Unlucky No. 7 train riders will see service disrupted for up to 22 weekends this year to allow the MTA to upgrade its signal system.
There will be 13 disruptions planned on weekends between February and July, with nine tentative service changes between August and December.
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, who planned a rally in his Long Island City district Friday with other elected officials, said he would prefer shuttle buses into Manhattan and more work done overnight, during the summer months, and Fast Track repairs.
"The MTA can’t keep shutting down the 7 train, year after year, with no end in sight," Van Bramer said. "This is unprecedented, we’ve never seen this many."
MTA’s subways chief, Carmen Bianco, said in a statement that installation of the new signal system requires more than 48 hours of continuous access to tunnels and tracks.
For the first six months, there will be no train service between Times Square and Queensboro Plaza, with reduced service between 74th Street-Broadway and Queensboro Plaza beginning in May. Further, there will be two weekends in May without any trains running between Times Square and 74th Street. Trains, however, will be back Sunday June 8 in the early morning for the Puerto Rican Day Parade.
Each weekend closure will start Friday night at 11:45 p.m. and resume Monday at 5 a.m.
