SUNNYSIDE — Have you faced a three-hour commute because of ice on the third rail? Were you late to work thanks to signal problems? Now's your chance to rag on the 7 train, which has been fraught with problems and outages this winter.
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer is asking straphangers to share horror stories about the Flushing line at a rally he's planned for 8 a.m. on Wednesday.
DNAinfo would also like to hear about your experiences with the 7 train. You can tweet your stories by using the hashtags #7TrainNightmares and #MTAHearUsNow, or air your frustrations in the comments below.
After receiving a barrage of complaints from constituents about the 7 train — including issues like overcrowded cars, chronic signal problems and ongoing weekend outages — Van Bramer says he's had enough, and is pushing the MTA to improve service.
"MTA service along the 7 line is a disaster," Van Bramer said in a statement. "Day after day constituents contact me via social media about their horror stories of trains breaking down and/or bypassing their stations, signals constantly malfunctioning and dangerously overcrowded platforms."
Riders relying on the 7 have had a rough go this winter. In February, ice on the third rail shut down service on the entire length of the line for hours, while switch and signal problems have led to delays and suspensions on other days.
Most recently, on March 5, service was suspended for 90 minutes between Hunters Point and Times Square during the morning rush because of a smoke condition.
Organizers of Sunnyside's annual St. Pat's for All parade were put out when service on much of the line was suspended the weekend of the event because of scheduled repair work.
Weekend shutdowns have been routine over the past couple of years in order to upgrade the signal system.
Complaints about the 7 train have been rampant on social media.
"The 7 Train is horrible! Fix the signal problems & finish the weekend disruptions already!" wrote Twitter user @RandyNigrelli on March 5.
MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz said these issues are being addressed through the agency's capital improvement projects, which include the installation of countdown clocks at stations and adding more trains to the line.
The agency could not immediately say how many outages or delays there have been on the line.
The MTA is also spending $550 million to replace a decades-old signal system, a project that's expected to continue through 2017.
An additional $15 million will be put toward replacing thousands of feet of old track, and to make repairs on the 120-year-old Steinway Tube between Queens and Manhattan, Ortiz said.
"When completed, this work will result in a more reliable subway line with the ability to run more trains and improve performance for growing neighborhoods in northern Queens," Ortiz said.
But paying riders should not have to suffer because of these projects, Van Bramer said.
"People are paying for a service they are not getting and we have had enough," he said.
The rally will take place at 8 a.m. on Wednesday at the 40th Street 7 train station in Sunnyside.