Sept. 25, 2018 By Nathaly Pesantez
The MTA will be adding trains to the 7 line beginning next year to meet increased ridership once L train service shuts down between Brooklyn and Manhattan, the agency announced yesterday.
The service increase will begin in April 2019, the same time the Canarsie tunnel connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan is set to close, and will go through the 15 months of scheduled repair work for the tunnel.
Riders will notice increased 7 train frequency during weekday mornings and evenings—five round trips will be added between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m., and nine round trips will be added between 5:30 p.m. and midnight.
The 7 line, for example, sees 12 scheduled Manhattan-bound trips between 8 a.m. and 8:29 a.m. on weekdays, with an average headway of about 2.5 minutes. With the new measures, two additional trips will be added during this time frame, making for a total of 14 trips. The average headway would decrease to 2.1 minutes.
The added trips will also help with crowding. An average of 111 riders are currently observed in one 7 line car during 8 a.m. and 8:29 a.m., but the MTA is projecting that number to drop to 95 once the measures are in place.
The additional trips will especially help accommodate the surge in displaced L train riders heading to the Court Square station in Long Island City from Brooklyn.
“It’s extremely important for us to get the subway service alternatives right during the L tunnel reconstruction project, because we plan to accommodate up to 80 percent of diverted riders on other subway lines,” said MTA NYC Transit president Andy Byford. “By adding service on the 7 line to prepare for more customers, we’re making sure that once the tunnel work begins, Brooklyn riders can get to where they need to go while Queens customers get the service they depend on.”
Apart from the 7 line, the 6 line will also see a total of two additional round trips during weekday peak commuting hours.
MTA documents show that average ridership volumes on the 7 line already warrant four additional round trips in peak morning and evening hours. Projected ridership on the line for the L tunnel closure, however, warrants an additional 14 round trips.
The changes to the 7 and 6 lines come at a cost of $3 million annually. The cost of 10 of the additional 14 round trips on the 7 line cost about $1.7 million annually, and is included in the L tunnel’s reconstruction budget. The remaining cost for added service, meanwhile, is included in the 2019 operating budget.
The MTA projects that the L tunnel closure will affect more than 400,000 daily riders of the route, with the bulk of riders opting to use other subway lines like the G, J, M, and Z to get around.
The agency has been holding periodic town halls and community board meetings since the beginning of this year to inform and gather feedback from the the public on mitigation measures for the tunnel’s closure.
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14 Comments
Does anyone know how many of the L riders will be diverted to the No. 7? I can’t help but think that a vast majority of the L riders in will take the G from Metropolitan Ave. and switch at Court Square for the Manhattan-bound 7. This would be the simplest commute. But how in the world are two additional 7 trains during the height of the morning rush going to accommodate all these new riders?
I’m glad people are finally realizing that everyone LIES. The real estate people, the MTA, the politicians. Court Square/LIC in general have been sold to the highest bidder. I wish we could all DO SOMETHING about it.
The MTA needs to abolish the 7 Express, it slows down the system and causes overcrowding on the 7 local.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been on an extremely overcrowded 7 local, only to see a 7 Express fly by with hardly any passengers. How does that make sense?
The population density has changed, more and more people are living and working in LIC and Sunnyside, yet the MTA hasn’t changed the 7 local service to keep up with the demand. On the flip side, I believe more people are using the LIRR from Flushing instead of the 7 since it’s become unreliable and increasingly slow.
The FAKE MRLIC wrote the Sept. 25, 2018 comment on people from Brooklyn flooding our beloved borough.
The FAKE MRLIC wrote the September 25, 2018 comment on people from Brooklyn flooding Queens with their asymmetrical hairstyles and distressed trousers. My take on this is: The MTA spouts a lot of BS and this article is no different. LIC train lines will get worse and you may have to wait 4-5 trains soon.
Too little too late…
People already have to sometimes wait for 1-2 trains to go by before being able to board at Court Square, not to mention the people between Court Square and Grand Central who often have to wait for up to 3 trains to go by before being able to board
Funny how before this they said the 7 train was already running at capacity…
Seems like a great time to bring citibike to sunnyside. Williamsburg, greenpoint, lic, hunters point, Astoria all have it. The free standing ones are even available in the Bronx. It’s a shame we can’t be connected to our adjacent neighborhoods. Putting docks under the 7 train
In some of the 12 hour commuter spots will better serve the community and the commuters and reduce the volume on the trains.
Regarding the 7 line, especially with the upcoming L train shutdown, someone should look at the situation at the 7 line Court street elevated station.
At rush hours, at the top of the up escalator leading from the G and E and M trains below, there is a potential for injury as the crowds from the escalator feed directly into the mezzanine crowds trying to get upstairs to the Queens bound train. With these blocking crowds there is nowhere to go at some point, with the potential for injury as the escalator riders keep piling up on the mezzanine with no place to go.
If they can add more trains to the No. 7, then why not do it right now?
CBTC install is not complete yet. Added capacity will not be available until it is. If you believe anything the MTA claims.
How is the 4/5/6 affected by the L shutdown?
Why weren’t these 4/5/6 added years ago? That’s one of the worst lines to take in the morning. WAYYYY overcrowded.
Does this mean people from Brooklyn are going to be flooding our beloved borough with their asymmetrical hairstyles and distressed trousers?
the fat cats at MTA should try to get on any train (E or 7) at court square in the morning.