14th Street Busway To Roll Out Three Months Ahead of L Shutdown

GRAMERCY, NY — The 14th Street busway will get rolling three months ahead of the L train shutdown to iron out logistical kinks, AM New York first reported.

The L train shutdown won't begin until April 2019, but the MTA and city will transform a stretch of 14th Street spanning from Gramercy to the West Village into a bus only expressway come Jan. 6. The temporary M14 Select Bus Service will launch as a dry run for the 15-month L train closure to repair damage from Superstorm Sandy.

NYC Transit President Andy Byford approved the plan on Monday to give transit officials extra time to make adjustments before the actual shutdown displaces the 225,000 commuters who use the L train to travel between Brooklyn and Manhattan each day, AM New York noted.

The city plans to limit car traffic on the street, from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week, to ensure that buses are up to the task of running in lieu of the L train. Commuters can expect the restrictions between Ninth and Third avenues eastbound, and between Third and Eighth avenues westbound.

The select bus service route will start off with five stops between First and Tenth avenues that align with subway transfer points and run every two minutes during morning and evening rush hours.

After the initial launch, the newspaper reported that the MTA will extend east to better connect riders with the planned ferry landing at Stuyvesant Cove.

Photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority