7 train will not run between Queens and Manhattan for six weekends

The 7 train will not run between Queens and Manhattan on six weekends starting next month as work begins to make Queensboro Plaza station fully accessible, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced Tuesday. The $74 million project includes the addition of two elevators, an expanded mezzanine, new lighting and boarding areas, and upgrades to the existing street and station stairs to meet current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. To carry out these upgrades, the MTA will be suspending 7-line service between 34th Street-Hudson Yards and Queensboro Plaza on certain weekends in February through April, and suspending the N line in May.

Image courtesy of the MTA on Flickr

Queensboro Plaza is one of the busiest stations in Queens, having served roughly 70,000 commuters on an average weekday in November 2022. The station’s location above the 11-lane entrance to the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge makes it a “complex construction project,” and one that requires significant service reductions and alterations.

Over the course of six weekends this winter and in early spring, the 7 train will not run between Queensboro Plaza and 34th Street-Hudson Yards stations.

The 7 will be closed from 12:15 a.m. on February 4 until 5 a.m. on February 6, as well as from 3:45 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday during the following weekends:

• February 11 through 12
• February 25 through 26
• March 11 through 12
• March 25 through 26
• April 22 through 23

The MTA will be providing free shuttle buses between Queensboro Plaza and Vernon Boulevard-Jackson Avenue, and between Times Square and 34th Street-Hudson Yards. The Grand Central Shuttle will operate all night and W train service will run on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. between Astoria-Ditmars Boulevard and 34th Street-Herald Square.

Commuters will be able to transfer to and from the E, F, and R trains at 74th Street-Broadway, or two and from the N and W trains at Queensboro Plaza for service between Manhattan and Queens.

“The improvements coming to Queensboro Plaza will greatly benefit tens of thousands of riders. Accessibility is such an integral part of mass transit, especially for a city like New York where mass transit is essential for many,” Richard Davey, president of NYC Transit, said.

“When complete, the project will provide critical accessibility upgrades, security updates, and customer experience improvements throughout the station.”

The project is expected to be complete by mid-2024.

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