We are just a week away from the Cuomo non-shutdown of the L train, as the unreviewed Canarsie Tunnel repair plan officially starts April 26 to fix the damage incurred during Hurricane Sandy, with expected completion in the summer of 2020.
Starting Friday (4/26), commuters between Brooklyn and Manhattan can expect L service to slow to 20-minute increments beginning at 8 p.m. through 5 a.m. on weeknights; more details on the non-shutdown from the MTA:
Weekdays
5 AM to 10 PM
Regular L service, reducing at 8 PM
Weeknights
10 PM to 1:30 AM
Reduced L service
Weeknights
1:30 AM to 5 AM
Regular L service (every 20 minutes)
Weekends
6 AM to 1:30 AM
Reduced L service
Weekend nights
1:30 AM to 6 AM
Regular L service (every 20 minutes)
With the revised approach, L customers will have normal service during the highest ridership times.
Weeknights: 8 PM to 5 AM L trains run every 20 minutes between Brooklyn and Manhattan and every 10 minutes within Brooklyn. Service will ramp down starting at 8 PM to make room for work trains. Overnight, between 1:30 AM and 5 AM, the service runs at its normal frequency, with L trains running every 20 minutes.
Weekends: 8 PM Friday until 5 AM Monday, L trains run 20 minutes between Brooklyn and Manhattan, and every 10 minutes within Brooklyn. Overnight, between 1:30 AM and 5 AM, service runs at its normal frequency, with L trains running every 20 minutes.
L trains will run every 10 minutes within Brooklyn thanks to extra “overlay” trains between Lorimer St and Canarsie-Rockaway Pkwy. We’ll be running these trains during the busiest times L service is impacted by tunnel work (10 PM- 1:30 AM weeknights and 6 AM to 1:30 AM weekends). Service on the L will be reduced nights and weekends. We’ll be enhancing M, G, 7, and bus service to provide alternatives.
The new alternative service map (via MTA)
To compensate for reduced L train service, The MTA says it plans to increase the frequency of G, M and 7 trains:
M service
Weeknights, we’ll extend the hours of normal weekday service into Manhattan, between 10PM and 1:30 AM. After 10 PM on weeknights, we’ll extend M service up to 96 St-2 Av on the Q , instead of to Queens Blvd.
Weekends, we’ll extend service from Essex St to 96 St-2 Av. M trains will run every 8 minutes instead of every 10 minutes during the day.
G service
Weeknights we’ll be running 5 additional G trips between 8:30 PM and 1:30 AM. On weekends, trains will run every 8 minutes instead of every 10 minutes during the day.
7 service
Weeknights, we’ll run 5 additional trips from 8:30 PM to midnight. On weekends, 7 trains will continue to run every 4 to 7 ½ minutes.
New free transfers
Between Livonia St on the L and Junius St on the 3
Between Hewes St/Lorimer St on the J and M and Broadway on the G
A new “Williamsburg Link” bus will run between the Bedford L station and the Hewes Street J/M station stopping at the Metropolitan Avenue G/L station and Marcy Avenue J/M station en route.
We are introducing a new bus, the Williamsburg Link. It will operate on two routes, one clockwise (B92) and one counterclockwise (B91). This bus will provide double the bus service we normally do when there is no L service during weekend and weeknight construction work.
These buses provide connection between:
the Bedford Av L,
Metropolitan Av- Lorimer St G / L,
Marcy Av J / M, and
Hewes St J /M (B92 only).
Weekday nights
B91
B92
8 PM-9 PM
Every 9 minutes
Every 9 minutes
9 PM-12 AM
Every 5 minutes
Every 5 minutes
12 AM-5 AM
Every 10 minutes
Every 10 minutes
Weekends
B91
B92
5 AM-8 AM
Every 10 minutes
Every 10 minutes
8 AM-10 PM
Every 3 minutes
Every 3 minutes
10 PM-12 AM
Every 5 minutes
Every 5 minutes
12 AM-1:30 AM
Every 10 minutes
Every 10 minutes
The M14A regular bus service in Manhattan will run every four to five minutes across 14th Street from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. and to the Delancey-Essex J/M station every seven to ten minutes.
There will be no L train service between Lorimer Street in Brooklyn and 8th Avenue in Manhattan 10:30 p.m. – 5 a.m., from April 15th to April 26th, according to the MTA.
