In a move aimed to speed up commutes and reduce train congestion, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has announced that the F and M subway lines between Manhattan and Queens will undergo a route swap starting December 8. As reported by Gothamist, this change is expected to save at least a minute for close to 50,000 weekday morning riders.
During the switchover that is to primarily affect rush hours, the M train will begin to make stops at 21st Street-Queensbridge, Roosevelt Island, and travel under East 63rd Street towards Sixth Avenue. On the other hand, the F train will utilize the 53rd Street tunnel alongside the E line, according to a statement obtained by AM New York. This new arrangement is to only be in effect on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
The alteration in routes is expected to isolate local from express service, leading to fewer delays. Alan Foster, the MTA Director of Rail Network Planning, expressed optimism about the change, saying, "This will completely isolate local service from express service, so this will be much less prone to delays," as mentioned in the Gothamist report. The M line will revert back to its usual route during nights and weekends when it doesn't operate along Queens Boulevard.
The impact of this swap, though, may not seem significant to all riders. "We always figure it out, it's always a way," Lou Rodriguez, a 44-year-old Queens Plaza commuter said to the Gothamist, indicating a sense of adaptability among the community.
Nonetheless, MTA's planned route change symbolizes the first significant redesign of the subway network since the Second Avenue Subway opened in 2017, as noted by AM New York.
To mitigate confusion, the MTA plans to update signage at the eight stations affected and to provide riders with plenty of notice about the upcoming changes. Joana Flores, an MTA spokesperson, highlighted their efforts to prepare commuters for the switch. Despite these efforts, the change is projected to cost the agency an additional $1 million annually.
