MTA will cut service on seven subway lines starting in 2023

New Yorkers might see some changes to the subway service this summer. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) recently announced that it would cut service on seven subway lines starting in June. Subway riders who take one of these routes will have to wait 30 seconds more for the next train. 

The MTA plans to make “strategic reductions” to scheduled trips on the following lines: 1, 6, 7, L, E, F, and Q. These reductions will take place on Mondays and Fridays – the days when most New Yorkers work from home. Rush hour service on the A and C lines will begin earlier on weekdays. In addition, riders who take G, J, and M lines on weekends should expect a shorter wait time – it will be reduced by 2 minutes. 

“These adjustments reflect higher ridership recovery on the weekends, and lower relative ridership on Mondays and Fridays in the post-COVID hybrid work era,” said New York City Transit President Richard Davey. “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.”

NYC subway ridership remains below pre-pandemic levels. However, more New Yorkers use the subway on weekends than on weekdays. On Wednesdays, December 14, nearly 3.8 million people hopped on the train in New York City, which is about 64 percent of a similar day in 2019. Weekend ridership, on the other hand, has reached 77 percent of pre-pandemic levels. 

More than half of New Yorkers are not satisfied with the subway system. The subway satisfaction rate sits at 48 percent, according to the findings from the MTA spring 2022 bi-annual customer count survey. The L, G, Q, and 7 lines had the highest satisfaction scores, while the D train received the lowest rating from subway riders. 

The proposed changes to the subway service will save MTA $1.5 million a year. The agency is running out of federal funding, and the ridership levels remain low. Previously, the MTA also announced fare hikes that will increase the cost of riding the subway and buses from $2.75 to $2.90 in 2023 and $3.05 in 2025, 6 sqft reports. 

Resources:

“New York City Transit Outlines Subway Service Adjustments Coming in 2023,” (New York City Transit, 2022)

“Day-by-day ridership numbers,” (MTA, 2022)

“The MTA will cut service to these seven subway lines starting this summer,” by Anna Rahmanan (Time Out, 2022)

“The MTA Is Cutting Subway Service on These Lines Starting in June,” by Serena Tara (thrillist, 2022)

“MTA to cut NYC subway service on Mondays and Fridays, boost some weekend trains,” by Gwynne Hogan and Clayton Guse (Gothamist, 2022)

“MTA plans 5.5% fare hike next year, needs $600M more to plug deficit,” by Stephen Nessen (Gothasmit, 2022)

“MTA to cut Monday and Friday subway service on some lines,” by Aaron Ginsburg (6sqft, 2022)

“NYC subway fare could hit over $3 by 2025,” by Aaron Ginsburg (6sqft, 2022)