Politics & Government

MTA Will Update Residents on Impending L Train Reconstruction Wednesday Evening

The meeting, hosted by Community Boards 3 and 6, will be held at the Bernstein Pavilion at Mount Sinai Beth Israel.

The presentation regarding the much-anticipated proposed L train reconstruction, hosted by Community Boards 3 and 6, will be held Wednesday, June 29 at 6:30 p.m. at the Bernstein Pavilion at Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Podell Auditorium. The address is 1-9 Nathan D. Perlman Place in Gramercy (between 15th & 16th streets, across the street from the park).

At the meeting, the MTA is expected to present its plans for the Canarsie Tunnel Reconstruction Project and discuss the project's potential impacts on the community.

The MTA has said it will shut down the L train for at least 18 months in 2019 to fix extensive damage to the train's tunnel infrastructure after Hurricane Sandy. So far, the MTA has presented two potential plans to New Yorkers:

Find out what's happening in Tribeca-FiDifor free with the latest updates from Patch.

First alternative: This is the quick and dirty plan that would shut down L train service completely between Eighth and Bedford avenues for an expected 18-month period.

Second alternative: This is the slow and painful plan that would have limited shuttle service between Manhattan and Brooklyn but it would take three years. Three. Years.

Find out what's happening in Tribeca-FiDifor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The MTA said it's going to choose one of the plans within the next few months.

Manhattanites living near the 14th Street stations on the L are rightfully concerned their commutes will be turned upside down.

The Riders Alliance, a public transit advocacy group, and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer both publicly supported the full closure option.

City officials say the repair work is necessary, and they've also put the spin on it that it could actually enhance the efficiency and capacity of the L train.

A variety of alternative commute options for L train riders during the repair work have also been discussed at recent meetings. Officials have proposed amping up service on the G, M, A and C lines, as well as opening new bus and bike lanes.

Learn more about the decision-making process and citizen concerns at the meeting tonight at 6:30 p.m.


Image by Wikimedia Commons/CC by 3.0

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