Express bus will drive L train relief

Overflow passengers weary of waiting for the L train will soon have a new alternative with the 14th St. express bus route expected to launch in June.

The MTA announced its final plan Wednesday after weeks of debate over how many stops would be included on the Select Bus Service route, which will run along 14th St. and cleave into two spurs beginning at Avenues A and C.

The route will roughly track with the current M14 A and D routes, but will include fewer stops — a move transit advocates say will encourage more people to ride the bus long-term. “Wellbalanced bus stop spacing makes for faster and more reliable bus service,” said Riders Alliance Policy Director Danny Pearlstein. “That’s what New York needs for the bus system to succeed.”

Coupled with all-door boarding and required pre-boarding payment, the select bus is expected to speed things up for both M14 stalwarts and L train refugees.

The MTA said the proposed route will include 68 stops, leaving a total reduction of 16 from the 84 stops on the current M14 A and D routes.

“We arrived at this final compromise plan through close consultation with residents, community groups, advocates and elected officials,” Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman Maxwell Young said. “Once the new route is implemented, we will actively monitor it to ensure it is providing the best possible service for our customers, seeking to balance convenience and increased speed, which is desperately needed along this line.”

Earlier iterations of the MTA’s plan included fewer stops, but elected officials and community groups pushed for more to be maintained to better service elderly and disabled commuters.

City Councilwoman Margaret Chin (D-Manhattan) hailed the MTA’s decision as a win Wednesday.

“We rallied, petitioned and organized and we won!” she said on Twitter. “The M14 Grand St. stops were restored. I want to thank everyone — especially the seniors — who marched, went to meetings and raised their voices.”