MTA Speeds Up Lines 1 & 6 For Weekend Traffic

Martin Dover

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Starting this weekend, the 1 and 6 lines within the New York City subway network will experience enhanced operational speed. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) recently revealed that from Saturday, August 12, these subway lines will be running at intervals of six minutes during weekend service, a notable improvement from the previous eight-minute intervals. The augmentation in service quality became possible due to a designated $35 million funding allocation for the MTA in the Fiscal Year 2024 State Budget.

The proposed enhancements in service are strategically aimed at subway lines and schedules that have witnessed the most substantial resurgence in ridership following the pandemic. The latest data on ridership reveals that the city’s subway system now caters to an average of 3.85 million passengers on regular weekdays and approximately 2.2 million on weekends.

Weekend ridership, which has been gradually recuperating from the pandemic-induced decline, currently stands at around 80 percent of its pre-Covid-19 levels. Conversely, weekday ridership is presently operating at 65 to 70 percent of the subway system’s pre-pandemic capacity.

Janno Lieber, the MTA Chair and CEO, remarked, “It’s no secret that weekend ridership and discretionary travel are rebounding to pre-COVID levels faster than weekdays, and adding more service is going to help us build on that momentum. We’ve said this whole time that once the funding is there, we’d look to expand service outside of the weekday peaks. Now, thanks to the budget passed by Gov. Hochul and the State Legislature, we have the money and we’re keeping our promise.”

The forthcoming third phase of service enhancements, slated for December, will encompass the C, N, and R lines with increased evening service, along with expanded midday service on the G line, resulting in trains arriving every eight minutes. During this phase, the extended six-minute intervals on the 1 and 6 lines will be expanded to cover more hours of the day.

Looking ahead to the fourth phase, commencing in July 2024, there will be further improvements to midday and evening weekday services on the B, D, J, and M lines, with each train arriving at eight-minute intervals. During this phase, the 3 and 5 train services will also be introduced on weekends, offering trains at 10-minute intervals.