F and M trains will swap routes between Manhattan and Queens
Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr
Subway riders traveling between Manhattan and Queens should prepare for changes to their commute come December, when the MTA swaps the F and M lines to ease notorious delays at Queens Plaza. Starting December 8, the F and M lines will trade East River tunnels, separating express and local service and eliminating a bottleneck at Queens Plaza that delays up to 20 percent of rush-hour E, M, and R trains, the agency announced on Monday. The changes will apply on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., improving trips for the 1.2 million riders who use the lines each day.
As part of the change, the F will shift to the 53rd Street line, running alongside the E and stopping at Queens Plaza, Court Square, Lexington Avenue-53rd Street, and Fifth Avenue-53rd Street. The M will move to the 63rd Street line, serving 21st Street-Queensbridge, Roosevelt Island, Lexington Avenue-63rd Street, and 57th Street.
By removing the merges at Queens Plaza, the MTA will keep local M and R delays from spilling into express E and F service, and vice versa. The swap aims to ease chronic congestion on the Queens Boulevard lines, where delays currently affect 15 to 20 percent of rush-hour trains.
Commuters at Roosevelt Island and 21st Street–Queensbridge can expect less crowded trains, and M riders will see more frequent service during rush hours.
The MTA will launch a public information campaign ahead of the swap, including maps, “look ahead” posters, handouts, announcements, train signage, and other materials to guide riders.
“We’ve received a lot of customer feedback regarding delays on the F line,” NYC Transit Senior Vice President of Subways Bill Amarosa said. “Swapping the F and M lines will increase reliability, reduce delays, and create a more comfortable ride for everyone.”
The F and M swap will also enable the MTA to upgrade the 21st Street-Queensbridge station with improved lighting and signage, fresh paint, polished glass surfaces, repaired floor tiles, enhanced drainage, and new canopies over two staircases to protect riders from the weather.
The swap marks the first major redesign of the Queens subway network since 2017, when the Second Avenue Subway opened and the Q train was rerouted to serve the new Upper East Side stops, according to amNY. The changes are expected to cost the MTA $1 million a year, as reported by Gothamist.
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