J and M trains are not running between Myrtle Av-Broadway in Brooklyn and Manhattan on five weekends this fall. Service stops from 3:45 a.m. Saturday to 10 p.m. Sunday while the MTA replaces aging switches near Marcy Av. Two weekends are finished, and three remain before the work window closes November 23.
Key Takeaways
- On shutdown weekends, J trains run only between Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer and Myrtle Av-Broadway.
- M trains run in two sections every 20 minutes, with a forced transfer at Myrtle-Wyckoff Avs.
- Free T432 shuttle buses stop at Flushing Av, Lorimer St, Hewes St, Marcy Av and Delancey St-Essex St.
- The switches being replaced are 29 years old, according to MTA New York City Transit.
- On weekdays, J trains run local between Marcy Av and Myrtle Av-Broadway from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. through mid-November.
J Train Weekend Service Ends at Myrtle Avenue-Broadway
For J riders, the shutdown cuts the line at the edge of Bushwick. On each work weekend, J trains run between Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer and Myrtle Av-Broadway, then stop. The stretch through Williamsburg, across the Williamsburg Bridge and down the Nassau Street corridor gets no J service.
That leaves a large share of the line’s ridership looking for another route. Riders coming from Jamaica, Woodhaven and Cypress Hills can transfer to the A or L at Broadway Junction. Riders in Queens can also take the E for a direct trip into Manhattan. At Myrtle Av-Broadway, all J and M trains board from the Manhattan-bound platform during work hours. Riders used to the other side of the station should allow a few extra minutes.
M Train Weekend Service Runs in Two Sections Every 20 Minutes
M riders face the more complicated trip. M trains run in two pieces on work weekends:
- Middle Village-Metropolitan Av to Myrtle-Wyckoff Avs
- Myrtle-Wyckoff Avs to Myrtle Av-Broadway
Both sections run every 20 minutes. That is a long wait for a line that normally runs more often.
For a Middle Village rider, that means a transfer at Myrtle-Wyckoff Avs before Brooklyn’s elevated stretch even begins. Riders bound for Manhattan are better off taking the L at Myrtle-Wyckoff Avs. That trip skips the second M section and the walk to the J at Myrtle Av-Broadway.
Shuttle Buses and Transfers Cover the Gap to Manhattan
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The MTA is running free T432 shuttle buses between Flushing Av, Lorimer St, Hewes St, Marcy Av and Delancey St-Essex St, making all stops. The shuttle is the only direct way across the river for riders at those four Williamsburg stations. It also keeps Delancey St-Essex St connected for riders headed to the Lower East Side. During the day and evening, the B39 bus offers another route between Williamsburg and the Lower East Side.
Riders exiting the subway at Myrtle Av-Broadway or Delancey St-Essex St to catch a shuttle can ask a station agent for a GO Ticket to re-enter. The farther downtown stops on the line (Bowery, Canal St, Chambers St, Fulton St and Broad St) have no J service on work weekends. The MTA points riders to nearby 4, 5 and 6 stations instead.
Why the MTA Is Replacing the Marcy Avenue Switches
The work centers on switches at and around Marcy Av. Switches move trains between local and express tracks. Without working switches, the J cannot run its weekday express pattern, and crews lose flexibility when they need to reroute trains around a problem.
The MTA says these switches have not been replaced since the 1990s. At a September MTA board committee meeting, NYC Transit operations planning official Heather Ferguson put their age at 29 years. Crews are also using the weekend closures for track and bridge inspections, combining several jobs into one set of outages instead of spreading them across more weekends.
The timing reflects a system carrying heavier loads. The work arrives weeks after subway ridership passed one billion trips earlier this month, so each weekend disruption reaches more riders than it would have a few years ago.
J Train Service This Weekend Depends on the Remaining Work Schedule
The first two shutdown weekends ran October 17–18 and October 24–25. Three remain before the work window closes November 23. Weekend plans change often around holidays and major events, so riders should check before traveling instead of relying on an older schedule.
The MTA app, the MTA’s planned service changes page and the weekly MTA Weekender newsletter all show whether J train weekend service is suspended on a given weekend. They also show any other NYC subway weekend service changes along the route.
Weekday Midday J Trains Also Run Local Through Mid-November
The project affects weekdays too. Since October 13, J trains have run local between Marcy Av and Myrtle Av-Broadway from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays. Riders who usually take the express through that stretch in the middle of the day should expect a few extra minutes. The change does not affect rush-hour commutes.
FAQs
Is the M Train Running This Weekend?
On shutdown weekends, the M runs only in Brooklyn and Queens. It operates in two sections between Middle Village-Metropolitan Av and Myrtle Av-Broadway, every 20 minutes. Three shutdown weekends remain before November 23, so riders should check the MTA app to see whether a given weekend is one of them.
Why Is the J Train Not Running to Manhattan?
The MTA is replacing 29-year-old track switches near Marcy Av in Brooklyn. While crews work, J trains stop at Myrtle Av-Broadway from 3:45 a.m. Saturday to 10 p.m. Sunday, and the stretch from there to Manhattan has no service.
Where Does the J Train Shuttle Bus Go?
The free T432 shuttle runs between Flushing Av, Lorimer St, Hewes St, Marcy Av and Delancey St-Essex St, making all stops. Riders can board it to cross the Williamsburg Bridge on weekends when J and M trains are not running into Manhattan.
