Subway riders frustrated by new 'Late-Night Map' confusion

The MTA's new "Late-Night Map" -- the agency's latest attempt to help straphangers navigate a plethora of overnight service changes -- has a few problems that are leaving some riders scratching their head.

The errors include subway connections to the Atlantic Terminal and the Hunters Point Long Island Rail Road stations - which do not have overnight service - and markings for other LIRR and Metro-North stations where the trains don't run overnight.

The map also shows bus connections to get to LaGuardia Airport even though there isn't service for most of the night.

But MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan stood by the map, saying each item "resulted from deliberate decisions made by our mapmaker." He added, "They are not the results of oversights."

Donovan said the LIRR connections are there as "a geographical reference on a map that's primarily aimed at showing subway service." Even though a rider can't actually get on a train, "the connection doesn't disappear," he said.

He said the agency would "take a look" at removing the LIRR transfers from future maps.

Bill Henderson of the MTA's Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee called the map "useful," but said the map's indication of LIRR transfers may be confusing.

"I'm not sure that doesn't give people something of the wrong idea," he said. "Ultimately, you gotta look at the schedules if you're counting on being somewhere late at night."

"I have another way to resolve that problem," he added. "Restore service at Atlantic terminal."