After Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the end of the L train shutdown in January, Brooklyn residents have been left without information on what their travel options will be in the meantime. On Wednesday, MTA officials gave a preliminary look at what it might be.
“We’ll be able to maintain service, but it will be a disruptive service on the L,” said Ronnie Hakim, managing director for the MTA.
Beginning April 26, L trains between Bedford Avenue and Manhattan will run only every 20 minutes all day weekends and weeknights 10 pm to 5 am. Hakim warned that service slowdowns may begin as early as 8 on some evenings. Between Canarsie/Rockaway Parkway and Lorimer Street, the L will run every 10 minutes.
To compensate for this reduction in service, Hakim promised more service on the 7, G and M lines, as well as running a “loop bus” between Williamsburg L stops and nearby J, G and M subway lines. The M14 will also run increased service, and the M will be rerouted to run up to 96th Street.
Hakim expected these service changes to keep the subway accessible for 95 percent of L train riders, without having to lengthen G trains or run a surface bus line along 14th Street, as had been previously discussed. Additionally, Hakim said that setting up a carpool lane on the Williamsburg Bridge to combat an influx in car traffic would not be necessary.
With slow service to come, the MTA is concerned about overcrowding at the First and Third Avenue stops on the L line, and is considering making those stations “exit only” to accommodate the mass of riders coming in from Brooklyn.
The plan is not final, and elected officials, transit advocates and ordinary riders will get a chance to have their say on the details before it begins. The work is expected to go on for between 15 and 20 months, though, this being the MTA, they could not commit to a firm end date.
