Transportation Alternatives for the A Train Shutdown

By Katie McFadden

With the A train set to shut down starting Friday, January 17, for necessary repairs, local elected officials have been spending months coordinating with the MTA and other outlets to secure alternative transportation options.

For the next 17 weeks, the A train and Shuttle will not run to or from the Howard Beach Station, impacting Broad Channel and the Rockaway peninsula. The MTA is conducting major upgrades to help protect the line from future storms and ensure reliable service for over 9,000 daily riders.

In lieu of the A train service, Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato worked with the MTA to provide several alternative transportation options saying, “I was not going to allow anyone to be completely cut off and have no access to public transportation. I appreciate that the MTA worked with our community to provide acceptable alternatives, and more options to follow as we go through this process.”

Starting 11:30 p.m. on Friday, January 17, through 5 a.m. on Monday, January 20, the following three shuttle bus alternatives will be available:

  • Nonstop between Howard Beach-JFK Airport and Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue.
  • Between Howard Beach-JFK and Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue, making all ​ stops: Broad Channel, Beach 90th Street, Beach 67th Street, Beach 60th Street, Beach 44th Street, Beach 36th Street, and Beach 25th Street.
  • Between Howard Beach-JFK and Rockaway Park-Beach 116th Street, stopping at Broad Channel, Beach 98th Street, and Beach 105th Street.

Starting 5 a.m. on Monday, January 20, there will be free shuttle bus service along two routes and a shuttle train option:

  • The Q97 bus which will run between Howard Beach-JFK and Far Rockaway.
  • The Q109 bus which will run from Howard Beach-JFK to Beach 67th Street, making stops at Broad Channel and Beach 90th Street.
  • The free Shuttle train will be traveling between Rockaway Park/Beach 116th Street to Mott Avenue, making all local stops. Those traveling from Beach 116th will need to transfer to a shuttle bus at Beach 90th or Beach 67th Street to go to Howard Beach.

Tickets from the Far Rockaway LIRR station to Manhattan’s Grand Central/Penn Station or Brooklyn’s Atlantic Terminal will cost $2.75, less than the current subway fare.

The Assemblywoman was also part of the conversation to expand $7 express bus service between the community and Manhattan along the QM15, QM16 and QM17. This will include 36 additional bus trips during the weekday, and 20 additional trips on Saturdays. The QM16/17 will run weekdays. The QM15 will run on weekdays and Saturdays, starting and ending at Beach 54th Street and Beach Channel Drive, to/from East 57th Street and 3rd Ave in Manhattan, with several stops in between. The Q53, Q52 and Q35 buses are also regular options for folks to consider if trying to get off of the peninsula, and the Q22 is available to make connections on the peninsula.

On the city end of things, the NYC Economic Development Corporation’s NYC Ferry is running bigger boats between Rockaway and Pier 11, at least for the first week of the shutdown. From Saturday, January 18 through January 24, NYC Ferry will operate their larger 350-passenger vessels on the route, to accommodate for train passengers who may want to give the ferry a try as an alternative. They’ll be monitoring ridership during that first week and will adjust capacity as needed.

Councilwoman Joann Ariola has also partnered with Resorts World Casino, who has generously offered commuters the ability to park in the casino parking lot near the casino and Hyatt Hotel to access the A train at Aqueduct. Parking is not permitted in the racetrack parking lot. Free access to the casino lot will be permitted throughout the 17-week shutdown.

If there’s any confusion, the public can contact: RockawayResiliency@mtacd.org or call the contractor’s hotline number, 516-331-4009. For all emergencies, please call 911.

 

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