L Train Rider Proposes Brand New Bridge During Shutdown

EAST VILLAGE, NY — A longtime L train rider is proposing a floating bridge on the East River to help mitigate the expected transit woes of the upcoming L train shutdown.

The unusual pitch is courtesy of Parker Shinn, a former New Yorker who was worried when he first saw the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s plan for service while the vital corridor between Manhattan and Brooklyn is closed to commuters.

“When I heard the L train was shutting down my first thought was, ‘Oh my gosh, how are all those people going to get to work and get home?’” Shinn said.

The 31-year-old real estate investor, who now lives in San Francisco, recalled years living off the Third Avenue stop in Manhattan and experiencing frequent commuting problems even when the L train was running. Shinn said L trains that pulled into his station were often too full to accept more passengers, forcing him to wait for a later train.

During the 15-month closure of the L train, the 225,000 commuters who use the train to shuttle between Brooklyn and Manhattan each day will have more problems than overcrowding. Shinn said he didn’t think the MTA’s plan — which includes additional bus and ferry service, plus more train service on alternate lines — would be enough.

“I didn’t think any of those would be sufficient to transport the sheer number of people that rely on the L train,” he said.

Instead, Shinn is proposing an unusual idea: Build a brand new bridge.

Shinn has been developing his idea for weeks and this month is publicizing his pitch to help L train riders get around during the 15-month shutdown. He wants to build an "L-Ternative Bridge"; a floating pontoon bridge which could connect Brooklyn and Manhattan across the East River with two lanes for buses and two lanes for pedestrians and cyclists.

Shinn is trying to raise $50,000 through a Kickstarter campaign to help him develop his plan further and draw attention from city transit officials. As of Wednesday afternoon, 33 backers had committed $3,223 to the project.

Shinn, who developed the pontoon bridge proposal with input from a naval architect and a civil engineer, says he thinks the bridge would be feasible from an engineering and cost standpoint. He estimated that the bridge, which could be built in eight months, could cost more than $100 million, although he noted that that was a rough estimate because he hasn’t yet received any bids. Shinn's plan would call for the cost to be quickly offset by a $1 toll on the bridge.

The main hurdle to Shinn's plans is the considerable maritime traffic that moves up and down the East River each day. Shinn is proposing that the bridge include one elevated section, that would allow for smaller boats to move under the bridge uninterrupted, as well as a drawbridge section for larger ships.

“It might not be possible but I thought it was at least worth putting out there,” Shinn said.

City and MTA officials haven’t commented on the plan, and it’s unclear whether they’ll seriously consider building an entire bridge.

The MTA’s plan, which has not yet been finalized, calls for additional service on the M, J and G lines as well as more bus and ferry options. The MTA has also proposed limiting the Williamsburg Bridge to cars with three or more passengers, plus adding new protected bike lanes in Manhattan. The MTA was forced to take the drastic option of halting L train service entirely to allow for critical repairs to the Canarsie Tunnel, which was badly damaged during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Construction is scheduled to being in April 2019, and will halt all service between Brooklyn and Manhattan and within Manhattan. A stretch of the L train will continue to run in Brooklyn between Rockaway Parkway and Bedford Avenue during the shutdown.

Image credit: Renderings courtesy of Parker Shinn