FASTRACK Coming To A, C & E Lines
Earlier today, MTA NYC Transit sent out word that their new maintenance program FASTRACK will be making its way to the 
, 
, & 
. Here are the official details via the press release I received:
MTA New York City Transit is bringing FASTRACK to the Eighth Avenue Line beginning March 12th following success on the Lexington Avenue, Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue Lines. Beginning Monday, March 12th, the ACE Lines will be effected from10 p.m. until 5 a.m., suspending Eighth Avenue service between 59th Street-Columbus Circle in Manhattan and Jay Street-MetroTech in Brooklyn in both directions for four consecutive weeknights.
“With three FASTRACK’s under our belts so far, we are getting a real feel for just how valuable this process is for our customers and our employees,” said NYC Transit President Thomas F. Prendergast. “Riders see a visible difference in cleanliness along the trackway and in the stations and our workers are performing their tasks more efficiently and in a safer environment,” he added.
During this FASTRACK, service will operate as follows:
A trains run via the F and D lines between 59th Street-Columbus Circle and Jay Street-MetroTech:
1. On the D line between 59th Street-Columbus Circle and 47th-50th Streets.
2. On the F line between 47th-50th Streets and Jay Street-MetroTech.
E trains are rerouted to the F in Manhattan:
1. E trains run on the F Line between 5th Avenue-53rd Street and 2nd Avenue.
2. The 2nd Avenue F station is the last stop in Manhattan for E trains to and from Queens.
3. There is no train service between World Trade Center and West 4th Street.
C and M service to Manhattan runs until 9:30 p.m. Brooklyn and Queens-bound service runs until 10 p.m.
Customers should use 6th Avenue D and F stations to connect with rerouted A and E trains. Take the 12456N and R trains for service to and from lower Manhattan. Take the 1 or 2 for service to and from: 34th Street-Penn Station, Times Square-42nd Street and 42nd Street-Port Authority Bus Terminal.
By providing a more productive work window, Transit employees will be safer by avoiding the interruptions of repeatedly having to “clear up” for trains going by. In order to accomplish our maintenance tasks we chose four corridors to shut down overnight four times a year between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Those corridors all begin at Manhattan’s Central Business District (CBD):
• Lexington Avenue 456 from Grand Central-42nd Street to Atlantic Avenue
• Seventh Avenue 123 from 34th Street to Atlantic Avenue
• Sixth Avenue BDFM from 59th Street-Columbus Circle to West 4th Street
• Eighth Avenue ACE from 59th Street-Columbus Circle to Jay Street-MetroTech
Only subway line segments with substantial subway alternatives are selected for the overnight shutdowns. So, in addition to nearby lines, there may be other lines running that don’t usually operate during the late night hours in order to help accommodate customers. In order to avoid further inconvenience, we will avoid other service diversions in the area affected by the closure. Our next FASTRACK overnight closure will be on the Seventh Avenue 123 lines from 34th Street-Penn Station to Atlantic Avenue for four consecutive nights beginning Monday, April 9.
System-wide, NYC Transit’s weeknight ridership is approximately 250,000. The closures will affect from 10% to 15% of those riders depending on the line segment. When a line segment is closed at night, customers can expect to add 20 minutes to their usual travel time. Alternative transportation options will be detailed in announcements and posters on trains, in stations and on selected buses; brochures will be available in both English and Spanish. Information will also be available on the web at www.mta.info and through social media, email and text alerts.
The selfish part of me loves when the A or E serve the Lower East Side considering how much time I spend there!
xoxo Transit Blogger
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