Middle Village-bound M trains will skip the Hewes Street, Lorimer Street and Flushing Avenue stations on Tuesday, June 24, through Thursday, June 26, from 9:45 a.m. until 3 p.m. For service to these stations, take the J or M train to Myrtle Avenue- Broadway, then transfer to a Manhattan-bound J or M train. For service from these stations, take the J or M train to Marcy Avenue (Unlimited MetroCard users only) or Essex Street, then transfer to a Jamaica Center-bound J train or a Middle Village-bound M train. Ozone Park Trains Out Along The A Line A train service will be suspended between Rockaway Boulevard and Ozone Park-Lefferts Boulevard this weekend, from 11:45 p.m. Friday, June 20, until 5 a.m. Monday, June 23. During this period, A trains will operate between 207th Street in Manhattan and either Howard Beach- JFK Airport or Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue. A trains heading to Howard Beach or Far Rockaway will skip the Rockaway Boulevard station. Free shuttle buses will operate in Ozone Park between the 80th Street and Lefferts Boulevard stations. For service to the skipped stations, take the A train to Aqueduct-North Conduit Avenue, then transfer to a Manhattan-bound A train. For service from these stations, take the A train to 80th Street, then transfer to a Howard Beach-bound or Far Rockaway-bound A train or a free shuttle bus. The buses will stop at A train stations as follows: • 80th Street—on Liberty Avenue at 80th Street; • 88th Street—on Liberty Avenue at 88th Street; • Rockaway Boulevard—on 93rd Street at Liberty Avenue (to Lefferts Boulevard) or on Liberty Avenue at 93rd Street (to 80th Street); • 104th Street—on Liberty Avenue at 104th Street; • 111th Street—on Liberty Avenue at 111th Street; and • Lefferts Boulevard—on Lefferts Boulevard at Liberty Avenue. Station Renewal Comes To A Line The Ozone Park/Far Rockawaybound platform at the 88th Street station and the Ozone Park-bound platform at the 101st Street station on the A line remain shut through August as part of an ongoing station renewal project. For service to the 88th Street station, take the A train to Rockaway Boulevard, then transfer to a Manhattan-bound A train. For service to the 101st Street station, take a Lefferts Boulevard/Ozone Parkbound A train to 111th Street, then transfer to a Manhattan-bound A train. For service from these stations, take the A train to either Rockaway Boulevard or 80th Street, then transfer to an Ozone Park-bound or a Far Rockaway-bound A train. Skipped Stops For Both E & F Lines Manhattan-bound F trains will skip the Sutphin Boulevard, Van Wyck Boulevard and 75th Avenue stations this weekend, from 11:45 p.m. Friday, June 20, until 5 a.m. Monday, June 23. These trains will also skip the Sutphin Boulevard and Van Wyck Boulevard stations late nights on Monday, June 23, through Friday, June 27, from 11:45 p.m. until 5 a.m. For service to these stations, take the F train to Union Turnpike or 71st- Continental Avenues, then transfer to a Jamaica-bound F train. For service from these stations, take the F train to Union Turnpike or Parsons Boulevard, then transfer to a Manhattan-bound F train. Additionally, Manhattan-bound E trains will skip the Van Wyck Boulevard station late nights on Monday, June 23, through Friday, June 27, from 11:45 p.m. until 5 a.m. For service to this station, take the E train to Union Turnpike, then transfer to a Jamaica Center-bound E train. For service from this station, take the E train to Jamaica-Van Wyck, then transfer to a Manhattan-bound E train. Late Night Switches On E Line In Queens Manhattan-bound E trains will run on the F line between 36th Street in Queens and West Fourth Street in Manhattan late nights on Friday, June 20, from 9:30 p.m. until 5 a.m. As a result of this change, Manhattan-bound E train service will not be available at the Queens Plaza, Court Square-23rd Street, Lexington Avenue-53rd Street, Fifth Avenue- 53rd Street and Seventh Avenue stations. For service to Queens Plaza and Court Square-23rd Street, transfer to the 7 train at Roosevelt Avenue or take a free shuttle bus available at the 21st Street-Queensbridge F train station. For service from these stations, take the 7 train to Times Square-42nd Street, then transfer to the A or C trains or take a free shuttle bus to the 21st Street-Queensbridge station. Additionally, Jamaica Centerbound E trains will run on the F line between West Fourth Street and 21st Street-Queensbridge late nights Monday through Friday from 9:30 p.m. until 5 a.m. beginning this Tuesday, June 24, and continuing through Friday, July 