The prospect of the L train shutdown is a hard pill to swallow for the hundreds of thousands of riders who rely on the subway line to get between Manhattan and Brooklyn.
The MTA announced in 2016 it would need to shut down service on the line in order to make much-needed repairs to the Canarsie Tunnel under the East River, which was badly damaged by floodwaters during superstorm Sandy in 2012.
Since the announcement, a host of mitigation plans, timelines and other proposals have swirled among officials, transportation advocates and subway riders. Here’s a look at what you need to know about the L train, the shutdown plan and more — all by the numbers.
2019, April: when the L train shutdown will begin.
15: months the L train shutdown is projected to last.
225,000: daily weekday ridership between Manhattan and Brooklyn.
400,000: daily weekday ridership along the entire L line.
7 million: gallons of salt water that flooded the Canarsie Tunnel during Sandy.
7,110 feet: of Canarsie Tunnel that sustained damage, including tracks, signals, switches and cables.
$477 million: projected cost of the Canarsie Tunnel rehabilitation project.
$5 billion: federal Sandy aid awarded to the MTA to make repairs related to storm damage, per Rep. Carolyn Maloney.
6: subway stations that will be closed during the L train shutdown, five of which are located in Manhattan.
24: stations that serve the entire L train route.
4: service alternatives during the shutdown, including increased service on nearby subway lines, a new ferry route, L-alternative bus service and a busway along 14th Street in Manhattan.
4: subway lines — J, M, Z and G — that will offer increased service during the shutdown.
24: subway staircases on or near the L line that will be reopened or expanded in advance of the shutdown.
$0: cost of transferring between the G at Broadway and the Lorimer-Hewes J, M and Z station. There will also be a free transfer at the Junius Street 3 train station and the Livonia Avenue L station.
2: dedicated bus lanes across the Williamsburg Bridge — one lane in each direction — connecting Grand Street in Bushwick and Delancey Street on the Lower East Side.
5: blocks along 14th Street — between Third and Ninth avenues — dedicated to buses during morning and evening rush hour.
40+: public meetings held by city and state agencies to inform the public of the L train shutdown plans.
