At rush hour in New York City, the L train carries about 40,000 riders per hour. When the MTA shuts down the L train in 2019 between Brooklyn’s Bedford Avenue and Manhattan’s 8th Avenue for 18 months, those riders will have to find alternative routes for traveling to and from work.
A report that RPA and Riders Alliance released last week put forth a comprehensive proposal, backed by community leaders and business owners, calling on the MTA and New York City’s Department of Transportation to implement a mix of solutions to help riders manage the shutdown.
Strategies could include:
- Creating dedicated busways on the Williamsburg Bridge, and HOV restrictions on other crossings
- Ensuring smooth bus connections on both sides of the bridge and extending bus service into Manhattan and Brooklyn
- Pilot new technology that could greatly speed buses citywide
- Improve subway station access in Brooklyn before the L train closure
- Prioritizing the movement of transit and people crosstown with a 14th Street Transitway that is closed to private vehicles
- Creating truck delivery windows at night to accommodate freight. Allowing deliveries during the day only along adjacent avenues
- Add additional ferry service along existing routes
- Allow seamless transfers for buses, subways, and ferries
- Implement traffic mitigation plan for neighboring streets
- Close already crowded streets in Brooklyn to private automobiles, such as Bedford and Grand
Read the full plan here: Fixing the L and Managing the Shutdown (pdf)
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