Adieu, W

Breaking: the MTA has just announced its crazy-ridiculous service cuts and fare hikes that are sure to have all NY commuters in a tizzy. Yipes.

Faced with its most severe financial crisis since the 1970s, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced plans on Thursday to drastically cut service on its subways, buses and commuter railroads starting in the spring and to impose a 23 percent increase in fare and toll revenue beginning June 1 and another 5 percent increase in 2011.

For New York City Transit, the biggest component of the authority, the deficit-closing plan would eliminate the W and Z subway lines; eliminate service on the M line to Bay Parkway in Brooklyn; shorten the route of the G line, which will permanently stop at Court Square in Long Island City, Queens, instead of 71st and Continental Avenues in Forest Hills, Queens; lower the frequency of most letter-line trains to every 10 minutes from every 8 minutes on weekends; lower the frequency of all trains to every 30 minutes from every 20 minutes from 2 to 5 a.m.; eliminate overnight bus service on 25 routes; and eliminate the X27 and X28 express-bus lines.

Mr. Sander said the route alterations “will result in extra transfers, longer travel times, longer wait times and longer walking time.” Trains would be more crowded. Subway cars would be cleaned less frequently. Station booths would be closed. Bus service would be cut back on weekends and at nights. The express-bus fare would rise to $7.50 from $5. The cost of the Access-a-Ride paratransit service for disabled riders would rise.

Not the W!! But I love the W! It is the train that transformed the boring N/R into the snappy N/R/W! What will fill that void now??