NEW YORK (WABC) — Major changes on the F and M subway lines in New York City go into effect Monday, and residents of one part of the city may feel the impact the most.
Track work began Monday morning and will continue into next year.
F service will be diverted on the E line in both directions between Rockefeller Center and Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue.
On weekdays, M service between Rockefeller Center and Forest Hills-71st Avenue is suspended between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m
The impact on the F-Line means it will be significantly more difficult for commuters to get on and off Roosevelt Island.
According to official figures, 14,000 people live on Roosevelt Island and about three out of four take the F train to and from the island.
There is a tram, but it only carries 100 people at a time – including many tourists – and work on the tracks will see more people crowding the tram.
Residents like Jane Margaretten have feared the inconvenience for weeks.
“I’m tempted to do a six-month hotel stay in Manhattan, but I won’t do it. It’s not feasible,” she said.
The MTA provides a shuttle train on the F line that takes passengers off the island, but it only runs three times an hour and does not run overnight.
“We only have a shuttle train that starts one stop away in Queensbridge, comes to Roosevelt Island and then goes to 63rd Street and Lexington Avenue. At this point, most people can use the Q train instead of the F train. “The thing is, the shuttle train only runs every 20 minutes, it ends at midnight and starts at 5 a.m., it’s not like the usual subway service,” said Judith Berdy of the Roosevelt Historical Society.
Public transport officials say there was little choice. The rails that the F-train traveled between Midtown, Manhattan and Queens for almost four decades need to be ripped up and replaced. That’s almost five miles of track.
“I asked my team quite frankly, ‘Could we move it? Could we do something different? Could we, you know, find another way to do it?’” And the answer was a resounding no,” said Richard Davey, president of NYC Transit. “We absolutely had to do this track work.”
The MTA covers the night hours with a shuttle bus that runs to Queens Plaza.
They say all track work will replace overall reliability, but it will take at least six months — or maybe longer.
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