Another holiday shutdown on No. 7 line

Thousands of Queens residents were stuck without No. 7 subway service during the Fourth of July weekend after the Transit Authority (TA) shut down the line from Queensboro Plaza to Times Square.
&#8220[Construction on the No. 7 train] has been going on for years,” complained Elizabeth Jones, from Woodside. &#8220I was nine when I moved to Queens, and now I'm 46. [The construction] has been going on forever. Why would they do it on a holiday weekend?”
Starting at midnight on Friday, June 30 until Monday morning July 3, commuters had to find their way by bus, Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), express bus, car, or N-train into Manhattan.
In the past year, the No. 7 line has been shut down 14 times - approximately once per month - for construction and track work at the Hunters Point station, forcing some commuters to transfer to the N train, which also runs into Manhattan from the Queensboro Plaza station. Jones said, however, that the N train often runs less frequently than the No. 7 line.
In the past two years, the No. 7 line has been shut 25 times during the weekend for construction, and in 2003, the line was shut for seven consecutive weekends. The last time the line was closed for construction was during Memorial Day weekend.
&#8220The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has snubbed Queens once again,” said Councilman Eric Gioia. &#8220The No. 7 subway is a lifeline for businesses, cultural institutions, and hundreds of thousands of Queens residents. Put simply, when the train doesn't run, the borough suffers.”
Gioia demanded that the MTA and TA provide detailed plans and schedules for any remaining construction on the No. 7 line. Gioia also asked that shuttle buses be provided to run from Vernon Boulevard/Jackson Avenue in Long Island City - and other stations in between Queensboro Plaza and Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan.
&#8220It really is annoying,” said Colete Lopez, 16, from Sunnyside. &#8220I take the No. 7 subway to travel into the city to meet friends, hang out, and go see a movie.”