W (New York City Subway service)

infobox NYCS service
service=W
name=Broadway Local
terminals=Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard or Queensboro Plaza to Whitehall Street–South FerryThe W Broadway Local is a rapid transit service of B Division of the New York City Subway. It is colored yellow on the route sign and on station signs and the subway map, as it is a service provided on the BMT Broadway Line through Midtown Manhattan.

The W runs weekdays only from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. (7:00 to 23:00) as an entirely local service from Astoria-Ditmars Boulevard in Queens to Whitehall Street–South Ferry in Lower Manhattan. The first three trains, however, enter service at Gravesend–86th Street and the last three trains of the night continue in service to Kings Highway. These trips run local in Brooklyn. [A search using the MTA's [http://tripplanner.mta.info/advancedSearches3.aspx trip planner] using "Whitehall Street" and "Kings Highway" as stations and setting the time to the appropriate hour (6:00 am into Manhattan; 9:00pm out of Manhattan) will turn out results that show the W as a possible travel option. Clicking the departure time will also show two additional times.] The service passes under the East River in the 60th Street Tunnel. [MTA New York City Transit, [http://www.mta.info/nyct/service/wline.htm W Broadway Local] ]

ervice history

The W was introduced on July 22, 2001, when the Manhattan Bridge north tracks were closed for reconstruction. The B had run full-time from Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue to Manhattan via the BMT West End Line and north tracks onto the IND Sixth Avenue Line, but had to be split in 2001. A similar split had been made from 1986 to 1988, when a part-time orange diamond B ran only north of 34th Street, and a full-time (though only in Brooklyn at nights) yellow B ran from Coney Island across the south side of the bridge and up the BMT Broadway Line into Queens. This old pattern was effectively restored in 2001, but instead of having two B services, the Brooklyn service became the W. This route began at Coney Island and ran up the West End Line (local), BMT Fourth Avenue Line (express), Manhattan Bridge south tracks, Broadway Line (express, switching to local for 49th Street), and BMT Astoria Line (express during rush hours in the peak direction) to Ditmars Boulevard–Astoria. Evening service ended at 57th Street in Manhattan (using the express tracks and bypassing 49th Street), late night service at 36th Street in Brooklyn, and weekend service at Atlantic Avenue–Pacific Street in Brooklyn [http://www.thejoekorner.com/brochures/index.html] .

After September 11, 2001, N service was suspended. W trains ran at all times between Ditmars Boulevard and Coney Island. It made all local stops except in Brooklyn north of 36th Street. During late nights, it ran in two sections, between Ditmars Boulevard and 34th Street (skipping 49th Street northbound), and in Brooklyn between 36th Street and Coney Island. Normal service resumed on October 28.

The Astoria express service, being unpopular with residents, was discontinued on January 15, 2002; around that time, evening service was extended from 57th Street to Astoria. [New York City Transit Authority, [http://web.archive.org/web/20020728090822/http://www.mta.info/nyct/service/wline.htm W Line] from July 28, 2002, via the Internet Archive]

When all Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue was closed for reconstruction, the W became a full time Coney Island-Astoria service. Late night and weekend service was sent via the Montague Street Tunnel and the local tracks of the Fourth Avenue and Broadway Lines; the N was cut back to Brooklyn at those times [http://www.subwaynut.com/brochures/coneyfbpg.htm] .

When all four tracks on the Manhattan Bridge were restored on February 22, 2004, the W was changed to its current service pattern as a weekday local between Whitehall Street–South Ferry and Queens. The Brooklyn portion of the W was replaced by the D, which was extended over the north side of the bridge and down the West End Line [http://www.thejoekorner.com/brochures/index.html] .

tations

NYCS service legend
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allexceptnights = show
nightsonly = show
nightsweekends = show
weekdaysonly = show
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rushpeak = show
closed = show

References

* [http://members.aol.com/bdmnqr2/linehistory.html Line By Line History]

External links

* [http://www.mta.info/nyct/service/wline.htm MTA NYC Transit - W Broadway Local]
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