New York Daily News

MORE ROUTES ADDED TO BATTLE L PAIN

- BY DAN RIVOLI NEWS TRANSIT REPORTER

Next year’s L-pocalypse will send commuters across Brooklyn and Queens under a series of subway service changes announced Monday.

MTA bosses are adding 66 extra roundtrips on the G line to help straphange­rs.

From downtown Brooklyn and Queensboro Plaza, commuters will be able to cross the East River with an extra 70 weekday round trips on the A, E, F, J, Z and 7 lines.

The MTA is also adding another 62 trips on the M train for riders who want to use the Williamsbu­rg Bridge.

The plan further adds to L train riders’ pain by cutting 88 weekday trains between Bedford Ave. in Williamsbu­rg and Canarsie. The Manhattan section of the L line will be completely shut down.

MTA officials expect the changes will affect about 80% of displaced L train riders. They figure the other 20% will rely on bikes, buses and ferries to get to and from Manhattan.

Weekend service on the G, M, J, F and E lines also will increase to accommodat­e L users.

NYC Transit president Andy Byford — who oversees the city’s subway and bus system — said the service changes are one reason many weekend and overnight trains are delayed by maintenanc­e work.

Byford said the lines expected to get service increases need to be in good shape ahead of the L-train shutdown. “We are making these lines as reliable as possible for these new service levels starting in 2019,” he said.

The 15-month shutdown of the L line’s Canarsie Tunnel for Hurricane Sandy repairs begins in April.

 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States