Thurs., July 24 – Wed., July 30
ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING RULES ARE SUSPENDED MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY FOR IDUL-FITR (the end of Ramadan)
Back to the usual overnight Brooklyn Bridge closures: all Manhattan-bound lanes of the Brooklyn Bridge will close 11 p.m. Thursday to 6 a.m. Friday, midnight Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday, midnight Saturday to 9 a.m. Sunday, and 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Wednesday nights meaning more traffic on Canal St. and West St. during the closures due to diversions to the Manhattan Bridge and Battery Tunnel.
In the Lincoln Tunnel, the New York-bound tube will close midnight Friday night to 8 a.m. Saturday morning. This will send Manhattan-bound traffic down to the Holland Tunnel.
In the Holland Tunnel, one New York-bound lane will close 11 p.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Friday, slowing inbound traffic. Expect delays into Canal St.
On West St./Route 9A, there will be two movable lane closures on the northbound stretch from Vesey to West 59th Sts. 10 p.m. Thursday to6 a.m. Friday.
MTA FASTRACK work will affect E, M, and R service in Lower Manhattan 10 p.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Friday. During those hours, no E trains will run between Roosevelt Ave. and the World Trade Center. M service between 71st Ave in Queens and Essex St. and R service between 71st Ave. and Whitehall St. will end early.
From the mailbag:
Dear Transit Sam,
My query concerns the M15 bus. I travel frequently on First and Second Aves. and I find that the local M15 comes with much less frequency than the Select Service. My wait is usually close to 15 minutes, while I see three to seven Selects pass, often half empty. I also see many elderly and disabled people waiting with me for the local. Does the MTA have an agenda of gradually phasing out the local bus? It would seem so, and that would be a travesty for those who have real difficulty going the extra blocks to a Select stop.
Doris, New York
Dear Doris,
No, the MTA is not planning to phase out the local M15 bus. According to the MTA the average frequency of the local bus closely is only a little less than that of the Select Bus Service. In the morning, the local comes every 6 minutes, the SBS every 4; at noon, every 8 and 7; in the afternoon, every 8 and 6; in the evening, every 8 and 8. So, when you see several SBS buses passing you while you wait for the local, it is not because there are so many more SBS buses. They are likely bunching up due to the tumultuous traffic on Second Ave. Once the first phase of the Second Avenue Subway opens in December 2016 (and the roadway clears up), traffic hopefully will smooth out on Second and First Aves. and the consistency of M15 service will improve.
Transit Sam
