A Train Shutdown to Affect Thousands of Commuters in the Rockaways
Cheryl Motley, 62, rises at around 5 a.m. every weekday to make her two-hour commute from Far Rockaway, Queens to her office in Brooklyn on the A then R train. Come the new year, though, she will have to wake up even earlier as an upcoming service outage to the A train is set to shake up her routine.
The Shutdown
Starting in mid-January, service for the A train will end at Howard Beach for 17 weeks until May — disconnecting over 9,000 daily commuters on Broad Channel and the entire Rockaway peninsula from the only subway service that carries them to the mainland.
The MTA’s Plan
The MTA included repairs to the elevated station at Beach 90th Street in the Rockaways as part of their capital budget, Sept. 20, 2024. The current phase of the project — a $393 million endeavor that began in December 2022 and is expected to be completed in fall 2026 — is meant to overhaul and upgrade components of the line that are more than 65 years old to make them more resilient to climate change and rising sea levels.
Concerns from Commuters
Many Rockaway residents at the town hall, however, said they are concerned and frustrated about the upcoming change. Tensions were palpable as Allan Foster, acting director of rail network and planning, explained that the MTA did not have extra buses to increase express bus service to Manhattan during the scheduled outage, except for a few that will be on standby in the case of crowding issues.
Impact on Daily Routine
Quiana Davis, a Rockaway resident of 15 years, said she had heard about the town hall from a Facebook group where many locals have been venting about the upcoming service change. She said she was concerned about waiting for the bus in the cold and getting to work on time, but that she also understood the need for the resiliency work, especially after witnessing how Sandy had devastated the peninsula and interrupted train services there.
Students’ Concerns
High school student Mickaela Douglass said she relies on the A train to get to school from the Rockaways and is now searching for alternatives. At the Beach 67th Street train platform, a 21-year-old college student who asked not to be named said she was "mad" about the upcoming shutdown, but that it was better than the never-ending weekend work over the past few years.
Conclusion
The upcoming A train shutdown is set to have a significant impact on thousands of commuters in the Rockaways. While the MTA is working to upgrade and improve the infrastructure, many residents are concerned about the impact on their daily routines. The shutdown is set to last for 17 weeks, and commuters will need to find alternative ways to get to work and school.
FAQs
Q: Why is the A train being shut down?
A: The MTA is shutting down the A train to repair and upgrade the infrastructure to make it more resilient to climate change and rising sea levels.
Q: How will commuters be affected?
A: Over 9,000 daily commuters will be disconnected from the only subway service that carries them to the mainland.
Q: What alternatives will be available?
A: The MTA will be offering two free shuttle bus services to Howard Beach and rerouting the shuttle train to run across all stops on the peninsula for free.
Q: Will the MTA provide extra buses to increase express bus service to Manhattan?
A: No, the MTA does not have extra buses to increase express bus service to Manhattan during the scheduled outage, except for a few that will be on standby in the case of crowding issues.
