WILLIAMSBURG — Pick your poison.
Whether it's a full shutdown of L train service west of Bedford Avenue that would last 18 months, or a partial shutdown that would mean limited service that could drag on for three years, L train riders will face some rough times ahead.
The Rider's Alliance is now collecting commuter input in an online survey that it will later present to the MTA along with the L Train Coalition, a group of community, small business and commuter advocates.
But meanwhile we've decided to collect a little data of our own.
Here's what you know to take our survey:
In early 2019, the MTA will begin repair work on the Canarsie Tunnel that flooded during Hurricane Sandy and connects Manhattan and Brooklyn along the L line. In order to do that work they need to either shut down the whole tunnel or shut it down one tube at a time. Here's what the two options look like:
Full Shutdown: All L train stops west of Bedford Avenue including all Manhattan stops along the L train line would be closed down for around 18 months. Buses, J, M, Z and G train lines, and ferries could provide alternate service during that time.
Partial Shutdown: Service between Canarsie and Eighth Avenue would operate in two sections. Trains would run from Canarsie until Lorimer Street, then shuttle buses would take riders from Lorimer to Bedford Avenue, then a shuttle train service would cart passengers from Bedford Avenue to Manhattan. Those trains would run every 12 to 15 minutes, allowing one-fifth of the current capacity. This option would take around three years for construction to be complete.
Service Alternatives:
All different kinds of alternate service plans are on the table, and in reality a variety of different options will have to be in place in order to absorb all of the riders that currently use the L train to get to and from Manhattan. The MTA already plans on increasing G, J, M and Z train service, but they'll have to consider a whole host of other transit options like better bus service, increased network of Citi Bikes, more frequent ferries, and one group wants to build a cable car over the East River from Williamsburg to Downtown Manhattan.
Within the next two to three months the agency will decide which construction plan to go for. Meanwhile it is hosting two public forums on the issue, the second of which is this Thursday at the Salvation Army Theatre, and the agency will be visiting community boards all along the line.
