Will the L Train Shutdown Mitigation Plan Work?

Rather abruptly, the New York City Department of Transportation released their mitigation plan for the upcoming L train shutdown Wednesday evening.

The release comes quickly on the heels of Brooklyn officials publicly urging for the plan to emerge, and the Village Voice reporting that it was being held up by City Hall.

Increased service on the G and JMZ lines, longer G and C trains, and weekend service on the nearby M train are all included in the plan. (Not included: Some of the more outlandish proposals, like a high-speed aerial gondola.)

A bus lane will be implemented that will run from the Grand Street station in East Williamsburg to the Delancey Street in Manhattan, while HOV3 restrictions will be put in place on the Williamsburg Bridge during rush hour to make sure buses don’t get stuck in traffic.

In Manhattan, a section of 14th Street, along which the L train runs, will become a “busway,” which can be seen in the above photo.

The shutdown is expected to result in a significant amount of bike usage, so the DOT says they will add Manhattan’s first two-way protected crosstown bike lane to 13th Street, as well as new pedestrian space to Union Square West

There will also be a new ferry route connecting North Williamsburg to Stuyvesant Cove.

Noted at the bottom of the report from the DOT is that they are “looking to make major changes” to Grand Street in Williamsburg because the street “will serve as a major bus and bicycle corridor to the Williamsburg Bridge.”

Exactly what those changes will be and how severe are unclear. Dedicated lanes for buses and bicycles could bring more foot traffic, fewer cars and less parking to the now sometimes sleepy section of shops and eateries stretching from Union to Bushwick avenues — perhaps resulting in an unexpected boon for business along the street.

L Train Vintage, anyone?

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• 3 Expert Predictions on How the L Train Shutdown Will Affect Rents and More in Williamsburg

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