Luck of the Irish shines on No. 7 riders

Queens straphangers call it the luck of the Irish that the No. 7 subway will be in service on St. Patrick’s Day - Saturday, March 17.
“We get a lot of people back from the parade, and we get a lot of people from other boroughs that come here like bagpipers,” said Belle Park, a waitress at Donovan’s Pub in Woodside. “I think it would have made a difference if we hadn’t have had the [No.] 7 train. Business wouldn’t have been as good.”
Park, who has waited tables at Donovan’s for 17 years, said that the slew of Irish bars and restaurants in Woodside were especially glad for the business boost on St. Pat’s after having lost customers for more than a week during the 10-day blackout in July 2006.
“I am happy that the MTA understands the importance of St. Patrick’s Day to the people of Queens. They have heard our voices and they have acted,” said City Councilmember Eric Gioia, who lobbied for service disruptions to be cancelled for the Irish holiday.
Several weeks ago, Gioia and local residents blasted the City for shutting down No. 7 service from 61st Street in Woodside to Times Square in Manhattan and replacing the subways with shuttle buses. The construction was scheduled to run six consecutive weekends - starting Saturday, February 17 and running through Monday, March 26 - including St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
On Thursday, March 1, the MTA announced that service on the No. 7 would be restored for St. Patrick’s Day weekend, and service will be disrupted an extra weekend - Saturday, March 31 to Monday, April 2.
This year, about 150,000 marchers are expected to parade up Fifth Avenue in Manhattan to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
“This is a wonderful step that should ease the burden we’ve been suffering these past weekends,” said John Smyth, Democratic District Leader from the 37th Assembly District. “The [No.] 7 train is a vital link for the Irish American community in Queens to be able to march and participate in the St. Patrick’s Day parade.”