7 train weekend service to be suspended during the Lunar New Year celebration in Flushing

Image source: r0sss on Flickr

We’ve learned from both the Times Ledger and the MTA that construction in the Steinway Tunnel, which carries the 7 line under the East River, will continue on weekends during the months of January-March 2013. And while the exact dates of subway suspension – which cuts off Manhattan from Queens via the 7 line – haven’t been published, a spokesperson from the MTA has confirmed that it will take place during the weekend Lunar New Year festival in Flushing. The Lunar New Year is an important time in East Asian cultures, and because the Flushing-Main Street station is on the 7 line, this is a disappointment to festival organizers. The festival brings a lot of people to the neighborhood, which also translates to good news financially for local businesses.

So what are they doing in the Steinway Tunnel? They are working on the construction of signal relay rooms (AKA signal upgrades) and demolishing a benchwall (this is a structure that houses electrical cables and used by employees when walking along the tracks) and building a new one that is safer for employees.

One might think that the MTA could adjust their schedule – since they did it in 2008 for the festival, after the community demanded it – but they maintain that their hands are tied when it comes to that this year. State Assemblywoman Grace Meng (D-Flushing) is keeping the faith and plans to write a letter to the MTA requesting that they re-instate service for Sunday, February 10 and Saturday February 16, the two days of celebration in Flushing affected by the MTA.

No. 7 service cut on Lunar Parade [Times Ledger]
LIC, get ready for weekend 7 train disruptions again this Fall [QNYC]