New Yorkers living near the L train are getting a sneak peek at what life will be like during the looming 15-month shutdown set to begin in April.
The MTA will suspend service on the L train between Manhattan and Brooklyn every Saturday and Sunday in October. Service will still operate on a normal weekend schedule between Rockaway Parkway and Broadway Junction in Brooklyn.
The authority first announced the weekend service suspensions in August, saying the maintenance is needed to make sure the shutdown that begins in April doesn’t go past its expected completion date.
During the mini shutdowns, crews will be making adjustments to the signaling system so that trains can turn back at Bedford Avenue during the L train shutdown, NYC Transit president Andy Byford had said. They’ll also conduct “super maintenance” on key infrastructure, he added.
The weekend suspensions will begin at 11:30 p.m. on Friday and end at 5 a.m. on Monday.
In an effort to mitigate the impact on subway riders, free shuttle buses and M14 service will run between Broadway Junction in Brooklyn and Eighth Avenue in Manhattan. M trains also will run on a special weekend schedule between Metropolitan Avenue in Queens and 47th-50th streets in Manhattan, and then make stops along the Q line between Lexington Avenue-63rd Street and 96th Street.
Subway riders can also take A and J trains to get between the two boroughs.
L train service between Manhattan and Brooklyn will also be suspended during the second and third weekends of November for similar work. In 2019, the L train will be shut down during the following weekends:
- Feb. 2-3
- Feb. 9-10
- Feb. 16-17
- Feb. 23-24
- March 2-3
- March 9-10
- March 16-17
- April 13-14
The MTA has not yet released an official start date for the 15-month L train shutdown in April.
