Second Avenue Subway will run with limited service for its first week
If you thought yesterday’s news that the Second Avenue Subway would meet its deadline and open on January 1st was too good to be true, you were partially correct. Though service will in fact begin as of the new year, a press release from the Governor’s office tells us that for its inaugural week, the line will only run from 6am to 10pm, a blow to late-night commuters and those visiting the city for the holidays.
In his announcement yesterday, Governor Cuomo failed to mention the limited service. He also said that the train would open the public at noon, when MTA Chairman Thomas Prendergast said earlier that same day that it would open at 6am (government officials will take the actual first ride during a celebratory event on New Year’s Eve). The miscommunication exemplifies what many believe to be a haphazard, last-ditch effort by Cuomo to open the Second Avenue Subway on time.
However, in a statement he said, “New Yorkers have waited nearly a century to see the promise of the Second Avenue Subway realized, and after unrelenting dedication from thousands of hardworking men and women, the wait is over and the subway will open on December 31. The on-time completion of this major, transformative project reaffirms confidence in government competence, increasing capacity on the nation’s busiest subway system, and delivering a new, vital transportation artery to millions of New Yorkers.”
The current plan is for the first uptown Q train to Second Avenue to depart from the 57th Street-7th Avenue station at noon, with subsequent trains running every six minutes during peak hours. Overnight service will begin on the 9th.
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