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The hottest ticket in the Hunters Point section of Long Island City, Queens this weekend may be a boarding pass for free direct shuttle bus service between the neighborhood and Grand Central Station.

As the Metropolitan Transportation Authority works on repairs in the area for the 7 train this weekend, local Steven Cimino said the private shuttle will cut his extra travel time.

"The pass is a very good thing for the community, with what they are doing with the number 7 line on the weekends," said Cimino. "I understand that they need to do the track work, but it's a terrible inconvenience."

For years, every time the 7 line is shut down for repairs, the MTA provides shuttle train service from Manhattan to Queensboro Plaza with a bus connection that stops near Hunters Point.

MTA officials say it is the quickest, most reliable way to make the trip, but the Hunters Point Merchants Association says the need to switch from train to bus discourages non-residents from coming to shop. So after years of protests, the association took matters into its own hands.

"It's a shame that we have to do this, not only for us but for the residents and everyone else, but we did," said Brian Adams of the Hunters Point Merchants Association. "We are grateful that we can do some work like this for the community, because it's important to be able to identify our needs and our problems and to be able to persevere."

The bus will run from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, picking up at passengers at Park Avenue and 42nd Street in Manhattan and Vernon Boulevard and 50th Avenue in Queens. Right now, an online local magazine called LICityGuide.com and the developers of the Solarium Condominium are picking up the tab.

"The Solarium Condominium is a new development in the neighborhood and we're trying to promote the fact that we are a commuter neighborhood, and right now we are not able to do anything because of what's going on with the 7 train," said Rick Rosa, the development's sales director.

While work on the 7 train will run nine more weekends, the free bus service is only scheduled to for this weekend and the next. The merchants' association says that could change if a lot of residents and local businesses get on board.

The free boarding passes at the Solarium Condominium at 5-43 48th Avenue or can be printed from www.LICityGuide.com.