The MTA and city’s Department of Transportation will host a town hall meeting Wednesday in Canarsie to update straphangers on next year’s L train shutdown.
The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. at Canarsie Ascend Charter School at 9719 Flatlands Ave, and NYC Transit President Andy Byford and senior DOT officials will be in attendance, as will local elected officials, including Rep. Hakeem Jeffries.
“Contrary to what some may have heard, L train service will definitely continue next year in eastern Brooklyn,” DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg said. “Nevertheless, with the tunnel from Williamsburg to Manhattan closed, L riders in East New York and Canarsie will definitely see their service affected next spring. That is why we are so grateful to Congressmember Jeffries for the opportunity to join a town hall and discuss the array of transit options — from new free subway transfers to alternative bus lines — that his constituents will need to know about.”
Updates on L train shutdown and alternatives
Wednesday’s town hall will feature progress updates on the L train shutdown, including information about the weekend shutdowns that began this past weekend to upgrade track and signals “to help ensure the L line is as reliable as possible during the tunnel reconstruction project,” the agencies said.
Officials will also share information about transit options that will be available during the L train shutdown, which includes additional cars on C trains for connections at Broadway Junction; more M train service at Myrtle-Wyckoff Avenue; increased G train service and additional cars at Lorimer Street and free out-of-system MetroCard transfers between the L train at Livonia Avenue and the 3 train at Junius Street.
The 15-month L train shutdown is slated to begin in April 2019 when the century-old Canarsie Tunnel undergoes a complete reconstruction due to damage from Superstorm Sandy in 2012. The L train will only run in Brooklyn between Bedford Avenue and Canarsie-Rockaway Parkway.
“The L Train Reconstruction Project represents the most massive undertaking I’ve ever been a part of in my career in transportation, but it’s also spurred some of the most innovative and collaborative work I’ve ever been a part of,” Byford said. “The L train will run throughout Brooklyn during the period in which the tunnel is closed, and there will be a variety of transportation options for residents in this area to travel to and from Manhattan. We want to use this town hall to answer any questions or concerns people have and make sure everybody’s ready for 2019.”