April 15 – April 26 10:30 PM to 5 AM, Mon to Fri
No L overnight
What’s the work? As part of the revised L project, we’re still moving forward with the long-term reliability improvement work we had originally planned. This includes installing signal equipment. For you this means that we’ll have the right signals ready to run the one-track operation in April. We’ll also take this time to prepare the tunnel for the rehabilitation work, delivering materials, pulling fiber optic cable and installing tunnel lights so we can work efficiently during the one track operation.
What should customers do? If you’re traveling between Brooklyn and Manhattan, you can take the A , F, or J. For Manhattan L stations, you can take the M14 bus. In Brooklyn, the L will still operate between Lorimer St and Canarsie-Rockaway Pkway. Free shuttle buses will loop between Lorimer St G/L, Bedford Av, Marcy Av J, and Hewes St J.
Here are the key transfer points to remember during this service change:
Broadway Junction for the A, J or L Lorimer St/Metropolitan Av for the L, G or shuttle bus Marcy Av for the J or shuttle bus 14 St-8 Av for the A, E or the M14 14 St -6 Av for the F or M14 Delancey-Essex Sts for the F, J or M14A The G operates in two sections:
Between Court Square and Bedford/Nostrand Avs Between Bedford/Nostrand Avs and Hoyt/Schermerhorn, every 20 minutes.
The next MTA L train open house is Monday, Apr 8th, from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the 14th Street Y, (344 E 14th St.).
A Ruth Bader Ginsburg poster was vandalized in Greenpoint on Tuesday inside the Nassau Avenue G subway station with the words “Die Jew Bitch” along with a drawing of a swastika.
The hate graffiti quickly drew condemnation from Mayor de Blasio who is asking for public assistance in identifying the person responsible:
Ruth Bader Ginsburg represents the very best of our city.
We’ll find whoever is responsible for this anti-Semitic trash and ensure they face consequences for trying to spread hate in New York City. If you have any information on this despicable act, please contact the NYPD. https://t.co/qff5nV7OE1
Two additional L train open house sessions are scheduled for Tuesday, March 19: Grand Street Campus High School, (850 Grand St.), and on Monday, April 8: (14th St. Y), 344 E 14 St.
The current L train reconstruction plan is thin on finalized details, but a night and weekend repair schedule beginning April 26th where the L train runs in 20-minute increments between Manhattan and Brooklyn is expected. To help mitigate the problem, the MTA would like L train commuters to reconsider their station: Continue reading →
The MTA is hosting the first of four open houses focused on the L train tonight (3/7) at Our Lady of Guadalupe St. Bernard at 328 W 14 St. in Manhattan from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The other three open houses are also scheduled from 6-8 p.m.:
Wednesday, March 13: Williamsburg Northside School, 299 N 7th St.
Tuesday, March 19: Grand Street Campus High School, 850 Grand St.
Monday, April 8: 14th St Y, 344 E 14 St.
The L train is currently undergoing service disruptions on nights and weekends through March 18, and while a night and weekend repair schedule is expected to be implemented for approximately 15 to 18 months during repairs scheduled to start this spring, a final plan has yet to be approved. Continue reading →
A panel discussion on the proposed Brooklyn Queens Connector (also known as BQX) is scheduled for Tuesday, March 5, at 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. at the Brooklyn Brewery (79 N. 11th St.); the talk is hosted by Friends of the Brooklyn Queens Connector, RSVP here.
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams will moderate a discussion with small business owners, organizers, and experts from Seattle, Portland, Toronto, Kansas City, and St. Paul. Small group brewery tours begin at 6:00 and 6:30 pm. and the panel discussion starts at 7 p.m. Complimentary food and drinks will be available.
The BQX is a streetcar that would span 11 miles of dedicated lanes from Astoria to Red Hook with stops half a mile apart connecting to nine ferries, 30 buses, and 13 subway lines.
According to the BQX website:
The BQX is anticipated to cost approximately $2.7 billion to construct. These estimates assume that the BQX will be built and operated using all union labor. Half the project can be paid for by a bond issued against future tax revenue increases from commercial and multifamily properties along the BQX route and will not not rely upon any new residential rezonings or tax rate increases. Furthermore, the project is estimated to created $30 billion in economic value over the coming decades which is over 10 times its capital cost.
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.
