Governor Hochul Announces the Next Phase of Subway Service Enhancements and Extended Service to the Beach

Enhanced Midday and Evening Weekday Service on the BDJM Will Have Trains Arriving Every Eight Minutes

Weekend Service Enhancements on the 3 and 5 Lines to Start July 6

Rockaway Park Shuttle to Operate to 10-Car Trains and Extend Route to Rockaway Blvd on Weekends Through Sept. 3

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the next phase of subway service increases, which will enhance service on several subway lines serving the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens. As of Monday, July 1, enhanced midday and evening service on weekdays has been added to the B, D, J and M lines. Riders will now see trains arriving every eight minutes during the midday and evening periods. Starting Saturday July 6, the 3 and 5 lines will see enhanced weekend service. Riders will see trains arriving every 10 minutes.

“While transit systems across the country were cutting service, I fought hard to save the MTA from the fiscal cliff and expand subway service in last year's budget,” Governor Hochul said. “These enhancements have brought more riders back to the system and provide more affordable and reliable transit for New Yorkers.”

In addition to service enhancements, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is extending the Rockaway Park Shuttle to 10-car trains, as well as extending the shuttle’s route to Rockaway Blvd on weekends through Labor Day. Between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, the extended shuttle will operate from Rockaway Blvd, allowing beachgoers during the summer to transfer to and from A trains serving both the Lefferts Blvd and Far Rockaway branches.

The enhanced service on the BDJM and 3,5 are part of the $35 million that was included in the FY 2024 New York State Budget for subway service enhancements. The J and M lines were among the first to benefit from the planned enhancements, when NYC Transit improved weekend service along with the G last July.

Other subway lines that have received service enhancements include the G, C, N, R, 1 and 6.

The Rockaway Park Shuttle traditionally operates five-car trains and operates between Broad Channel and Rockaway Park-Beach 116 St. The shuttle’s extended route to Rockaway Blvd will add four stops – Rockaway Blvd, Aqueduct Racetrack, Aqueduct-N Conduit Av and Howard Beach-JFK Airport.

Reach the Beach with the MTA

The MTA provides service to all Long Island and New York City beaches.

Long Island Beaches

The LIRR offers enhanced service for beach season, with service to a variety of beaches including Jones Beach via the Babylon Branch, Long Beach via the Long Beach Branch and Fire Island via the Montauk Branch.

The LIRR supplements the Cannonball with additional trains to Montauk. In total on Thursdays, there are seven trains arriving at Montauk between 10:58 a.m. and 11:39 p.m., and on Fridays, there are nine trains to Montauk between 10:58 a.m. and 11:39 p.m.

For those who prefer to spend their summer weekends on Long Island’s North Shore, the LIRR has doubled the amount of weekend trips between Ronkonkoma

and Greenport from four to eight.

Brooklyn Beaches

• The D, F, N, and Q stop at Coney Island, as well as the B36, the B68 and B82 buses. Customers can also take a Coney Island-bound F or Q train to West 8 St-NY Aquarium.
• The B and Q subway lines, as well as the B1 and B68 buses, can take customers to Brighton Beach.
• The B1 and B49 buses can get customers to Manhattan Beach.

Staten Island Beaches

• On Staten Island, the S51, S52 and S81 buses make a stop at South Beach. The S51 and S81 also stop at Midland Beach.
• The S76 and S86 buses can get customers to Cedar Grove Beach.
• The Staten Island Railway (SIR) to Bay Terrace, as well as the S78 and S79 buses, can get customers to Great Kills Park.
• The SIR to Prince’s Bay, as well as the S55 and S56 buses can get customers to Wolfe's Pond Beach.

Queens Beaches

• Rockaway Beach has robust service with two subway lines, five buses and a LIRR stopping there. Customers can take either the A or Rockaway Park Shuttle, the LIRR to Far Rockaway or the Q22, Q35, Q53-SBS, Q52-SBS or Q114 buses.

The Bronx Beaches

• The Bx29 can get customers to City Island/Orchard Beach.

Connecticut Beaches

• Customers can take Metro-North Railroad to Milford, where they can reach a variety of beaches including Silver Sands Beach, Walnut Beach or Wildemere Beach.