Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
MTA Announces More Frequent Service On 11 Subway Lines, Plus The Times Square Shuttle
By
Emma Whitford
Published Oct 22, 2015
Modified Oct 22, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Jen Chung / Gothamist
By
Emma Whitford
Published Oct 22, 2015
Modified Oct 22, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Because we're all just sardines packed into an under-funded can, the MTA has announced that it will be rolling out more frequent weekday (and in some cases, weekend) trips next summer on the 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, A, C, E, J, M, N lines, as well as the track that serves the Times Square shuttle.
The Times Square S will be benefiting the most from the proposed changes—the number of weekday trips between Times Square and Grand Central will double from 12 to 24 between 9:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m., reducing the average wait time to an estimated 5 minutes.
Other service increases on the docket: The 1 and 2 trains will get an additional 5 trips during peak and evening hours; the A, C and E lines will get three additional round trips during midday and evening rush hours, plus three more round trips on Sunday morning; the J, M, and Z trains will get three more weekday round trips; and the 4, 5, and 6 will get seven more weekday evening round trips.
Here's the full breakdown, showing how many fewer minutes of suffering you'll endure come June (unless you ride the G). Note that your Sunday brunch C train will soon be breezing through the station every 12 minutes:
(via MTA)
This increase in trip frequency, which has already been factored into the 2016 budget, will cost an estimated $5.8 million annually.
Wondering why your beloved G/R/L/F/Z/B/Q/D/7/Franklin Avenue S didn't make the list? According to the MTA, the number of trips that can be added is "limited due to car and track capacity constraints during peak hours and the need to perform ongoing maintenance and capital construction work during off-peak hours." There you go!
"This is good news for transit riders," said Riders Alliance Executive Director John Raskin in a statement. "More trains means less waiting on lonely platforms, especially at night and on the weekends."
Interim NYC Transit President James Ferrara made a statement about these changes as well, reminding anyone who will listen that the MTA is doing its best with the resources it has.
"Our subway system is more than a century old and even where we are aided by new technology, we are still limited by the overall age and condition of the system and the maintenance that is needed to run trains safely," he said. "Making these service changes wherever we can lets us make the best use of existing resources."
Tagged
c train
crowding
funding
MTA
overcrowded
times square shuttle
original
Emma Whitford
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Man shot by ICE in NYC's Marble Hill said federal officers never identified themselves
The wounded man said he didn't learn ICE agents were involved until he woke up in the hospital.
By
Arya Sundaram
and
Samantha Max
Published Oct 14, 2026 at 5:26 p.m. ET
Brooklyn school dean says MTA officers assaulted him over a $3 bus fare he says he paid
Kyle Taylor, a dean at Mott Bridges Academy, says he made a legal bus transfer.
By
Carol Chen
News
Brooklyn school dean says MTA officers assaulted him over a $3 bus fare he says he paid
Kyle Taylor, a dean at Mott Bridges Academy, says he made a legal bus transfer.
By
Carol Chen
National Grid customers in NYC will see higher gas bills this winter
By
Rosemary Misdary
Bruce Blakeman joins Gov. Hochul in support for expanding NY rape law
By
Jon Campbell
2 men accused of stabbing off-duty NYPD detective in the Bronx plead not guilty
By
Charles Lane
and
Brittany Kriegstein
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .