Overview
- The F will use the 53rd Street tunnel alongside the E on weekdays, stopping at Queens Plaza, Court Square, Lexington Avenue–53rd Street and Fifth Avenue–53rd Street.
- The M will shift to the 63rd Street tunnel on weekdays, serving 21st Street–Queensbridge, Roosevelt Island, Lexington Avenue–63rd Street and 57th Street.
- The new pattern will operate roughly from 6:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on weekdays, with late evenings, nights and weekends reverting to current alignments.
- The change removes the Queens Plaza merge that delays 15% to 20% of rush-hour E, M and R trains, isolating express and local flows to improve reliability.
- The MTA will update signage at affected stations and conduct rider outreach before the switch, and it estimates about $1 million in annual operating costs.