System
Changes since the World Record was set in 1989
The NYC Subway
System is constantly evolving like a living organism. In fact,
219 stations have closed in the history of the system. Most of
those were elevated stations which Herman
Rinke visited just before the unification of the IRT, BMT
and IND systems in 1940.
Below we have
listed (to the best of our abilities) a comprehensive list of
changes to the system since Kevin
Foster set the World Record in 1989. The changes are
broken out into four lists that detail the significant subway
service, schedule, and station changes.
Some changes will
make our run faster while others complicate the route or slow us
down. In aggregate, they probably net each other out to make
the attempt today comparable to the 1989 run.
Station Changes
(Openings, Closings, Transfers)
| Date |
Change |
Details |
Impact |
| 10/29/1989 |
63
St Line Opens |
Q
(weekdays), B
(weekends), and JFK Express
are extended from 57 St-6 Av station to 21 St-Queensbridge |
Adds
3 stations, 2.17 miles, and 6 minutes in each direction |
| 4/21/1992 |
Intervale
Av station re-opens |
Intervale
Avenue station (#2/#5),
re-opens; it had been closed since 3/15/89 due to fire damage |
Adds
1 additional station stop; almost no running time impact |
| 9/10/1995 |
Dean
St Closed |
The
Dean St station of the Franklin Shuttle is permanently closed |
Reduces
station stops by 1, almost no running time impact |
| 10/18/1999 |
Franklin
Shuttle Transfer |
The
Franklin Shuttle re-opens following reconstruction, including
a new free transfer to the #2/#3/#4/#5
at Botanic Garden |
New
free transfer adds flexibility and eliminates the need to
double-back between Atlantic Av and Franklin Av (#2/#3/#4/#5) |
| 7/22/2001 |
Manhattan
Bridge Swap |
Canal
Street lower-level station re-opens as part of a package of
changes related to Bridge service switching from 6th Avenue to
the Broadway Line |
Adds
1 additional station; requires riding over the Bridge or
doubling-back to 14 St to visit the lower level station |
| 9/11/2001 |
Cortlandt
St (#1/#9)
Closed |
The
Cortlandt Street (#1/#9)
station is closed indefinitely pending WTC redevelopment |
Reduces
station stops by 1, almost no running time impact |
| 8/20/2005 |
Cortlandt
St (R/W)
Closed |
Cortlandt
St (R/W)
is closed to allow for Fulton St Transit Center construction |
Reduces
station stops by 1, almost no running time impact |
Stopping Changes
(Impact on transfers to reach local stations)
| Date |
Change |
Details |
Impact |
| May-05 |
#1/#9
Skip-Stop eliminated |
Weekday
skip-stop service on #1
and #9
replaced by all-stop service (had been cut to rush only in
1994) |
Skip-stop
would have required riding both the #1
and #9
between 242 St and 137 St.
All local service reduces waiting time and
doubling-back. |
| 9/1/1999 |
Bowery
Skip Eliminated |
J
and Z
trains now stop at Bowery (trains formerly skipped the station
6AM-8PM weekdays) |
Now
possible to ride the J/Z
instead of only the M
weekdays |
Schedule/Routing
Changes (Impact on route or timing)
| Date |
Change |
Details |
Impact |
| 1990-1992 |
Queens
Blvd. Changes |
Queens
R cutback from
179 St to 71 Av |
Additional
transfer required when riding F
from 179 St to reach local stations on Queens Blvd. |
| 10/25/1992 |
Rockaways
restructure |
Late
night Rockaways Round-Robin replaced by through A
to Far Rockaway and shuttles to Lefferts and Rockaway Park;
Rockaway Park C
is replaced by full-time S
and rush hour A
to Rockaway Park |
Late
night Round-Robin trains that formerly provided service to all
Rockaways stations without transferring eliminated |
| 4/30/1995 |
Midday
M cutback |
Midday
M runs from
Metropolitan Av to Chambers St instead of 9th Avenue |
Riding
the M via the
Montague Tunnel to avoid transfers and doubling-back is now
possible rush hours only |
| 9/3/1995 |
Late
night Lenox and 42 St Shuttle Closed |
Late
night #3 and S-42
St Shuttle service is eliminated |
Four
stations now closed overnight, requiring the route to be
scheduled around these closures |
| 2/22/2004 |
Manhattan
Bridge full service restored |
N
rerouted via Bridge (except nights), D
rerouted via 6Av-West End, B
(6 Av) and
Q (Bway) serve the Brighton Line |
New
routing options via both sides of the Manhattan Bridge |
| 12/16/2001 |
63
St connection opens |
F
trains re-routed via 63 St tunnel connection; new weekday V
service via 53 St |
Dead
end at 21 St-Queensbridge (57 St in 1989) now served by
through 6Av-Queens Blvd F |
Other Changes
| Date |
Change |
Details |
Impact |
| 9/1/1996 |
OPTO
Instituted |
One
Person Train Operation is established on several shuttles,
including the Franklin and Rockaway Park Shuttles |
Slightly
increased running times |
| |
Speed
Reductions |
Signal
and rules changes to improve safety result in slower operation
along many segments |
Slightly
increased running times |
| |
Schedule
Changes |
Schedule
changes result in increased service on many lines |
Reduced
waiting times |
