Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
MTA And DOT Will Hold Four L-Pocalypse Preparedness Meetings
By
Emma Whitford
Published Jan 24, 2017
Modified Apr 2, 2018
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Emma Whitford
Published Jan 24, 2017
Modified Apr 2, 2018
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The reality of the looming 18-month suspension of L train service between Brooklyn and Manhattan has had about six months to sink in, and straphangers, city planners and transit advocates have wasted no time pitching service alternatives. These range from the fanciful—that floating inflatable tunnel—to the mundane and actionable (expanded bus, ferry and train service). Safe streets advocates are also pushing for limited, and possibly even eliminated, car access on main arteries connecting the boroughs. The MTA and DOT, meanwhile, have adopted a refrain—repeatedly promising to consider all options.
Now, the agencies have announced four community meetings for February and March—"interactive public workshops," according to a press release—where MTA and DOT staff say they'll seek input on transit alternatives to kick in come January 2019.
To date, the MTA has confirmed that it will expand service on the J, G and M trains during the L shutdown, with additional subway cars and more frequent rush hour trains (keep in mind that expanded M service will require extensive M line closures for repairs starting this summer). Other ideas that have been floated—expanded ferry service, B39 bus service over the Williamsburg bridge—will require DOT coordination.
In the meantime, new documents show that the whole headache is already experiencing delays and budget overruns, because this is the MTA. DNAInfo reports that the overall projected cost has increased by $16 million, to $899.6 million, as per an updated engineer's assessment. The MTA is also running three months behind on selecting a contractor for the Canarsie Tube renovations, though an MTA spokesman said that the initial holdup won't impact a January 2019 start date. (The spokesman also said that the delay is due to a bulk of follow-up questions from potential contractors, and stressed that no budget is final until contracts are rewarded.)
Get your word in early, folks. If Uber can bend the MTA's ear, so can you.
Here are the meeting dates, times and locations:
Eastside Manhattan
February 9, 2017, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Town and Village Synagogue
334 East 14th Street
Williamsburg
February 16, 2017, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Williamsburg High School for Architecture & Design
257 North 6th Street, Brooklyn
Westside Manhattan
February 23, from 7p.m. to 9 p.m.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Church
328 West 14th Street
East Williamsburg/Bushwick
March 2, 2017, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Progress High School
850 Grand Street, Brooklyn
Tagged
dot
l train
meetings
MTA
Emma Whitford
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
Mid-October through mid-December is deer mating season, which can be a danger to drivers as the sex-seeking creatures cross roadways throughout the Garden State.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Published Oct 16, 2026 at 4:22 p.m. ET
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
News
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
Inside the plan to fix the nearly collapsed Pfizer Building, 1/64th of an inch at a time
By
David Brand
School bus carrying autistic students got lost in Brooklyn for 4 hours last year
By
Jessica Gould
NYC’s bridges can last 'forever,' if we take care of them
By
Clayton Guse
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .