MTA announces summer subway service changes

A slate of service changes is coming to seven subway lines for 10 weeks this summer to accommodate track replacements and signal upgrades in Manhattan and Brooklyn, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced on June 4.

“These improvements will allow us to deliver smoother rides and reliable service for subway riders,” said Demetrius Crichlow, executive Vice President for subways at New York City Transit. “NYC Transit remains laser-focused on welcoming New Yorkers back to a modernized system that is the quickest way to navigate the city.”

The MTA will replace the downtown express track for the 6th Avenue Line, which runs the B, D, F, and M trains, at 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Center.

On the 8th Avenue Line, which is home to the A, C, and E trains, the transit agency will do work to prepare for major signaling upgrades between 59 St-Columbus Circle in Manhattan and High St in Brooklyn.

The work will be on weeknights for 10 weeks from June 14 through Aug. 20, when the D and F trains swap routes in Brooklyn from 9:45 pm–5 am.

On weekends, Friday through Monday morning from July 2 through Aug. 2, service will change on the D, F, A, C, and E lines (for more information see below).

The reason for the works on the 6th Avenue Line is due to an old track at the end of its useful life which needs to be replaced.

On the 8th Avenue Line, the work will include installing new axle counter technology and track switch checks to gauge the health of switch machine movement and remotely report potential failures.

Once that work is completed the MTA will install the so-called Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) between 59 St-Columbus Circle in Manhattan and High St in Brooklyn.

CBTC replaces the aging system’s signals, some of which date back to the 1930s. The technology allows computers to drive the trains and enables subways to operate closer together and at faster speeds.

So far the MTA has installed that technology on the L and 7 lines.

Here are the full service changes:

Weeknights

Projected work schedule: Monday through Friday, June 14 through Aug. 20

Downtown (Brooklyn-bound) D trains will operate via the C line between 59 St – Columbus Circle and West 4 St. D trains will run via the F line between West 4 St and Coney Island-Stillwell Av, making all local stops.
Uptown (Manhattan-bound) D trains will operate via the F line between Coney Island – Stillwell Av and 34 St-Herald Sq making all local stops.
F trains in both directions will operate via the D line between West 4 St and Coney Island-Stillwell Av in both directions, making all local stops.

Weekends

Projected work schedule: Friday through Monday morning, July 2 through Aug. 2

The weekend service changes will include D trains operating in two sections: between Norwood – 205 St and World Trade Center and between West 4 St and Coney Island-Stillwell Av.

Northern D Train: Norwood – 205 St to World Trade Center

Downtown (Brooklyn-bound) D trains will operate via the C and E lines from 59 St-Columbus Circle to World Trade Center, making all local stops. At West 4 St, D trains will stop on the upper level (8 Av Line) downtown local track.
Uptown (Bronx-bound) D trains will operate via the E line from World Trade Center to West 4 St and via the F line from West 4 St to 34 St-Herald Sq, making all local stops. At West 4 St, D trains will stop on the lower level (6 Av Line) uptown local track.

Southern D Train: West 4 St and Coney Island-Stillwell Av

D trains in both directions will operate between West 4 St and Coney Island-Stillwell Av. At West 4 St, D trains will stop on the lower level (6 Av Line) express tracks.

A, C, E Trains

Uptown (Queens-bound) E trains will operate northbound via the A line from Canal St to 42 St-Port Authority Bus Terminal making express stops. Downtown E trains will operate normally.
Uptown A trains will operate northbound via the F line from Jay St to West 4 St and via the C line making local stops from West 4 St to 59 St-Columbus Circle. Downtown (Brooklyn-bound) A trains will operate normally.
Uptown C trains will operate northbound via the F line from Jay St to West 4 St. Downtown (Brooklyn-bound) C trains will operate normally.
There will be no northbound (Upper Manhattan-bound) service on the A or C line at Chambers St, Fulton St or High St.

Travel Alternatives

Customers affected by these service changes can use the following travel alternatives:

D train service between Manhattan and Brooklyn

Transfer between the two sections of the D at West 4 St. Downtown D service from Upper Manhattan and the Bronx will be on the upper level (8 Av Line); all other D service will be on the lower level (6 Av Line).
Transfer is also available between D at World Trade Center and the E at Cortlandt St for service to and from Brooklyn.
For Brooklyn-bound D service at 7 Av-53 St, take the downtown E to West 4 St to transfer to the Brooklyn-bound D.
For Brooklyn-bound D service at 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Center, 42 St-Bryant Park, and 34 St-Herald Square, take the downtown F to West 4 St.

Uptown A and C service

For service to High St, Fulton St, or Chambers St from Brooklyn or Queens, take a Manhattan-bound A or C train to West 4 St and transfer to a Queens-bound A or Brooklyn-bound C train.
For Manhattan-bound service from High St take a Queens-bound A or Brooklyn-bound C train to Jay St and transfer to a Manhattan-bound A or C train.
For uptown service from Fulton St take a Queens-bound A or Brooklyn-bound C train to Jay St and transfer to a Manhattan-bound A or C train, or take an uptown 2 or 3 train to Park Place to transfer for free to uptown D or E service at World Trade Center or to Times Square-42 St to transfer for free to uptown A or C service at 42 St-Port Authority Bus Terminal.
For uptown service from Chambers St, take a free transfer to D or E at World Trade Center.
For uptown A and C service from Canal St, take the uptown E to 14 St to transfer to the A or C or take the uptown D to West 4 St or 59 St-Columbus Circle to transfer to the A or C.
For uptown C service from Spring St, take the uptown D to West 4 St or 59 St-Columbus Circle to transfer to the A or C.