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MTA fails on promise to boost R train service, lawmaker says
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Sep 7, 2023
Modified Sep 7, 2023
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Stephen Nessen
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Sep 7, 2023
Modified Sep 7, 2023
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The R train still stands for "rarely," despite the MTA's pledge to increase midday service on the historically unreliable subway line.
State Sen. Andrew Gounardes of Brooklyn — who stood alongside MTA leaders last month when they announced R trains would arrive at stations every eight minutes between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. starting on Aug. 28 — is now calling the plan a “bungled” effort.
“After months of hard work in Albany to fight for a rescue plan for the MTA and service improvements for lines including the R and N, I’m shocked and frustrated that the MTA would misrepresent these service upgrades to the riding public,” Gounardes wrote in a statement on Thursday. “People need to trust that subways will be reliable and dependable, especially as the MTA is asking for more tax dollars and fare increases to pay for service.”
In response to Gounardes’ gripe, MTA officials explained that track work on the F line scheduled has forced crews to move work trains onto R line tracks, forcing the MTA to push back the start of the extra midday service from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. until early next year.
"We will reduce wait times even further in the coming months after completion of necessary track work," NYC Transit President Richard Davey said in a statement. "We’re grateful to elected officials for their continuing support.”
But riders were still left waiting 14 minutes for R trains at the Union St. station in Brooklyn early Thursday afternoon, nearly twice as long as the MTA promised.
Commuters at the station said they’ve come to expect long waits for the R train.
“I'm just used to it at this point, honestly,” said Iris Gartner, who grew up in Park Slope. “But it would be nice if it came more frequently. Wouldn't have to be the ‘rarely’ train anymore,” she said, referring to the R train’s nickname.
Others standing on the sweltering platform summed up the service more succinctly.
“It sucks,” said Brooklyn commuter Margarete Bernstein.
Bernstein said she has a fairly flexible job making mannequins near 14th Street in Manhattan, but she adjusts her commute to compensate for the unpredictable train schedule.
“It makes it complicated when I'm late. I try to cushion the time,” she said. “I just leave earlier.”
State lawmakers earlier this year agreed to increase funding to the MTA through a one-time cash boost and other recurring taxes. For its part, the MTA agreed to spend $35 million on increased service across several lines.
It’s not the first time this year the MTA has reduced service on a line right after promising improvements.
The MTA in May announced the M line would get more weekend service starting in July. But a month after improving weekend commutes, the agency launched major cuts to weekday service on the line to make way for construction work..
The MTA on Aug. 28 shut down M train service between the 47-50 Streets-Rockefeller Center and Forest Hills-71 Avenue stations from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. every weekday. The service isn’t scheduled to return until early next year.
“Riders know all too well that the subway needs repairs that trigger service changes and at the same we need the MTA to level with us about what to expect every time we ride,” wrote Danny Pearlstein, the policy and communications director with Riders Alliance. “We're all eager for more frequent service but we also need to be able to plan our commutes and our lives around what's actually running.”
This story was updated with comment from MTA officials.
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transportation
Stephen Nessen
Stephen Nessen covers transportation. Since 2008 he has reported on everything from Occupy Wall Street, the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site, Hurricane Sandy, to Trump’s campaign for president. His transportation reporting has taken him everywhere from the MTA’s secret Rail Control Center to the gleaming subways of Seoul. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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