By Rebecca Henely
The MTA recently announced plans to renovate the N and Q subway lines from mid-February to late September, a process that will mean some Manhattan-bound straphangers will see disruptions in their service and may occasionally have to backtrack to get a ride to the inner borough.
This has earned the Metropolitan Transportation Authority criticism from state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) and state Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas (D-Astoria), who said they want the community in the decisions to schedule maintenance as well as a shuttle bus for affected Astoria and Long Island City residents.
“They’re just telling us what they’re doing without giving us a chance to influence the process,” Gianaris said.
Charles Seaton, spokesman for the MTA, said the service changes are a result of two maintenance projects. The first involves replacing the track panels on the Astoria line. As a result of this work, scheduled for every weekend from Feb. 12 to March 13 and Aug. 13 to Sept. 25 between the hours of 4 a.m. Saturday and 10 p.m. Sunday, N trains going to Manhattan will run express between the Astoria Boulevard to Queensboro Plaza stops, meaning customers at the bypassed stations may need to take the Astoria-Ditmars-bound train back to get to Manhattan. The MTA also suggested customers take the R at Steinway or 36th streets or use the F train at 21st Street-Queensbridge.
“These service changes will not be in effect weekdays during the morning and evening rush period when trains will run normally, making all stops,” Seaton said in a statement.
The MTA will also be painting structures on weekends from May to July and one weekend in October. The schedule for this has not been set, but will encompass the whole weekend from 12:01 a.m. Saturday to 5 a.m. Monday.
From March 19 to March 21, there will also be no N service between Queensboro Plaza and Time Square due to track maintenance work on the 57th Street and 60th Street tubes.
Seaton said these projects cannot be performed simultaneously.
Gianaris wrote a letter to MTA Chairman Jay Walder Sunday requesting the work be done during off-peak hours — which it is — and that a shuttle bus be provided for commuters between Astoria Boulevard and Queensboro Plaza.
The senator said he was frustrated by what he saw as the community being left out of the process of choosing when the disruptions occur and compared it to problems Long Island City residents had in previous years with disruptions in service from summer maintenance on the No. 7 line.
“Apparently, they’ve learned very little from that experience,” Gianaris said.
Simotas also requested shuttle buses, saying they were a common-sense solution.
“At a time when travel in our community is already extraordinarily difficult, thanks to the effects of recent snowstorms, major construction on one of our main transit lines will only increase the burden on commuters,” Simotas said in a statement.
Yet Seaton contended the maintenance was needed.
“While we realize that the travel patterns of some customers may be disrupted, it is necessary in order to renew a vital piece of the subway’s infrastructure,” Seaton said.
Reach reporter Rebecca Henely by e-mail at rhenely@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4564.
