Here's Your $150M Ride During L Train Shutdown

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — The MTA will buy 180 new buses in preparation for the L train shutdown which will leave 225,000 would-be straphangers looking for a new way to commute.

The authority will spend $150M on the new low-floor, accordion-style buses that will transport people between Brooklyn and Manhattan during the 15-month closure of the Canarsie tunnel, slated to begin in April 2019.

The new fleet will have Wi-Fi, USB charging ports, contactless payments, digital information screens and will be wheelchair-accessible, according to the MTA.

(For more transportation stories, along with other local news, subscribe to Patch for daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

The buses will arrive in New York sometime between September 2018 and September 2019 and will replace buses that are about 12-years-old.

The company New Flyer will provide 108 buses that cost $90.1 million and Nova Bus will provide 72 buses that cost $60 million.

The purchase is part of the MTA’s plan to accommodate commuters with alternate means of transportation while the agency repairs the East River tunnel which was damaged during Superstorm Sandy.

Brooklyn legislators and environmental activists released a joint statement to decry the purchase of diesel buses and called on the MTA to commit to electric buses.

“While the road to President Trump’s White House may be paved with coal, we want the road to Brooklyn to be green,” said Councilman Rafael Espinal.

“The challenge of the L train shutdown is also an opportunity,” added Councilman Stephen Levin. “Now is the time to harness creative solutions that make our community a cleaner and healthier place to live."

According to the statement, the councilmen will introduce a resolution to City Council to demand the MTA "use electric buses as a robust part of its replacement service during the upcoming L train shutdown.”

Photo courtesy of the MTA/Flickr