The plan for commuting over the East River sans L-train
They’re digging up Driggs, they’re digging up Bedford, and they’re digging up North 6th and 7th. That has been the rock hard present tangible form of the upcoming L-train shut down. Even this, which will bring new entrance stairwells and elevators to access the Bedford L stop, is causing commuters and businesses to have headaches as traveling through the roadwork is a hassle.
The L-train Coalition, Transit Alternatives, and other community advocates have been rallying for months for the MTA to release a mitigation plan for navigating over the East River when the Canarsie Tube is closed in April 2019. The MTA had communicated via its banners along North 6th Street’s construction, “We’re building today for a better tomorrow,” accompanied by images of a new tiled mural and platforms. Then in mid-December in harmony with the Dept. of Transportation the mitigation plan was released.
The suppositions that the neighboring subway lines (G, J, M, and Z) will increase service and added bus routes, and expanding bike lanes were confirmed. Some interesting specifics that were proposed are: 14th Street will be closed to cars and bikes to make way for bus lanes and pedestrian traffic, cyclists will get a double-lane two way bike path on 13th street, and high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) restrictions will be installed on the Williamsburg Bridge.
Whether this mitigation plan will avoid what commuters and businesses see as looming chaos – well as the saying goes, “There’s no way but through.”
The Greenline 