Signal upgrades on A, C, E mean disrupted service on 6 subway lines
Feb. 18, 2023, 10:01 a.m.
The disruptions start on Presidents Day weekend and will continue through Sunday, Feb. 26.
The MTA is kicking off a weekslong signal installation blitz along the A, C and E lines that will disrupt service starting President’s Day weekend.
The agency is modernizing the Eighth Avenue line with new signals, similar to ones along the L and 7 lines. The upgrades allow the MTA to run more trains closer together.
The work will have a ripple effect on service on the D, F and M lines. Downtown service along the A, C and E lines will be disrupted through Friday, Feb. 24. Uptown service will continue as usual. A full rundown of the service changes can be found here.
The work, which involves replacing tracks and switches, will take place north of the 42nd Street-Port Authority Bus Terminal station. The agency says it chose the short week after Presidents Day to do the work because ridership is typically down 7% compared to a normal weekday.
The service disruptions will conclude on Sunday, Feb. 26.
The work is part of the MTA’s $56 billion capital plan, which aims to replace all of the more than 80-year-old signal equipment across the entire subway system. The agency plans to spend more than $7 billion on the signal upgrades.
During the last MTA board meeting of 2022, officials acknowledged there were major delays in the completion of the signal upgrades.