The MTA is gearing up for the long-awaited Second Avenue subway, and MTA’s sign-makers are getting ready as well, cranking out signs which will direct riders to the new line. Subway riders are already seeing evidence of the new service. There are signs for the W train, which is set to return the day before Election Day, running from Ditmars Boulevard in Astoria, Queens to Whitehall Street in Lower Manhattan. The W Train will replace the Q line in Queens. When the Second Avenue line opens, with three stops on the Upper East Side, it will become the northern end of Q service. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney gave the agency the top grade in her final report card. She championed the MTA’s progress, which she says is 98 percent complete. This will bring a big relief for east side residents and some ease along the Lexington avenue line. Four stations along the new Q lines are expected to be up and running by the end of December. And, as we continue grow here in Manhattan 200,000 riders are expected to use the new subway on a daily basis. The city’s population has hit a milestone, climbing past 8.5 million people.
