Weekend shutdowns planned for No. 7 train

For the second straight year, riders of the No. 7 train will have their weekend trips disrupted because the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is going ahead with work to upgrade the subway track.
Starting the weekend of January 12, the MTA will halt weekend service on the No.7 train between Flushing Main Street and 61st Street in Woodside for up to five weekends. In addition, riders can expect a longer weekday commute beginning Friday, January 11 through Friday, February 29 as all No. 7 trains will run locally instead of running express during rush hour.
“We understand that the No. 7 line riders will face major disruptions of service while this vital work is being performed,” said NYC Transit President Howard H. Roberts, Jr.
However, City Councilmember John Liu, who is the chair of the council’s transportation committee and represents the Flushing area where the disruptions would take place, said No. 7 train riders have had to deal with these disruptions too often.
“These repairs have been going on for 20 years,” Liu said. “That’s the problem. People think the MTA is just using repair work as a black hole of an excuse to shut service.”
Many riders use the No. 7 train on weekends to commute into Manhattan or go to work in other places so Liu said that the weekend disruptions will affect many of his constituents.
“The repairs on the No. 7 line are incessant, and it’s still a mystery whether the MTA is doing all the work as expeditiously and coordinated as possible to minimize the shutdown of the service,” Liu said. “The riders will have to endure this, and we will closely monitor the MTA’s progress, to help insure that the shutdowns do not get prolonged.”
Currently, the MTA plans to provide alternative service for weekend riders by running Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) shuttles every 15 minutes from Flushing Main Street that will stop at Woodside and Penn Station.
In addition, the MTA will provide shuttle buses for passengers who usually board the No. 7 train at the stations in between Flushing and Woodside. Riders can show their MetroCard and board the LIRR or shuttle buses. The MTA also will have representatives at the stations throughout the weekend directing riders where to go for the buses.
“The MTA’s communication with the public does seem to be more well-thought-out and planned further ahead this time,” Liu said. “Undoubtedly there will still be confusion.”