SUNDAY MORNING UPDATE: There was a slight discrepancy with the map. The N and Q trains were running via the R line as the text bubbles indicated but the yellow line on the Manhattan Bridge was still solid. The problem has been fixed and the Manhattan Bridge N and Q service has been clarified on the map.

FRIDAY UPDATE: As per posted items in stations but not the MTA email D trains will not run between Bay Pkwy and Coney Island from 6 AM to 6 PM. Also, Q trains run on the R via Whitehall between Canal St and Dekalb Ave.

Welcome Back New York. The air is finally growing colder which means that the trees of NYC are getting to show off. It’s just about peak foliage weekend in Central Park, so whether you are headed there or to Prospect Park or Wave Hill in Riverdale or Clay Pits State Park in Staten Island the fall colors should be at their best. Now, it’s just getting there that’s the problem. Because it’s early I have not gotten the full press release from the MTA but I may not return until late tonight so as of right now the map reflects changes posted on the MTA website. There are always a few changes to the website list and so there will be an update posted Friday morning evening with all the correct info and any emergency changes to come down Friday night or Saturday morning. It should be a beautiful weekend after a nasty start to the week so go enjoy the last days before winter. Happy Tracks New York!

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Sunday Update #1: Downtown 1 trains will bypass 207 St between 10 AM and 4 PM today.

Sunday Update #2: Q and D trains are actually running via Whitehall St on the R line between Canal St and Dekalb Ave. There is no subway service over the Manhattan Bridge this weekend.

Saturday Update: This is small and won’t be reflected on the map until this evening but Q trains stop at 49 St this weekend. That is all.

Welcome back New York. The wonderful days of October are truly upon us now. This is my favorite time of year in New York City and I would encourage everyone to go out and enjoy the weekend while you still have the chance. After this comes the dreary month of November and the biting cold of New York winter. But for one weekend at least, it is supposed to be mostly sunny. So get out there and enjoy the leaves changing colors, New York should look great from Todt Hill to Wave Hill. But do beware of the MTA out to ruin your weekend. There are some odd service changes to report involving the D and 2 trains. The D is going down Broadway from 34 St to Dekalb Ave and the 2 only runs between Brooklyn and the UWS (96 St). It will be crazy on the 5 train this weekend. But the good news is Queens residents can take it easy this weekend. There are no problems to report in my home borough this weekend so it’s the perfect time to visit the Noguchi Museum or Flushing Meadows and follow it up with a pint at my favorite pub The Cuckoo’s Nest in Woodside. Enough of my Queens boosting. The map is below, click away. Happy Tracks New York!

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Well 8th Avenue is a disaster this weekend. C and E trains are running express while D trains are running uptown on the local 8th Ave. track. So why on Earth has the MTA switched one train off the local track and another train on the local track? Well it is, as always, a matter of switches. Switches are the intersections where trains change tracks, and the 8th Ave. line doesn’t seem to have enough of them. The problem is the upper level at W. 4th St. If uptown trains come into W. 4th St. on the local track, they have to stay there until 34th St or vice versa. So in order to do track work on the local uptown track in the vicinity of Spring St, C and E trains are stuck on the express track between Canal and 34 Sts. Now what about the D? Well to get from the 6th Ave. line to the 8th Ave line there is only one option. Trains must be on the local 6th Ave. (F train) track and from there they can ONLY change to the local 8th Ave. (C train) track at W. 4th St. So between Broadway-Lafayette and W. 4th St, Uptown D trains change from the D to the F to the C track. But remember, once they are on the local track at W. 4th St, they are stuck there! As for why the MTA doesn’t switch the C back to the local track at 50th St, they probably just figure it is easier (and it is) to say the Uptown C train is express from Canal to 145 St. Is it clear yet? I don’t blame you if it isn’t. You can see maps of all the switches at NYCsubway.org. It’s very helpful. And just remember, if you’re going downtown on 8th or 6th Ave, it’s all normal.