11. Service will operate normally between 9:30 p.m. Thursday, July 3, and 5 a.m. Friday, July 4. Forest Hills-bound M trains will also run on the F line between 47th- 50th Streets and 21st Street-Queensbridge weeknights Monday through Thursday from 9:30 p.m. until midnight beginning on Tuesday, June 24, and continuing through Thursday, July 10. Service will operate normally on Thursday, July 3. As a result, there will be no Jamaica Center-bound E train service at the Seventh Avenue, Fifth Avenue- 53rd Street, Lexington Avenue-53rd Street, Court Square-23rd Street and Queens Plaza stations. For service to the Court Square- 23rd Street or Queens Plaza stops, transfer to a free shuttle bus at the 21st Street-Queensbridge station. Late Night Local Svc. For F Line In W. Qns. Manhattan-bound F trains will stop at the 65th Street, Northern Boulevard, 46th Street, Steinway Street and 36th Street stations late nights on Tuesdays through Fridays from 12:01 until 5 a.m. through Friday, July 11. Normal service, however, will be in effect on Tuesday, June 24, and Friday, July 4. Riders are advised to allow for additional travel time. Switch Of Lines For F Trains To Jamaica Manhattan-bound F trains will run on the M line between Roosevelt Avenue and 47th-50th Streets this weekend, from 9:45 p.m. Friday, June 20, until 5 a.m. Monday, June 23. As a result, there will be no Manhattanbound F train service at the 21st Street-Queensbridge, Roosevelt Island, Lexington Avenue-63rd Street and 57th Street stations. For service to 21st Street- Queensbridge or Roosevelt Island, take the F train to 47th-50th Streets, then transfer to a Jamaica-bound F train. For service from these stations, take the F train to Roosevelt Avenue, then transfer to a Manhattan-bound F train.M ore Split Service On L Line In Bklyn. L trains will operate in two sections—between Broadway Junction and Rockaway Parkway, and between Eighth Avenue and Broadway Junction—on Thursday, June 19, and Friday, June 20, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Riders can transfer between L trains at Broadway Junction to continue their trip. It was noted that all L trains between Rockaway Parkway and Broadway Junction will run every 24 minutes. Riders are advised to allow for additional travel time. Morning Shutdowns Affect The N Line Astoria-bound N trains will skip the 39th Avenue, 36th Avenue, Broadway and 30th Avenue stations on Thursday, June 19, and Friday, June 20, from 10:15 a.m. until 3 p.m. During this period, Q trains will not operate between 57th Street and Ditmars Boulevard. For service to these stations, take the N train to Astoria Boulevard, then transfer to a Manhattan-bound N train. For service from these stations, take the N train to Queensboro Plaza, then transfer to an Astoria-bound N train. * * * For a complete list of service changes and last-minute updates, visit the MTA’s website at www.mta.info or call 511. Transit News And Changes -CONTINUED FROM PG. 18- TIMES, THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2014 • 54 Traffic News And Changes -CONTINUED FROM PG. 18- until 2 p.m. due to construction work related to the Kew Gardens rehabilitation project. Additionally, up to two lanes in either direction of the expressway in the same section may be closed on overnights from 1 to 5 a.m. Kew Gdns. Project Affects Union Tpke. Long-term construction related to the state Department of Transportation’s Kew Gardens Interchange project will require the right lane of Union Turnpike eastbound to be closed at all times between 128th and 134th streets. All existing traffic lanes will remain open and are shifted to the left. Lane Closures On Grand Central Pkwy. One lane of the Grand Central Parkway in each direction will be closed between 82nd and 111th streets on weekdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. on weekdays. Lane closures will also take place from 10 p.m. Fridays to 7 a.m. Saturdays and from 10 p.m. Saturdays to 3 p.m. Sundays. Two lanes of traffic in each direction may be closed on weeknights from 12:01 until 5 a.m., Saturdays from 1 to 6 a.m. and Sundays from 1 to 9 a.m. Additionally, the left lane in both directions on the Grand Central Parkway may be closed at 44th Street for two nights through Friday, May 2, from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. to allow DOT crews to conduct bridge maintenance. Exit Ramp Closed Near Whitestone Br. The Third Avenue exit on the northbound approach to the Whitestone Bridge is closed to all traffic as part of a $109 million reconstruction project. Separate car and truck