There is a subway service shakeup coming for the four numbered lines that run through Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx next week, the MTA reminded riders on Monday.
The changes, which will take effect on May 18, would see more trips shifted to earlier and later times during both the morning and evening rush hours on the 2, 3, 4, and 5 lines. The MTA says the updated service is designed to better align with ridership patterns in response to survey results, according to the transit agency.
“Train trips would be reallocated to better match changes in ridership by time of day, as well as to improve reliability, by shifting trips earlier or later on all four lines,” an MTA document explaining the changes before they were approved at the agency’s January board meeting read.
Under the adjustments, some trips will be moved to the start and end of rush hour, while others will be repositioned to peak times. They will add more service during high-ridership times that previously had less, reducing the risk of delays for the four lines’ 1.2 million daily straphangers.
“These changes would generally spread peak service out, resulting in more even headways in the AM and PM peak hours and reducing the potential for delays through the Nostrand Junction Bottleneck,” the document said.
How the subway service changes will happen
A 2 train running along elevated tracks in the Bronx.Marc A. Hermann / MTA
Specifically, the changes include adding one northbound 2 line trip each at 6, 7, and 8 a.m. as well as at 5 p.m., while eliminating one trip each from the 5 and 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. hours.
On the 3 line, the MTA will add one northbound trip each at 7 a.m. and 7 and 9 p.m. At the same time, it will remove trips during the 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. hours.
For southbound 3 trains, the agency will add one trip each at the 5 and 7 a.m. hours on top of the 6 and 7 p.m. hours. It will also take away one trip each from the 8 and 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. slots..
Northbound 4 trains will get one additional journey each at the 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. hours — with two trips shifting from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. One run will be taken out of the 10 a.m. interval.
On the southbound 4 line, the MTA will move one trip from the 8 a.m. to 5 a.m. hour. It will also shift a journey from the 4 p.m. to 3 p.m. hour, while removing another from 9 a.m.
The 5 line’s northbound track will see two additional trips each at the 7 and 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. hours; with one trip added to the 7 p.m. slot. Two trips each at the 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. hours, as well as one trip each at the 11 a.m., 5, and 8 p.m. hours will be removed.
The MTA will move one trip each from the 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. southbound 5 line to its 6 a.m. interval.
It will also shift five southbound 2 trains to the local track between 42 St-Times Sq and Chambers St from 11:15 p.m to 12:15 a.m. to reduce delays caused by the 3 terminating at 34th St-Penn Station on the downtown express track.
The switch-up will yield an additional round-trip for the 3 train and one less round-trip for the 4 train, while improving reliability on all four of the affected lines.