The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) plans to increase service on the A and L lines to better accommodate riders during peak hours. At a Monday committee meeting, officials proposed adding six extra round trips across the two lines and shifting some weekend L train service from early morning to late night, when ridership is typically higher. Set to begin in November, the changes include one extra round trip on both the A train’s Lefferts Boulevard and Far Rockaway branches, and four more round trips on the L line during the morning rush.
The L line was previously limited to 20 trains per hour, but recent signaling and electrical power system upgrades have increased that capacity to 22, New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow said Monday.
The changes follow recent findings about shifting ridership patterns in the wake of the pandemic. According to the MTA, L train cars at 8 a.m. typically operate at 93 percent of their 145-passenger capacity during peak hours. By adding trains to the morning rush, the agency estimates it can reduce that load to 84 percent, as reported by Crain’s.
Under the proposal, L train evening service on weekdays would start 30 minutes earlier at 4 p.m. Additionally, the MTA plans to shift some weekend L train trips from mornings to evenings to better accommodate larger crowds traveling to Manhattan and Brooklyn for weekend festivities.
“We are able to add additional trips to boost service at the times of the day that have seen significant post-pandemic ridership growth,” Bernard Jackson, chief operating officer of NYCT, said. “All together, these changes will make service better, more reliable, and more efficient for transit riders.”
Implementing these changes will cost roughly $600,000, as additional trains require new transit worker shifts. However, weekend L train adjustments come at no extra cost, since they require no additional trains or crews. Officials say they plan to wait until fall to roll out the updates, allowing time to adjust workers’ schedules.
Another upcoming subway change is the F and M swap, designed to simplify routes that currently crossover at the complex 36th Street interlocking under Long Island City.
Set to begin in late fall, M trains will use the 63rd Street tunnel to cross the East River, stopping at 21st Street-Queensbridge, Roosevelt Island, Lexington Avenue-63rd Street, and 57th Street—all stations currently served by the F train, according to the Daily News.
Meanwhile, the F train will switch to the 53rd Street tunnel, now used by the E and M trains, stopping at Fifth Avenue, Lexington Avenue, Court Square, and Queens Plaza.
The MTA’s subway committee approved the proposal Monday, with the agency’s full board expected to grant final approval Wednesday.
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