:
On Broadway, between 168 St and 207 St, making stops at 175 St, 181 St, 190 St, and Dyckman St.
On Fort Washington Av, between 168 St and 190 St, making stops at 175 St and 181 St. Transfer between trains and shuttle buses at 168 St.
From 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Saturday, August 20 and Sunday, August 21, C trains are suspended in both directions between 145 St and 168 St. Take the A instead. Transfer between A and C trains at 125 St or 145 St.
From 11:30 p.m. Friday, August 19 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, August 22, d trains are suspended in both directions between Atlantic Av-Barclays Ctr and 34 St-Herald Sq. Take the F/N/Q/R or free shuttle buses instead. Free shuttle buses operate between Grand St and W 4 St-Wash Sq, stopping at B’way-Lafayette St. For service between Manhattan and Brooklyn, take the N, Q or R. Transfer between d and nqr trains at 34 St-Herald Sq and/or Atlantic Av-Barclays Ctr. For W 4 St-Wash Sq and B’way-Lafayette St, take the F and transfer between D and F trains at 34 St-Herald Sq. For service to Grand St, take free shuttle buses and transfer at W 4 St-Wash Sq or B’way-Lafayette St F line station, or, use the N, Q or R at the nearby Canal St station.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, August 19 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, August 22, E trains are rerouted via the F line in both directions between 21 St-Queensbridge and W 4 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, August 20 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, August 22, E trains run local in both directions in Queens.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, August 20 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, August 22, F trains run local in both directions between 21 St-Queensbridge and 71 Av.
From 3:45 a.m. Saturday, August 20 to 10:00 p.m. Sunday, August 21, Manhattan-bound J trains run express from Myrtle Av to Marcy Av.
From 11:30 p.m. Friday, August 19 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, August 22, L trains are suspended in both directions between Canarsie-Rockaway Pkwy and Myrtle-Wycoff Avs. Take A/C or J trains and free shuttle buses instead.
Free local shuttle buses provide alternate service between Canarsie-Rockaway Pkwy and Myrtle-Wyckoff Avs, stopping at East 105 St, New Lots Av, Livonia Av, Sutter Av, Atlantic Av, Broadway Junction, Bushwick Av-Aberdeen St, Wilson Av, and Halsey St.
Free express shuttle buses serve Rockaway Pkwy, Broadway Junction, and Myrtle-Wyckoff Avs only, days and evenings.
Transfer between free shuttle buses and L trains at Myrtle-Wyckoff Avs.
From 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Saturday, August 20, and from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Sunday, August 21, M trains run every 20 minutes. Manhattan-bound m trains run express from Myrtle Av to Marcy Av.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, August 20 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, August 22, N trains run local in both directions between DeKalb Av and 59 St in Brooklyn.
From 11:30 p.m. Friday, August 19 to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, August 21, and from 11:30 p.m. Sunday, August 21 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, August 22, R trains are suspended in both directions between 59 St and 36 St in Brooklyn. Take the N instead. Transfer between N and R trains at 59 St.
From 12:01 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. Saturday, August 20 to Monday, August 22, the 42 Street Shuttle will operate overnight.