F train service changes start Monday for months-long track work in tunnels between Manhattan and Queens
NEW YORK -- Monday's commute looks different for subway riders on the F and M lines, due to track work in the 63rd Street Tunnel between Manhattan and Queens.
F train are being rerouted via the E line between 47th-50th Streets Rockefeller Center and Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue. The M will be partially suspended on weekdays between 47th-50th Streets Rockefeller Center and Forest Hills-71st Avenue.
Jackson Heights resident Monica Estudillo told CBS New York's Elijah Westbrook she left home a bit earlier than usual because of the changes. She normally leaves the house for work at 6 a.m., but said now she'll head out at least 15 to 20 minutes sooner.
"It is what it is," she said. "Not terrible, but when you're used to a certain routine, you leave at a certain time, and now it's a little out of whack."
She and other riders had to rely on free shuttle buses running every 20 minutes between Lexington Avenue-63rd Street and 21st Street-Queensbridge, stopping at Queens Plaza and Roosevelt Island, while F trains run on the E line.
"I live close to 21st Street in Queensbridge. Last week, they were handing out pamphlets letting people know that they were going to have the shuttle," resident Sal Saluh told Westbrook.
"I just walked two blocks to the train station. I'll just pick up the bus to get to where I'm going," another person said.
The MTA says work on the tunnel between the two boroughs is expected to last through early next year. The transit agency says it will provide additional trains on other connecting lines to make up for the reduced service.
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