Riders on the J and M subway lines are preparing for significant disruptions this fall as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) undertakes critical track equipment replacement. Over five weekends, direct service connecting parts of Brooklyn and Queens to Manhattan will be suspended. The work is necessary to replace track switches that were last updated in 1997 and are vital for connecting several neighborhoods to Lower Manhattan.
The affected weekends are Oct. 17-18, Oct. 24-25, Nov. 7-9, Nov. 13-16, and Nov. 20-23. During these periods, J and M trains will not run into Manhattan. Instead, shuttle buses will operate between Myrtle Avenue-Broadway in Brooklyn and Essex Street in Manhattan.
The J train will operate a shortened route, running only between Jamaica Center in Queens and Myrtle Avenue-Broadway in Brooklyn. Four Brooklyn stations – Flushing Avenue, Lorimer Street, Hewes Street, and Marcy Avenue – will have no train service at all during these weekends.
M trains will continue to run in Queens and some parts of Brooklyn but will not reach Manhattan. These M trains will be split into two sections and run every 20 minutes. One section will operate between Metropolitan Avenue and Myrtle-Wyckoff. Riders traveling further toward Myrtle Avenue-Broadway will need to transfer to another M train at Myrtle-Wyckoff.
The MTA advises riders to utilize alternative subway lines to reach Manhattan. Options include the L train at Myrtle-Wyckoff or the A, C, or L trains at Broadway Junction. Some riders traveling from Jamaica may also consider using the E train.