Major Service Cutback At MTA

The economic crisis has prompted NYC's transit authority to announce major budget and service cutbacks. The NY Daily News ticks off the damage:

Positions: More than 1,500 axed - including approximately 350 administrators and managers; approximately 700 station agents and bus drivers combined.

Subways

• W and Z lines shut down completely.
• No more express J-train service, makes all local stops.
• G line nearly halved with the northern terminal being Court Square, Long Island City, Queens, at all times. No more service from Court Square to Forest Hills.
• M line halved, making stops only between Metropolitan Ave., Queens, and Broad St., Manhattan.
• B line trains arrive every 10 minutes weekends, up from 8 minutes.
• Overnight: Scheduled gaps between all trains running between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. increased to 30 minutes from 20 minutes.
• Midday: Schedules changed - less frequent trains from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. - system wide so that trains carry more passengers: 125% of the seating capacity, up from current guideline of 100%.

Buses: A few dozen bus routes eliminated overnight and weekends, including X27 and X28 weekends. Bus routes targeted for less frequent service generally are those with lower ridership numbers or where subway trains are an option. A few routes running weekdays axed.