Closed platforms create midday travel headaches for commuters along Q line
A sudden MTA route change has left straphangers angry about their morning commute.
Starting on May 13, commuters arrived at local subway stations on the Q and B line between Sheepshead Bay and Prospect Park to discover that not only were the Manhattan-bound platforms closed, but also that Manhattan-bound trains were skipping two major express stops, Kings Highway and Church Avenue — where riders normally would be able to transfer for northbound service — between 9:45 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. weekdays, and during the day on weekends.
Commuters were advised by the MTA to, “Use a Brighton Beach-bound B or Coney Island-bound Q to complete your trip. Transfer at Prospect Park, Newkirk Plaza, or Sheepshead Bay.”
The MTA also cited buses running nearby: “In addition to the alternate subway service suggestions provided in our signage, customers can also take nearby buses, some of which parallel the Q line (B68, B49, B41). Customers can also take the B35 (at Church Avenue) or the B82 SBS or local (at Kings Highway), which connect to nearby subway lines,” the MTA suggested.