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Welcome back New York City to another wacky weekend on the New York City subway. I hope everyone made it where they were going last weekend with all the service cuts. Let’s hope it isn’t a preview of post-budget cut MTA service! Once again this weekend brings a screwy weekend full of service problems. There is an especially confusing change along the 8th Ave line in Manhattan which I do my best to explain the reason’s for the bizarre service here. Also there are cuts on the L, A, 4, E, and R trains. Another important note regarding the 4 train service cut. There are no trains between Yankee Stadium and Woodlawn but the shuttle buses do not run along Jerome Ave. Instead, shuttle buses will run between D train stations on Grand Concourse and the corresponding 4 train stop. The only exception will be at the Bedford Park Blvd D train station where riders can get a shuttle bus stopping at Bedford Park Blvd, Mosholu Pkwy, and Woodlawn. That should do it. May the force be with you. Happy Sukkot! And Happy Tracks New York!

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Welcome back New York City to another wacky weekend on the New York City subway. I hope everyone made it where they were going last weekend with all the service cuts. Let’s hope it isn’t a preview of post-budget cut MTA service! Once again this weekend brings a screwy weekend full of service problems. There is an especially confusing change along the 8th Ave line in Manhattan which I do my best to explain the reason’s for the bizarre service here. Also there are cuts on the L, A, 4, E, and R trains. Another important note regarding the 4 train service cut. There are no trains between Yankee Stadium and Woodlawn but the shuttle buses do not run along Jerome Ave. Instead, shuttle buses will run between D train stations on Grand Concourse and the corresponding 4 train stop. The only exception will be at the Bedford Park Blvd D train station where riders can get a shuttle bus stopping at Bedford Park Blvd, Mosholu Pkwy, and Woodlawn. That should do it. May the force be with you. Happy Sukkot! And Happy Tracks New York!

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SATURDAY MORNING UPDATE: There was one change I missed on the map this weekend. Manhattan-bound E and F trains run local from Roosevelt Ave to Queens Plaza/bridge. The map has been changed accordingly.

Holy Smokes New York! It’s one of those weekends where you think to yourself, “is there any train running normal this weekend?” The answer is yes, but just barely. It is not just that there are a lot of service changes, but there are a lot of service eliminations in far-flung parts of the city. Canarsie, East New York, Brownsville, and Bushwick all lose L train service. Bay Ridge loses R train service. Wakefield and Williamsbridge lose 2 train service. And Washington Heights and Inwood lose A train service. It’s a mess out there this weekend. Plus there are a full slate of other reroutes and express runs for riders to deal with. One final note, I had some issues with the 4 and J train change clarified for me. 4 trains will be running local in Manhattan and the J train is NOT extended to Brooklyn as I had previously indicated. In fact, J trains that begin in Jamaica Center terminate at Chambers St. per normal. There are other J trains that will run between Essex St and Prospect Park. It’s all rather confusing so if you are catching the J at Essex, Bowery, or Canal make sure you know if it’s going to Chambers or Prospect Park! Many of you may have to leave lots of extra time to get around this weekend. Best of luck, and Happy Tracks New York!

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UPDATE: LINK IS FIXED

Well it’s a late night for the Subway Weekender as things get busier for me. From now on it seems prudent for all of you to expect an update by Friday morning while maybe not during the day on Thursdays as had been happening throughout the summer. So it may be early Friday morning from now on. The goal shall be to make sure that when everyone goes to work on Friday morning, the update is posted. As for this weekend, everything seems pretty standard as far as the amount of changes on tap. There are some major changes in all four subway-served boroughs with no one borough getting the brunt of things. It’s nice to see the MTA spreading the misery. I have the day off on Friday so I should be able to post some winners and losers this week. In the meantime, use the map wisely and enjoy another beautiful weekend. As a side note, this weekend is Open House New York. That means more than 200 free informative tours and information sessions about the architecture/history/greatness of New York. The Subway Weekender may check out the interior lobby of the Chrysler Building which I have been dying to do for a while. But whichever one you choose, make sure you take the subway there and check the map first. Happy Tracks New York!

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