by Chris Cobb
Last Wednesday, March 13th, the MTA held the second of its four planned Open House meetings on the fourth floor of Williamsburg’s Northside School. Their stated goal was to present the proposed changes brought about by the planned maintenance and construction in areas served by the L train. Members of the planning team from the state Department of Transportation (DOT) and MTA were on hand to respond to questions from the public. About 30 to 40 people attended.
Originally, the L train was scheduled for a 15-month total shutdown between Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg and 8th Avenue in Manhattan. Partly due to public outcry, that plan was scrapped and a new proposal will allow the L train to continue running without interruption during its busiest hours, shifting the majority of new construction and maintenance to weekends and evenings. Although there are some competing ideas, many of the basic changes are already underway.
Several issues, such as new proposed bike lanes, have still not been finalized and discussions about exact placement are fluid, which is one reason the MTA is holding the Open House meetings – to get public input. So if you want your voice to be heard, the best place to do so will be at the remaining Open House on April 8th.
Several groups that would like to keep the MTA aware of real time complaints have made a website where anyone can post pictures: https://www.ltrainwatch.org/
Below are some highlights of the changes coming:
- As part of the enhancements the stations at Bedford Avenue, 1st Avenue and 14th Street/6 Avenue will become fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act featuring state of the art elevators.
- There will be an expanded mezzanine and eight total staircases at Bedford Av Station. This will allow for double the current capacity of the station.
- Two new Williamsburg Link Bus loops. They will be run between Bedford L, Metropolitain G/L and Marcy Ave J/M. New free transfers between Junius Street 3 and Livinius and between Broadway G and Hewes Street / Lorimer St J/M
- The MTA still plans to increase service on the G, M, and 7 lines to offset any decrease in L train service
Dust Control and Reduction
- Monitors will be placed in tunnels to measure dust levels
- Instead of complete removal of tunnel “benches” (concrete on either side of train in tunnel) in many places they will be reinforced with fiberglass sheeting and will have sensors placed in them to detect any movement or cracking. This will substantially reduce dust during the project and will make for cleaner air overall.
- Use of tools that minimize dust
- Air filters will be installed in all work areas and outside work areas
Construction and or opening of more staircases & more turnstiles at these stations:
- Flushing Av – G Train
- Hewes St -J/M/Z Train
- Marcy Av – J/M/Z Train
- Metropolitan Av-Lorimer St – L/G Train
- Broadway Junction (J/Z side)
- Court Sq G/E/M/7 Train
- Nassau Av G Train
- 14 St-Union Sq L Train
The MTA released this statement:
“The revised approach to the L Project would be massively better for our customers, the vast majority of which won’t experience changes in services,” said Veronique Hakim, Managing Director, MTA. “We’ve also worked hard to come up with a plan focused on giving customers other options in addition to the L during the weeknights and weekend times. We have a plan for extra subway and bus service, free transfers, and more so customers can pick the best option for them. We’re looking forward to meeting customers to help them plan ahead with the right tools and information at our upcoming open houses.”
Get Involved:
At the remaining Open Houses, the public will also have opportunity for one-on-one trip planning with MTA team members. You can literally ask some of the decision makers in person how the changes may affect your commute personally.
Both New York City MTA and Department of Transportation personnel will be present to discuss planned street and scheduling changes.
There was another meeting last night, March 19, at Grand Street Campus.
The remaining meeting will run from 6 PM-8 PM on the following date and at the following location:
Monday, April 8 14th Street Y, 344 E 14 St (btw 1st & 2nd Aves)
L train project plan: https://new.mta.info/l-project
*** For more information, check out:
L Train: 1st MTA Open House. 3/13/19
Monthly North Brooklyn Train Alerts for March. 3/4/2019