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Starting next Monday, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority will implement a significant change by swapping the F and M subway routes in New York City. This adjustment aims to address service issues and improve reliability for over 1.2 million daily riders. The change will occur on weekdays from approximately 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
The swap involves the F line running via the 53rd Street tunnel and Queens Plaza, while the M line will take the 63rd Street tunnel and stop at Queensbridge-21st Street, Roosevelt Island, Lexington Avenue/63rd Street, and 57th Street. The F line will now stop at Queens Plaza, Court Square, Lexington Avenue/53rd Street, and Fifth Avenue/53rd Street. According to the MTA, this change will eliminate the delay-prone merges at Queens Plaza, where trains previously had to cross paths, causing frequent delays.
The MTA Chair and CEO, Janno Lieber, explained that this swap will untangle a known chokepoint, increasing capacity and maintaining faster train movement. As reported by NY1, the MTA has been actively informing commuters about the changes through signage and flyers distributed by customer service ambassadors.
Despite potential initial confusion, the MTA expects commuters to adapt to the new routes. The service change will not affect overnight and weekend schedules, maintaining the current service during those times. For more details on the service change, riders can visit the MTA's website.
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