The MTA announced on Monday schedule changes that are on the way for certain subway lines in order "to better meet post-COVID travel" needs of New Yorkers.
The changes will add scheduled trips to the G, J and M lines on weekends -- improving headways by up to 2 minutes, the MTA said.
Additionally, New York City Transit is also proposing an earlier start to weekday A and C express/local rush hour service with Manhattan-bound A express service starting one trip earlier during the early morning rush to help riders in eastern Queens and the Rockaways. In order to complement this early A express start, one rush hour C trip will be shifted earlier in the morning.
To make these additional scheduled trips possible, NYC Transit will make strategic reductions to scheduled trips on Mondays and Fridays on the 1, 6, 7, E, F, L, and Q lines.
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These changes reflect an overall consistent lower ridership on Mondays and Fridays, where ridership recovery has shown to be the slowest, than on mid-week days as hybrid office work becomes the growing trend.
“We continually analyze ridership patterns to better serve riders,” New York City Transit President Richard Davey said. “These adjustments reflect higher ridership recovery on the weekends, and lower relative ridership on Mondays and Fridays in the post-COVID hybrid work era. As riders continue to return to mass transit and patterns change, New York City Transit will adapt service accordingly as we strive to provide faster, cleaner and safer rides.”
New York City Transit Weekend Subway Czar Jose LaSalle shared similar sentiments, saying in a statement: “Discretionary travel has led the subway recovery from the depths of its pandemic dip, with weekend ridership recovery outpacing weekdays. Increasing weekend trips on the G, J and M lines lines will make it easier for Brooklyn and Queens riders to move around the city."
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The changes are expected to go into effect in June 2023.
