The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced planned service changes on the J and M subway lines as transit crews replace aging switches south of Marcy Avenue, work that will affect Brooklyn and Queens riders through Nov. 23.
The switches were last replaced in 1997 and help trains move between local and express tracks on the J, M and Z lines.
The changes begin Oct. 13 and include weekday adjustments from 10:00am to 3:00pm, except Oct. 26-30. During those periods, the J train will operate locally between Marcy Avenue and Myrtle Avenue-Broadway.
Weekend changes will affect service from Oct. 17 through Nov. 23 on several scheduled weekends, including Oct. 17-18, Oct. 24-25, Nov. 7-9, Nov. 13-16 and Nov. 20-23.
During the affected weekend periods, the J will operate between Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer and Myrtle Avenue-Broadway rather than continuing into Manhattan. Shuttle buses will replace J service between Myrtle Avenue-Broadway and Essex Street.
The work is significant for Brooklyn neighborhoods including Williamsburg, Bushwick, Bedford-Stuyvesant and East New York, which rely on the J and M for connections to Manhattan and communities in Queens. The project also affects riders traveling along the Jamaica Line and through Lower Manhattan.
The M train will operate in two sections, with trains arriving about every 20 minutes. One section will run between Middle Village-Metropolitan Avenue and Myrtle-Wyckoff Avenues, connecting with the L train. The second will run between Myrtle-Wyckoff Avenues and Myrtle Avenue-Broadway, connecting with the J.
The MTA recommends alternative routes, including the A, C, E and L trains, as well as the 4, 5 and 6 trains for Lower Manhattan connections. Riders can check mta.info, the MTA app and service alerts before traveling. The planned work will continue through Nov. 23, when the affected service changes are scheduled to end.