detours will be in place while the exit ramp is closed. Signs will be in place and traffic agents will be on hand when the detours begin. The closure is expected to remain in place for approximately two years. Passenger vehicles driving from the northbound Cross Island Parkway will have to exit at Utopia Parkway (exit 34); those driving from the northbound Whitestone Expressway will need to exit past the 20th Avenue exit and merge onto the Cross Island Parkway. All commercial vehicles must exit the Whitestone Expressway at 20th Avenue (exit 15). For additional closures, visit the city DOT’s website at www.nyc.gov/dot or call 311. Budget Report Finds City Still Feeling Labor Pains economic recovery has already exceeded the average length for all recoveries since the end of World War II. Although the budget gaps for fiscal years 2019 through 2021 could be larger because the cost of new labor agreements will be higher in those years, the city has a long lead time to close these gaps. The sooner the city begins the process of implementing actions to close the budget gaps during the financial plan period, the smaller the gaps will be in fiscal years 2019 through 2021. Specifics include: • The mayor has increased the city's reserves by rescinding plans from the prior administration to transfer $1 billion from the Retiree Health Benefits Trust into the operating budget, and by doubling the general reserve to $600 million. • Revenue collections were much stronger in the current fiscal year than the city had expected one year ago. In total, the city has raised its revenue forecasts by $5.1 billion through FY 2017, largely because real estate values and sales activity are increasing faster than had been expected and personal income tax collections have been strong. The Office of the State Comptroller projects higher revenues than forecast by the city, including $725 million more during fiscal years 2014 and 2015. • City-funded spending is projected to increase at an average annual rate of 4.6 percent between Fiscal Years 2013 and 2018, driven by higher labor costs and debt service. • Since the end of the recession, job growth in New York City has averaged 1.8 percent annually, nearly twice as fast as the nation. Employment in the city climbed to a record high of nearly 4 million during 2013. Job growth in the city, however, has been concentrated in lower-paying sectors. • Wall Street is one of the city’s economic engines and a major source of tax revenues. The city forecasts lower Wall Street profits and bonuses in calendar year 2014. Although Wall Street has been profitable for several years, the securities industry in the city continues to shed jobs. During the first four months of 2014, the securities industry lost another 1,200 jobs (compared to the same period one year earlier). • In early May, the city announced that it had reached a nine-year labor agreement with the United Federation of Teachers, which represents 37 percent of the city’s workforce. The city, which has a long history of pattern bargaining, assumes these terms will set the wage pattern for all municipal unions. However, the union representing the city’s police officers is seeking larger wage increases than those offered by the city, and has begun the process that could lead to binding arbitration. • The city assumes that new labor agreements will cost $13.6 billion during the financial plan period. These costs will be partially offset by resources previously set aside by the city in its labor reserve ($3.5 billion), and by a total of $4.4 billion in new resources that are expected to become available as the result of an approved agreement between the city and the Municipal Labor Committee, which represents the city’s unions. The city has agreed to report regularly on its progress in achieving these health insurance savings, which will build confidence that the agreement is generating the anticipated savings. The city has made progress in its efforts to sell the remaining 1,600 taxi medallions, but it still needs state approval for its disability accessibility plan (DAP) before it can begin auctioning off the remaining medallions, which are expected to generate $1.2 billion during fiscal years 2015 through 2017. The DAP was recently submitted to the City Council for its review and had to be submitted to the state by June 12, which then has 60 days to issue a decision. To view a copy of DiNapoli’s financial plan report, visit: www.osc.state.ny.us/osdc. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 17-
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