MTA board’s Bronxites get more No. 1 train service

Six additional No. 1 trains will roll above Broadway every day beginning in the summer of 2013, decreasing wait times and making trains less crowded.

The MTA is making the change because weekday evening trains are at 112 percent capacity. The extra trains are expected to bring capacity down to 91 percent.

MTA board member and longtime Riverdalian Charles Moerdler said he and board member Fernando Ferrer, also a Riverdalian, advocated for increased service on many Bronx lines to help reduce wait times.

“Freddy and I were pushing for the No. 1 line,” Mr. Moerdler said.

Mr. Moerdler was pleased No. 1 train riders would see a change.

“They are going to reduce the wait times so instead of waiting five minutes, you’ll wait four minutes, three minutes. They will reduce the time between train A and train B,” Mr. Moerdler said.

This is rare good news for No. 1 train riders, who may have to pay $2.50, up from $2.25 if the MTA goes through with a proposed fare hike. The base fare may stay the same under one proposal, though the 30-day unlimited MetroCard could increase as much as $21 per month. 

Community Board 8 Traffic and Transportation chair Dan Padernacht welcomed the news.

“It is my hope that the additional trains increase efficiency and comfort for riders,” he wrote in an e-mail.