UPDATE, Major Roosevelt Island Subway Service Changes Begin August 28 Continuing For At Least 6 Months - F Train Replaced By Daily Subway Shuttle Between Queensbridge/21 Street, Roosevelt Island And Lex/63rd Street During MTA's 63rd Street Tunnel Direct Fixation Track Rehab Project

As reported last June 5: 

Roosevelt Island residents have been worried about a possible F Train subway service disruption transportation nightmare with the upcoming MTA 63rd Street Line Direct Fixation Track Rehabilitation Project scheduled to begin soon....

,,, According to the revised MTA plan, the project will begin in August 2023. The plan is for no Roosevelt Island F Train service in either direction during the project.

Instead, the Roosevelt Island F Train will be replaced by a Shuttle Train service operating between 21st Street/Queensbridge, Roosevelt Island and 63rd/Lexington on weekdays and weekends running every 20 minutes. The Shuttle service is suspended during late night when Shuttle busses run between Roosevelt Island, 21st Street/Queensbridge and Queens Plaza subway station. It's not known at this time how long the project will take or what are Late Night hours....

Image from June 7,2023 MTA Presentation to Community Board 8

Last week a Roosevelt Island resident asked:

Any word on the upcoming subway service changes?

On Wednesday July 26, I followed up with the MTA asking:

Is there any update regarding the timing of the MTA's planned 63rd Street Tunnel Direct Fixation Track project and its impact on Roosevelt Island? 

The last I heard the start date was near the end of August. Has a date been specified yet? Has an estimated completion timeline for the project been determined yet?... 

On Friday July 28 the MTA issued a press release updating info on the 63rd Street Tunnel Direct Fixation Track  project. According to the MTA:

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced the replacement of track along the F line between 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Center in Manhattan and 36 St in Queens. The project will improve reliability, mitigate leaks to prevent future corrosion and deterioration and extend the life of existing infrastructure.

Crews will remove existing direct fixation track and construct new concrete track and new direct fixation track, install new contact rail, protection boards, brackets and insulators, remove and replace cables, furnish and install new signal equipment, repair spalled concrete and cracks and seal active leaks.

The following service changes will be in effect through the first quarter of 2024:

Beginning Monday, August 28, F service will be rerouted via the E line in both directions between 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Center and Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av....

... Weekdays and weekends between 5 a.m. and 11:59 p.m., F shuttle trains will operate between Lexington Av/63 St and 21 St-Queensbridge, and free Q95 shuttle buses will operate between the 21 St-Queensbridge and Queens Plaza stations.

Overnights between midnight and 5 a.m., F shuttle train service is suspended and free Q94 shuttle buses will connect the Roosevelt Island, 21 St-Queensbridge, and Queens Plaza stations.

In preparation for this work, there will be service changes in effect for the following weekends:

Between 9:45 p.m. on Friday, August 11 and 5 a.m. on Monday, August 14 there will be no Coney Island-Stillwell Av bound F train service at 21 St-Queensbridge, 57 St/6 Av, Roosevelt Island, and Lexington Av/63 St. Coney Island-Stillwell Av bound F service will be rerouted via the E line between Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av and 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Center.

Between 9:45 p.m. on Friday, August 18 and 5 a.m. on Monday, August 21 there will be no Jamaica-179 St bound F service at 57 St/6 Av, Lexington Av/63 St, Roosevelt Island, and 21 St-Queensbridge. Jamaica-179 St bound F service will be rerouted via the E  line in between 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Center and Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av.

Between 9:45 p.m. on Friday, August 25 and 5 a.m. on Monday, August 28, there will be no F train service in both directions at 57 St/6 Av, Lexington Av/63 St, Roosevelt Island, and 21 St-Queensbridge. F service will be rerouted via the E line in both directions between 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Center and Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av, and free shuttle buses will operate between Roosevelt Island, 21 St-Queensbridge, and Queens Plaza. The Q train will continue to stop at Lexington Av/63 St.

MTA crews will make announcements in stations and post signage in stations. Outreach to community members and stakeholders will continue throughout the project....

During the June 29 Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board of Directors meeting, representatives of the MTA described the project to those in attendance.

Manhattan Community Board 8 approved a June 2023 resolution requesting:

... the following actions be taken to support Roosevelt Island residents and visitors who rely on public transportation and will be significantly impacted by reduced subway service throughout the 63rd Street Direct Track Fixation Project:

1. More frequent NYCT Q102 Bus Service connecting Roosevelt Island and subway lines serving Queens Plaza

2. An “F” shuttle bus connecting Roosevelt Island to Queens Plaza during all dayparts, including when the shuttle train is running;

3. Extending the shuttle bus to serve Coler Hospital;

4. 24 hour/7 days per week Roosevelt Island Tram Service to provide a direct connection to Manhattan during overnight hours when the shuttle train is not operating;

5. NYC Ferry operating the largest model of ferry vessels on the Astoria Route serving Roosevelt Island with the most seating capacity.

Please advise us of any action taken on this matter.

Here's the full CB 8 resolution.

To date, there has been no response from RIOC, the MTA or NYC Ferry to the CB 8 resolution in support of Roosevelt Island residents. 

Here's a summary of the MTA's 63rd Street Tunnel Direct Fixation Track project presented to the June 7 CB 8 Transportation/Roosevelt Island committees.