M train service through Bushwick was restored on Monday, but it wasn’t a smooth ride for all Myrtle Avenue line riders.
Trains started running between Myrtle-Wyckoff Avenue and Myrtle-Broadway Avenue stations at 5 a.m. Monday, after the MTA spent the weekend wrapping up its eight-month project that demolished and rebuilt the deteriorating Myrtle Viaduct, first built in 1913, and the 100-year-old Fresh Pond Bridge.
But service along portions of the J and M lines came to a screeching halt several hours later because of switch problems along Myrtle Avenue, according to the MTA. Service was restored after about a half an hour, but the hiccup did not go unnoticed by subway riders.
“What a joke. Months working on this and it’s only hours that it’s been running, already issues,” Kerry said in reply to an NYC Transit tweet about the disruption.
J and M train service changes are because of switch problems at Myrtle Av. Visit https://t.co/vhZQ2kZ2vb
— NYCT Subway (@NYCTSubway) April 30, 2018
Good morning – We're happy to announce that full M train service is restored between Metropolitan Av and 71 Av. We’ve rebuilt two elevated structures to ensure safe, reliable service. Here's a time-lapse video of the demolition and reconstruction: https://t.co/sOMhd8kCli
— NYCT Subway (@NYCTSubway) April 30, 2018
A request for comment regarding the switch problem was not immediately returned by the MTA.
The $163 million project was needed to address the badly aging elevated structures, but to also aid in plans to increase service during the L train shutdown, when a portion of displaced L riders are expected to migrate to the J, M and Z trains.
“Completing this project on time and on budget was critical to show how serious we are about minimizing impacts on our customers as we perform this important work,” said MTA chairman Joseph Lhota in a statement announcing the reopening on Friday. “This is a major win for our customers and the surrounding community. We promised to modernize and stabilize the subway system, and we thank our customers for their continued patience as we take the necessary steps to do so.”
The repairs are expected to make for a smoother and quieter ride for the growing number of commuters along the stretch of track along the Myrtle Avenue line, according to MTA Transit president Andy Byford. The line’s seven stations have experienced a 53-percent ridership growth since 2000, the authority said.
“It is imperative that M train service operates as efficiently as possible for all our customers who rely on it,” said Byford in a statement. “When we couple the long-term fortification work on this line with the smoother ride and quieter tracks, we can be sure we’re on our way to building the world-class transit system we’ve pledged to deliver.”
With Lauren Cook
