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Surprise: J/M Trains Not Running Between Brooklyn & Manhattan On Weekends, Now Through January
By
Claire Lampen
Published Nov 21, 2018
Modified Nov 21, 2018
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By
Claire Lampen
Published Nov 21, 2018
Modified Nov 21, 2018
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The MTA has more bad news for those of you hoping to ride the subway between North Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan on the weekend: You can't!! At least, not on the J/M/Z lines, which will be undergoing assorted renovations from now until the end of January.
Fortunately, a regular weekend L schedule (I haven't heard that name in years) will resume this weekend, which should help make up for this severing of service over the Williamsburg Bridge. Unfortunately, this is annoying and I am annoyed. Just take a look at this travel update, which applies to J and M trains running between ~9:45 p.m. on Fridays and 5 a.m. on Mondays (the Z does not run on weekends), and which was whispered into the void in classic MTA fashion:
November 23-26
• J trains operate between Hewes Street and Jamaica Center.
• M service is suspended.
November 30-December 3
• J trains operate between Hewes Street and Jamaica Center.
• M trains operate between Metropolitan Av and Myrtle Avenue.
December 7-10
• J trains operate between Hewes Street and Jamaica Center.
• M service is suspended.
December 14-17, 21-24, 28-31, and January 4-7, 2019
• M service is suspended.
January 11-14, 18-21, 25-28
• J trains operate between Myrtle Avenue and Jamaica Center.
• M service is suspended.
Free shuttles will be on hand to ferry you from Hewes Street to Essex Street, and between Essex and Metropolitan Avenue as needed, but thanks to the looming L'pocalypse, we know what that means: crowded buses grinding through snarled traffic, possibly for hours and maybe even decades. Plus, once February starts, the L will settle back into mini-shutdown mode on the weekends, portending general confusion and weariness as you attempt to keep all these changes straight.
According to the official announcement—which heavily emphasizes the fact that L train-taking will still be possible in Brooklyn during the dreaded shutdown, you're being dramatic—weekend J/M suspension is for our own good. "We're working hard to be ready for when the L line runs as a Brooklyn-only service while we reconstruct its under-river tunnel next year," New York City Transit President Andy Byford said in a statement. "To make sure our alternate service will be as reliable possible before the project starts, we're doing accelerated work now on those subway lines and stations that will absorb customers going to and from Manhattan."
As an additional reminder, the full L train shutdown begins on April 27th, and promises to make its effects felt on train lines across the city, once this hefty displaced commuter load bleeds into other areas and strains our crumbling transit system.
So there you have it: Fresh transit chaos for the foreseeable future. I can't think of much more to say that isn't "GODDAMNIT" or *fussily punts pillow across room* or just going back to bed. I must conserve my strength for jumping the carousel of hurdles the MTA is serving up this winter, after all. I suggest you do the same.
In conclusion, here is a live look at me, being corralled onto an ersatz subway bus by the MTA:
Tagged
j train
l train shutdown
l'pocalypse
m train
MTA
z train
Claire Lampen
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