Flood mitigation work will disrupt the A train

Posted: Thursday, March 29, 2018 10:30 am

by Anthony O’Reilly, Editor

Two sections of Rockaway will not see A train service from April to September due to a flooding protection project along the line, the MTA announced in a March 23 statement.

In an effort to minimize the impact on Rockaway residents, the work will be done in two phases — along the Rockaway Park Branch from April 9 to May 18 and on the Far Rockaway Branch from July 2 to Sept. 3. Shuttle service will be rerouted during those times to service affected riders.

The work seeks to make the line more resilient in the face of future storms, such as Sandy.

Service on the A line was disrupted for months following the Oct. 29, 2012 superstorm and was replaced on the peninsula by ferries to and from Manhattan, which were later canceled only to be brought back by Mayor de Blasio as part of a citywide program.

The upcoming work will consist of a perimeter flood wall and gates around the tracks, the MTA said.

“As we have seen time and time again, our subway system is impacted by the forces of nature,” New York City Transit President Andy Byford said in a prepared statement. “Just as our employees work around the clock to clean up after a storm, we must also proactively protect our infrastructure. We thank our customers for their patience while we perform this critical work to provide safe, resilient and reliable service not just today, but far into the future as well.”

During the first phase, the A train will not operate between Broad Channel and Rockaway Park-Beach 116th Street. In addition to the shuttle service, customers can use the Q22, Q35, Q52/53, QM16 and QM17 express buses. The second phase will see no A trains between Broad Channel and Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue. Commuters can use the Q22, Q52 and QM17 express buses to get to and from their destinations.

The work will not impact A train service on the borough’s mainland.

The MTA said it will conduct an “aggressive” customer notification program in advance of the project, including signage, brochures and electronic messages.

Riders can get updates on subway and bus service at mta.info, or sign up for email and text nonfictions at mymtaalerts.com, or by downloading the Trip Planner+ app on their smartphones.