Delays on the 7 train in N.Y. yesterday morning "led to scenes of sweaty fans waiting on train platforms, frustrated Tweets and much watch-checking, but may have provided some relief from the long security lines that ensnared" U.S. Open-goers on Monday, according to Pilon & Sablich of the N.Y. TIMES. For more than two hours, there "was no 7 train service between the Mets-Willets Point, the stop for the tennis center, and Flushing-Main Street to the east because of a switch problem." The stoppage caused "significant delays for the eastbound trains coming from Manhattan full of tennis fans." Service resumed around 11:00am ET, when the day session "was scheduled to start, but delays continued." By most accounts, the security situation on Day 2 "was much improved, perhaps because many of the fans who would have been in line were stuck on the 7 trains" (NYTIMES.com, 8/27). On Long Island, Alfonso Castillo notes fans who "don't take public transportation may be in for lengthy delays, dizzying traffic patterns and long walks." With more than "10,000 spots spread among 17 lots, there should be enough spaces to accommodate all motorists willing to pay the $20 parking fee." But Impark Assistant Manager Guy Breen said that parking at the U.S. Open "can get especially hectic on so-called 'conflict days,' when the Mets are playing across the street at Citi Field and some of the lots have to be shared." The USTA said that about 60% of the "estimated 700,000 tennis fans expected to attend the tournament will get to and from the Billie Jean King National Center in Flushing by public transportation" (NEWSDAY, 8/28).
