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7-Line service to be suspended between 34 St-Hudson Yards and Queensboro Plaza for six weekends this winter and spring.
By Forum Staff
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced that it will begin construction to install two elevators to make the Queensboro Plaza a fully accessible station. This includes an elevator at the southern entrance of the station and an elevator between the mezzanine and the two platforms. The station is a busy transfer point in Queens that served nearly 70,000 riders on average every weekday in November 2022 – this estimate includes both customers who swiped in at this station and those who were transferring between the 7 and NW. The work will be completed in phases and will require weekends of service changes beginning with service outages on 7 line at 12:15 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 4 and later, in May, on the N line.
For six weekends this Winter and early Spring, the 7 line will be closed between Queensboro Plaza and 34 St-Hudson Yards in Manhattan. Customers can transfer to/from the E, F and R at 74 St-Broadway or to/from the NW at Queensboro Plaza for service between Manhattan and Queens.
Free shuttle buses will be provided between Queensboro Plaza and Vernon Blvd – Jackson Av, and between Times Square and 34 St-Hudson Yards. The Grand Central Shuttle will operate all night and W service will run Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. between Astoria-Ditmars Blvd and 34 St-Herald Square in addition to N service.
These service changes are scheduled to be in effect from 12:15 a.m. Saturday, February 4 until 5 a.m. Monday February 6, as well as from 3:45 a.m. Saturday to 10 p.m. Sunday, the following weekends:
Feb. 11 – Feb. 12
Feb. 25 – Feb. 26
Mar. 11 – Mar. 12
Mar. 25 – Mar. 26
Apr. 22 – Apr. 23
Additional weekend service changes are anticipated later in 2023 and in 2024. Customers are advised to sign up the MTA Weekender, a weekly newsletter sent every Friday to inform customers of weekend service changes throughout the transit system. The MTA will post print and digital signs in stations, along with announcements in stations and on trains, before the work begins. Customer service notifications will also be available on the MTA website, the MYmta app and social media.
The project being carried out by the MTA consists of building of two elevators, one connecting the street and mezzanine level and another connecting the mezzanine to both platforms. The project will also consist of:
Expansion of the mezzanine by approx. 50 sq ft, improving customer flow within the station
New lighting for the expanded mezzanine
Updates to the pedestrian bridge
New boarding areas compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with new platform edges
Upgrades to existing street and station stairs to current ADA standards
The project for building an accessible entrance on the south side is budgeted for $74 million and is expected to be complete by mid 2024. The station’s accessibility upgrade will be complemented with security and communication enhancements with upgrades to the fire alarm system, installation of a new security camera system, a new public address system, and digital information screens, offering better communication with clearer announcements and greater access to information via screens.
