L Train Shutdown: MTA To Present Alternate Travel Options

EAST VILLAGE, NY — NYC commuters will get new bus routes, protected bike lanes and vehicle restrictions on the Williamsburg Bridge during the L train shutdown next year, the MTA said on Friday.

The MTA and the city's transportation department said they will jointly host four open houses in January and February to inform commuters along the route about their transit options.

These alternatives will include high occupancy vehicle restrictions on the Williamsburg Bridge, a new Select Bus Service route and new protected bike lanes and bus lanes in the affected neighborhoods, the MTA said. The MTA first outlined its plans last year. Now, transit officials will present it directly to the public, and likely face some questions and concerns in the process.

The L train, which runs from the West Side of Manhattan into Brooklyn, will shut down service for 15 months beginning in April 2019 to undergo major repairs. The L train travels through the Canarsie Tunnel, which was badly damaged during Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

At least 225,000 commuters travel on the L line each weekday, according to the MTA.

The open houses, which begin in January, will outline the alternate commuting options in the relevant neighborhoods.

Here are the scheduled open houses:
— Wed., Jan. 24, 5-8 p.m. in East Williamsburg at Progress High School
— Wed., Jan. 31, 5-8 p.m. in Manhattan at the 14th Street Y
— Thurs., Feb. 8, 5-8 p.m. in Williamsburg at the Williamsburg Community Center
— Wed., Feb. 14, 5-8 p.m. in Manhattan at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church

Image credit: Ciara McCarthy / Patch