By Philip Newman
Riders of the Q32 along with patrons of several other lines will be rerouted to exclude them from the so-called frozen zone around Madison Square Garden above the station during the GOP convention.During the convention the Q32, which normally runs between Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights and Penn Station, will reach the end of the line at 32nd Street and Fifth Avenue, far to the east of the regular end of its run.Besides the Q32, other buses affected are the M4, M10, M16, M20, M34 and X51.Joseph Smith, manager of the Manhattan bus division of the New York City Transit Authority, said some 70,000 riders would be affected by the changes.Officials said it might be necessary to implement more bus detours because of a demonstration scheduled for Aug. 29.”All this is subject to change,” said Paul Fleuranges, chief spokesman for the New York City Transit Authority.”We're trying to avoid the Madison Square Garden area as much as we can,” said Keith Hom, director of operational planning for the New York City Transit Authority.The Q32's regular route takes it along Fifth Avenue and west on 34th Street and south to 32nd Street and 7th Avenue across the street from Penn Station.Subway service is to run normally. However, four entrances to the A, C and E trains at 33rd Street and Eighth Avenue are to be shut down as are the northwest entrances to the 1, 2, 3 and 9 subway lines.Only two entrances to Penn Station will be open during the convention, which runs from Sept. 30 through Sept. 2 – the main entrance at Seventh Avenue and 32nd Street and the Long Island Rail Road entrance on 34th Street near Seventh Avenue.
