By Philip Newman
As thousands of Queens riders know all too well, the “F” in “F train” is for “faltering.”
But the New York City Transit Authority said it is getting ready to do something about it.
F trains have been running late, cars have been jam-packed and station-skipping has been rampant, among other problems for straphangers.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has released a report that says F-line trains are off-schedule 25 percent more than average throughout the 22 subway lines.
The report said 26 percent of Manhattan-bound trains are jammed before they reach Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights.
At least 2.5 Brooklyn-bound F trains skip stations during the evening rush hour.
The MTA gave several reasons for the delays: ancient subway cars, a big construction project at the Smith-Ninth Streets station in Brooklyn and in some areas the F shares tracks with trains on the E, G and V lines.
The length of the F line — 27 miles and second only to the A line — also provides more chances for problems, transit officials said.The F runs from 179th Street in Jamaica through Kew Gardens and Jackson Heights into Manhattan and on to Brooklyn, terminating at Stillwell Avenue in Coney Island.
The Transit Authority said it planned to expedite the work in Brooklyn and install new cars in an effort to improve service on the F. Also, operators of the trains will no longer skip stations at rush hour.
The lowdown on the F came in a three-month inquiry report requested by state Sen. Daniel Squadron (D-Brooklyn).
Gene Russianoff, attorney for the transit advocacy agency Straphangers Campaign, called the 25-page report “the most comprehensive I have seen.”
“I am hoping it will mean improved service for F riders,” Russianoff said.
Reach contributing writer Philip Newman by e-mail at timesledgernews@cnglocal.com or phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 136.
