Curbed NY reports that beginning next spring, the MTA will increase the number of trains on the 2, 3, 7, N, W, and Q lines as the agency attempts to boost its declining subway ridership numbers, reports amNewYork.
The 7 line will get the biggest service boost, with four additional roundtrip trains on Saturday evenings and eight extra trains on Sundays. The N, W, and Q trains will get additional trains throughout the weekdays while the 2 line in Harlem will see increased service between 9 and 11 p.m. on weeknights and the 3 line in Harlem will receive on additional train on weeknights.
In February, the MTA reported a subway ridership drop for the first time since 2009, pinning the blame on overcrowded platforms and trains along with competition from ride-share apps like Uber and Lyft.
In June, Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for the subway system, following a series of service crippling incidents, and a $863 million action plan came shortly after. However, the agency is still grappling with scouring up the necessary funding. Meanwhile, Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio can’t seem to come to terms over who should pay for the ailing system’s repairs and how: Cuomo favors congestion pricing to raise funding for transit repairs while de Blasio opposes the idea and favors a millionaires tax instead.
