The L Train Coalition, “a group of engaged stakeholders, community organizations, businesses, and concerned citizens” will meet to call on the MTA and Department of Transportation for “better, safer L train alternatives” tomorrow (3/1) at Brooklyn Bowl (61 Wythe Ave.) at 10 a.m.
Council Member Antonio Reynoso, Senator Brian Kavanagh, Council Member Stephen Levin, Assemblyman Joseph Lentol and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney will meet with the public and give their feedback on recent developments regarding the L train.
The MTA announced its “Alternative Service Plan” earlier this month for construction on the Canarsie Tunnel to take place during nights and weekends, when L trains will run every 20 minutes from Bedford Ave to Manhattan.
The work will start on April 26, and is estimated to last 15 – 20 months. The previous plans to lengthen the G train and provide shuttle buses across the Williamsburg Bridge are not included in the new plan, but service will increase on the G, M and 7 subway lines.
L service changes are currently scheduled through March 18th according to the MTA:
Weeknights Jan 28 – March 18, approx. 10:45 PM to 5 AM, Monday to Friday L trains will not run between Broadway Junction and 8 Av.
Weekends Mar 15-18, Appx. 10:45 PM Friday to 5 AM Monday There will be no L trains between 8 Av and Broadway Junction
Why can’t trains run overnight and on weekends during the track and signal work in February and March, like they will during the revised version of the L Project? As you know, there are multiple pieces of the L Project. The part of the project that was revised was the tunnel rehabilitation work—which is great news for many customers since we’ll have L service 24/7, even with reduced service while we run a single-track operation during overnights and weekends.
For this overnight and weekend times in February and March, we’re focused on long-term reliability improvement work. Here are a few highlights of what we’ll be doing:
Removing and replacing all existing 16,000 feet of rails, plates and the ties supporting the track Relocating and replacing cables Rebuilding Bedford Av switches to be ready to support the one-track operation starting in April Installing continuous welded rail at Bushwick-Aberdeen, between Jefferson and DeKalb, at Montrose and from Lorimer to Graham The work requires full service closures because:
Track work: In order to perform the rail, plate and tie replacement, we use specialized track equipment that needs the full track access. Switch work: The tracks south of Bedford Av have an “interlocking plant,” also known as a “double crossover,” which is what allows us to switch trains from one track to another. The switches and signals that form this interlocking are located on both tracks.
The MTA announced that the previously scheduled northbound bypass of the Greenpoint Avenue G station during March is “no longer necessary,” and due to “track maintenance” the G train will have night and weekend service disruptions starting March 18 through April 26, when free shuttle bus service will be provided.
The service changes listed below begin at approximately 9:45 p.m. Fridays and end at approximately 5:00 a.m. Monday for weekend work, and from 9:45 p.m. to approximately 5:00 a.m. the following morning during weeknights:
March 18-22 (weeknights) Free shuttle buses replace G service between Bedford-Nostrand Avenues and Court Square
March 22-25 (weekend) Free shuttle buses replace G service between Bedford-Nostrand Avenues and Court Square
March 25-29 (weeknights) Free shuttle buses replace G service between Bedford-Nostrand Avenues and Court Square
March 29-April 1 (weekend) Free shuttle buses replace G service between Bedford-Nostrand Avenues and Court Square
April 1-5 (weeknights) Free shuttle buses replace G service between Bedford-Nostrand Avenues and Court Square
April 5-8 (weekend) Free shuttle buses replace G service between Bedford-Nostrand Avenues and Court Square
April 8-12 (weeknights) Free shuttle buses replace G service between Bedford-Nostrand Avenues and Court Square
April 12-15 (weekend) Free shuttle buses replace G service between Bedford-Nostrand Avenues and Court Square
April 15-19 (weeknights) G service operates in two sections: Between Court Square and Bedford-Nostrand Avenues, and between Bedford-Nostrand Avenues and Hoyt-Schermerhorn Streets
April 19-22 (weekend) Free shuttle buses replace G service between Jay Street and Court Square; transfer at Jay Street to take southbound F service replacing G trains
April 22-26 (weeknights) G service operates in two sections: Between Court Square and Bedford-Nostrand Avenues, and between Bedford-Nostrand Avenues and Hoyt-Schermerhorn Streets
MTA employees using a pump train to pump water out of the Canarsie Tunnel under the East River in Nov 2012. The tunnel was flooded during the unprecedented 13-foot storm surge of Hurricane Sandy. (Courtesy of MTA / Patrick Cashin)
Tonight, a public forum on the partial shutdown of the L train entitled ReversaL will take place at A/D/O (29 Norman Ave.) from 6:30 p.m. to 8: 30 p.m. Admission is free and you can RSVP here. The URBAN-X YouTube Channel will host footage of the event shortly after the talk.
Work on the Canarsie Tunnel is set to begin on April 26, with night and weekend service disruptions lasting 15 – 20 months. The previous plans to lengthen the G train and provide shuttle buses across the Williamsburg Bridge are not included in the new plan, but service will increase on the G, M and 7 subway lines and an MTA shuttle will run from Bedford Avenue to the J/M Marcy Avenue station and to the G/L Lorimer Street station on a loop.
