The NY Post reports: More subway riders dependent on the B express to get them to their destinations on time are reacting angrily this week to the MTA’s plans to suspend service along the Brighton Line later this month.
The B train now runs express between Prospect Park and Brighton Beach. That will soon halt, however, when express service is suspended north of Kings Highway while reconstruction of several stations – Newkirk Avenue, Avenue H, Avenue J, Avenue M and Kings Highway continues along the line.
To make matters worse for riders, the MTA now also says that there will be “periodic weekend shutdowns of all train service between Prospect Park and Brighton Beach Stations” throughout the reconstruction project, which isn’t supposed to conclude until late 2011.
Shuttle buses will run instead.
According to the MTA, two of the four tracks along the Brighton Line will be out of service at any given time, requiring both B and Q trains to operate on one track in each direction.
From now until late next year, southbound B and Q service will operate on the local track from Parkside Avenue to Cortelyou Road and on the express track from Newkirk Avenue to Kings Highway.
Stations at Avenue H and Avenue M will be bypassed going south while temporary platforms will be constructed at the Avenue J and Kings Highway stations to provide access to southbound B and Q trains.
At the same time, northbound B and Q trains will make local stops from Kings Highway to Parkside Avenue.
The operation will then be reversed in the third quarter of 2010 and continue into the following year when northbound B & Q trains will operate on the express track from Kings Highway to Newkirk Avenue and on the local track from Cortelyou Road to Parkside Avenue.
Service will be bypassed in the northbound direction at Avenue H and Avenue M. Southbound B and Q service will make local stops from Parkside Avenue to Kings Highway.
The MTA says it “regrets any inconvenience.”
(Source: NY Post)
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10 Responses
The MTA gave no formal notice. There is nothing on their site.
This week they put up signs about the change in service; those signs say it will be for only ONE WEEK.
We know that they intend to run the B line local for TWO YEARS!
CHUTZPAH!
They are clearly trying to hide what they are doing from the public until it’s too late to protest.
They’ve already started to take apart the stations making it impossible to go back to regular service. All without any real notice to the public!
SO this is good cuz all shuttle buses are free! so if you want to travel in between these places, it will be free… if you need to go farther than that- it will be a problem….
We should at least be happy that the trains will run on the local track. This way trains will come every 15 or 20 minutes should they get around to it.
you should all stop complaining and be happy that they are trying to fix the problem
as this may be hard for riders, its obviuously being done for track work, and nothing they can do about it
I love it when the NY Post, in their usual incompentency, publishes a news article on 9/15 when the B express suspension in Brooklyn already took place on Monday 9/14 – – not later this month as the article reads.
Don’t believe me? It’s already happened with the first 2 weeks this month, a planned service change which makies B service run on the local tracks along the Brighton line, then another service change that will last for two years to take effect on 9/28.
Go to Avenue J station, there is a new staircase and overpass on the northbound express track right now. It will be the location for an ISLAND platform that will service ALL northbound and southbound B/Q service by 9/28. Be happy that these stations are getting a full rehab.
yosse, you don’t live right behind the Brighton Line like I do. I was woken up at 4:30 Shabbos morning by the rat-a-tat-tat of the MTA’s jack hammers. When I went to complain to 311, they sent me to the DEP who then tried to send me to the MTA. When I retorted that it is a waste of time for me to speak with the MTA because they will never ticket themselves, the DEP told me that this is their protocol!
What they are planning to do is the following;
Replace all of the wooden railroad ties with concrete ones
Replace the drainage system with a new one
Remove all of the lead paint
Install elevators at the Newkirk Ave. and Kings Highway stations
Estimate it should take the MTA about five years. In the meantime, it will be rough riding.
MTA, going your way……
Nice to see that the NY Post in their usual incompenence, the B express suspension already happened this past Monday 9/14.
Go to Avenue J station and you will see something very interesting on the northbound express track.
Newkirk Plaza David, the B & Q train can not operate express for part of the line and local at the other part. The switches are located between Prospect Park and Parkside Ave. stations, Kings Highway and Ave. U stations, Neck Road and Sheepshead Bay stations, and Sheepshead Bay stations and Brighton Beach stations. The New York Post has the story very, very wrong.
Maybe I should complain to Douglas Montero of the MTA jack hammers at 4:30 a.m.
MTA, going your way…….
You are wrong about the elevators at Newkirk Ave, none will be installed. Beginning 9/28, southbound service will run on the local track from Parkside Ave to Cortelyou, then realingned track will be installed just north of Newkirk Ave to force B/Q trains onto the southbound express track (no new switches installed), then run on the express track to Sheepshead Bay.
The interesting thing will be the “island” platform at Avenue J and Kings Highway, it will be a nightmare because all northbound and southbound customers will be sharing the same platform.