By Robert Pozarycki
Commuters in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx will need to prepare for disruptions on the 1 line for a 15-week period beginning at the end of this month.
The MTA will close off a large portion of the 1 line between Van Cortlandt Park-242nd Street and 137th Street-City College on overnights and weekends starting at 9:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 28.
During the work periods, train service at 10 stops between Van Cortlandt Park and City College will be impacted until the projects wraps up in April 2021; shuttle buses will provide alternate service.
The MTA says it’s taking advantage of down ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic; the subway system is slowly recovering from a 90% plunge in usage back in March and April.
But once the repairs on the 1 line are complete, acting New York City Transit President Sarah Feinberg said Friday, commuters can expect much smoother and more convenient service.
“Maintaining a state of good repair is crucial to providing the service reliability our customers deserve,” Feinberg said. “Once this work is completed, our 1 line customers will enjoy that much smoother of a ride. We have been in close contact with community leaders and local elected officials about this work, and would like to thank our customers for their patience while it’s performed.”
Here’s how the disruptions on the 1 line will take place:
- On weeknights, from 9:15 p.m. to 1 a.m., 1 trains will operate between South Ferry and 137th Street-City College. The 1 train will have a special shuttle train operating on one track between between Dyckman Street and Van Cortlandt-242nd Street, and two free shuttle buses will connect riders between 137th Street-City College and Dyckman Street (for 1 and A train service), and between 191st and 168th Streets.
- Over three weeknight periods — Jan. 11-14, Jan. 18-21 and Jan. 25-28 — 1 trains will operate between Van Cortlandt Park-242nd Street and Dyckman Street, then run on the 3 line between 148th Street and South Ferry. There will be no train service between 96th Street and Dyckman Street, with shuttle buses replacing 1 train service. During these specific periods, the MTA will perform additional maintenance in addition to ongoing track and switch replacement.
- On weekends between Jan. 1 and March 22, 1 trains will operate between South Ferry and 137th Street-City College. Customers will need to transfer to the A or C trains at 137th Street-City College, or pick up a free shuttle bus, to reach the stations north of the station.
More information on the 1 train project can be found online at MTA.info.
Note: All subway service throughout the system remains suspended nightly between 1 and 5 a.m. for disinfection.
