7 Train Shutdown During Evening Rush Infuriates Straphangers
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A shutdown of 7 Train service Tuesday evening caused a nightmare ride home for Queens residents.
By 8:40 p.m., service had been restored on the line with residual delays, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
But beginning around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, the entire 7 line was shut down in both directions from Manhattan to Queens. A power outage caused signal trouble up and down the line.
Service was later restored a couple of hours later between Times Square and Jackson Heights, but anything between Jackson Heights and Flushing remained shut down.
Full service was not restored for a couple of hours after that.
And as CBS 2's Derricke Dennis reported, with service out, crowds of commuters jostled to get on shuttle buses that struggled to handle the load.
It was pretty much commuter chaos at 74th Street and Broadway in Jackson Heights. Straphangers lined up by the hundreds for shuttle buses to get where they needed to go.
There was lots of pushing and shoving, and even a few screams, as riders tried to get on the shuttle buses. NYPD officers tried their best to do crowd control and to keep people from being trampled
All through the outage, subway riders had to get off and take buses to their destinations. Some were lucky they were close to home, while others were angry at the MTA for having too many 7 line disruptions.
"Oh, they always do," said Gyste Kola. "Seven is the worst train on earth. We are dying. Every day, problems."
Added Natalia Kaleda, "I feel lucky, but I am so sorry for other people, because they will get to their street maybe in like an hour and a half."
"It's an inconvenience, and considering next month, we're going for, for me, a monthly (pass) from $104 to $112. I'd like to see some changes," said Luis Barrera of Jackson Heights.
The MTA said it realizes service disruptions are an inconvenience, but the agency said the move is necessary to modernize and improve the system.
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