F, M subway lines are swapping East River tunnels starting in December. Here's why.
Some New York City subway riders will be taking slightly different routes in a few months, but it could mean somewhat shorter commutes.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced the F and M lines will swap their East River tunnels, starting in December.
Right now, the F and M trains have to cross paths in what the MTA considers a complicated interlocking near 36th Street in Queens. That's a configuration of tracks that often causes delays and service disruptions.
So, the MTA is proposing a weekday-only route swap which will mean:
- F trains will begin using the 53rd Street tunnel between Queens and Manhattan
- M trains will take over the 63rd Street tunnel for their cross-river route
The swap will take effect Monday, Dec. 8, and impact these eight stations in Queens and Midtown Manhattan, according to the MTA:
- 5th Avenue-53rd Street
- Lexington Avenue-53rd Street
- Court Square
- Queens Plaza
- 6th Avenue-57th Street
- Lexington Avenue-63rd Street
- Roosevelt Island
- 21st Street-Queensbridge
The MTA says 15-20% of rush hour trains are delayed at Queens Plaza because of this service pattern, which also impacts the E and R lines.
Officials say the solution is sending those trains through opposite tunnels in order to reduce merging issues and improve reliability. The MTA estimates the change will save approximately 47,000 commuters about a minute on average during the morning rush.
"Well, as long as it's running on-time, it's not going to affect me that much, as long as it gets me to where I got to go," subway rider Malcolm Gardner said. "One whole minute. How about lowering the fare? That might help."
"I've experienced a lot of delays with these trains," subway rider Denisha Rapier said. "They've definitely taken the time to make us aware of the changes. I've been seeing the notifications."
There are some tradeoffs. The agency says a small fraction of riders - about 2% - might see a worsening of their commute by up to four minutes along the 63rd Street stretch of the line.