Speakers at the ReversaL public forum include:
Greg Lindsay – Moderator – Urbanist in Residence at URBAN-X
Rodrigo Bautista – Principal Change Designer at Forum for the Future
Phil Jones – East Coast Senior Director at Lime
Benjamin Solotaire – Community Organizer, North Brooklyn & Director of Participatory Budgeting for Council Member Stephen Levin
Toby Moskovits – CEO at Heritage Equity Partners
Kate Slevin – Senior Vice President, State Programs and Advocacy, Regional Plan Association
Five weeks after releasing a statement announcing that the L train shutdown is averted, the MTA announced its “Alternative Service Plan” for construction on the Canarsie Tunnel during nights and weekends, when L trains will run every 20 minutes from Bedford Ave to Manhattan.
The work would begin on April 26, and is estimated to last 15 – 20 months. The previous plans to lengthen the G train and provide shuttle buses across the Williamsburg Bridge are not included in the new plan, but service will increase on the G, M and 7 subway lines. An MTA shuttle will run from Bedford Avenue to the J/M Marcy Avenue station and to the G/L Lorimer Street station and back, according to amNew York.
According to NBC New York, the plan includes (and excludes):
Work on overnights/weekends begins the weekend of April 26;
The MTA does not anticipate closing 14th Street to vehicles, which would have happened under the previous plan;
The MTA is not planning shuttle buses or HOV lanes on the Williamsburg Bridge;
The MTA is not planning shuttle buses or HOV lanes on the Williamsburg Bridge;
Beginning at 10 p.m. every night, L trains will run every 20 minutes;
The MTA recommends customers use other subway lines – the G/J/M especially;
The MTA will not be lengthening G trains as previously planned;
The MTA will run a “loop bus” from Bedford Avenue to those other subways;
concerned about crowding at First Avenue and Third Avenue in Manhattan. They are considering making those stations EXIT ONLY;
Work should last 15-20 months but an end date is unknown
Service changes for the G train are slated to begin March 1, to make way for construction crews to install three elevators at the Greenpoint Ave stop, Councilmember Stephen Levin posted on Facebook:
We have some service changes to the G Train coming up as we make the line better. Here are the details
1. The next phase of the project to bring full ADA accessibility to the Greenpoint Avenue G station, including three new elevators and other accessibility features, will require round-the-clock track and platform access to construction crews. Beginning at 10:00 p.m. on Friday, March 1, 2019 until 5:00 a.m. on Monday, April 1, 2019, northbound G trains will not stop at Greenpoint Avenue. Customers will be able to access the station by taking MTA NYC Transit bus service or taking a northbound G train to 21st Street in Queens and then back riding on a southbound G train to Greenpoint Avenue. There will be no change to southbound G service during this time at this station.
2. Beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, March 4, 2019 until 5:00 a.m. on Monday, April 1, 2019, southbound G trains will not stop at the Flushing Avenue G station. This southbound bypass is necessitated by an MTA NYC Transit flood prevention project at the station, as the staircase leading to/from the southbound platform of the station will be closed for the flood mitigation upgrade. Customers will be able to access this station by taking a southbound G train to Myrtle-Willoughby Avenues and then taking a northbound G train to Flushing Avenue. There will be no change to northbound G service during this time at this station.
The Greenpoint Ave G train station will experience a series of service interruptions this winter starting Nov. 30, the MTA announced on Wednesday.
December will see the most interruptions for the Greenpoint Ave G train station, which is scheduled to close during weekends, and weeknights 9:45 p.m. – 5 a.m. from Dec. 3 through Dec. 24. Southbound G train service is also suspended from the station Nov. 30 through Dec. 31, but northbound trains will run.
The closures are due to the upcoming L train reconstruction and the ongoing $23.4 million MTA project to make the Greenpoint Avenue G subway station compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act by installing three elevators, powered gates, and braille signage amongst other upgrades.
Construction on the elevators commenced in September and is estimated to wrap in spring 2021. The southern end of the station will have elevator access on the East side of Manhattan Avenue between Greenpoint Avenue and Kent Street. Two addition elevators will be installed for the north and south G train platforms. Continue reading →
Hopefully you don’t plan on leaving the neighborhood on the weekend all month—the MTA is shutting down the G train every single weekend in September, from Bedford-Nostrand to Court Square. The service interruption (aka pain-in-the-train) begins on Fridays at 9:45pm and lasts until 5am Monday morning. If you get desperate, there will be free replacement shuttle bus service along the G train line.
Thankfully, the L will still be running during the September run of the G train’s weekend shutdown. But, next month, the L will be shut down every weekend for the month of October. C’mon ride that train (or, don’t).
Happy Friday Greenpoint! As per usual, we’re at the top of the list. This time, the list in question is Patch’s “Best New Places to Eat in NYC.”Di An Di (68 Greenpoint Ave), the new Vietnamese eatery on Greenpoint Avenue, takes the top spot.
This Wednesday evening, May 16th from 6:30-8:30pm the MTA and NYC DOT are hosting a town hall to discuss L-Train shutdown plans and the impact that the closure will have on our commutes and local businesses. Part of the plan includes increasing the number of cars on the ever-short G Train (it’s about time!), increasing ferry service, adding a few hundred buses to traverse the Williamsburg Bridge, and expanding bicycle access. Wednesday’s meeting will be held at Progress High School (850 Grand Street at Bushwick Ave).
More info can be found on the L Train Coalition’s site.
