WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES MAY 3, 2018 3
M train returns ‘on time and on budget’
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BY RYAN KELLEY
RKELLEY@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
TWITTER @R_KELLEY6
The Monday morning commute
was much easier for Ridgewood
and Middle Village residents on
April 30 when the M train offi cially
restored full service to the line that
had been under construction for 10
months.
The MTA announced on April
27 that the project was completed
on time and on budget, a welcomed
scenario from a community that has
experienced delays on other transportation
projects as of late. NYC Transit
President Andy Byford said in the
press release that the tracks are not
only reinforced, they have many improved
features that will benefi t the
community.
“It is imperative that M train service
operates as effi ciently as possible for
all our customers who rely on it,” Byford
said. “When we couple the longterm
fortifi cation work on this line
with the smoother ride and quieter
tracks, we can be sure we’re on our
way to building the world-class transit
system we’ve pledged to deliver. I’m
very proud of my team for completing
this job safely, on time and on budget.”
The $163 million budget included the
replacement of the Fresh Pond Bridge
and the Myrtle Viaduct, both of which
were more than 100 years old. Specifi
cally, the Fresh Pond Bridge was
rebuilt with 65 feet of new structure
and 600 feet of new track and third rail.
The Myrtle Viaduct was reconstructed
as a 310-foot concrete structure with
low vibration tracks to reduce noise,
700 feet of new third rail, newly engineered
track ties for over 400 feet
of track and replacement of all local
signal equipment and cables.
Joseph Lhota, chairman of the MTA,
added that the completion of the project
is another step in fi xing the aging
subway system that “we promised to
modernize.”
“Completing this project on time and
on budget was critical to show how
serious we are about minimizing impacts
on our customers as we perform
this important work,” Lhota said. “This
is a major win for our customers and
the surrounding community.”
At around 8:45 a.m. on April 30, Byford
boarded an M train at the Fresh
Pond Road Station in Ridgewood aft er
spending time greeting commuters
with members of Community Board
5, Councilman Robert Holden and Assemblywoman
Catherine Nolan. They
joined the 60,000 riders who use the
train on a daily basis during the week
who can now have a straight line from
Queens into Manhattan once again.
The celebration was short lived,
however, when the NYC Transit
Subway account on Twitter released
a statement at 12:24 p.m. that said
M train service was halted in both
directions between Manhattan and
Middle Village due to signal problems
at Myrtle Avenue.
Photo: Marc A. Hermann/MTA New York City Transit
MTA New York City Transit President Andy Byford and Chief Customer
Offi cer Sarah Meyer were on hand at the Fresh Pond Road station on
April 30 to welcome customers back to a fully restored M train line.
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