L Train Weekend Service Disruptions From Manhattan To Brooklyn Begin Friday Night
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – If you take the L train between Manhattan and Brooklyn, get ready for some major weekend disruptions.
Starting at 11:30 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday, the L train will have its service disrupted from the Lorimer Street station to Eighth Avenue/14th Street in both directions.
As CBS2's Ilana Gold reported, the train service will be halted because of maintenance which includes fixing the tracks, inspecting fire safety systems and asbestos abatement.
The service disruptions will continue until May.
Businesses in Williamsburg are fired up, saying tourists take the train to the neighborhood to shop. They worry they could take a big hit and lose money from the closures, telling CBS2 it has happened before when the L train shut down for maintenance.
"It was horrible news," Adam Boyd said, who works at Toby's Estate Coffee.
Boyd said the majority of his weekend customer base comes from Manhattan in the spring. He said his shop could lose $5,000 for every weekend the L is down.
Residents aren't happy about the news either.
"(How tough is it going to be to get to work?) It's going to be a real pain, really inconvenient for everyone, there's going to be a lot of angry people here on Saturday mornings," Williamsburg resident Dominic Rush said.
L Train Weekend Service Disruptions From Manhattan To Brooklyn Begin Friday Night
"It means we are kind of stranded on the weekends, we have to pay for cab rides," Eral Eyal said.
"Have to go the J, M, Z or take the G to the 7. And those trains don't run very well on the weekend anyway," Lindsay Morgan said.
One man told WCBS 880's Marla Diamond he'll ride his bike to work since he can't take the subway.
"I work on the weekends," he said. "Usually it's a good time because the weather is cooperating."
The MTA said it has no choice but to make the repairs that include fixing tracks, removing asbestos, and conducting fire safety inspections. The agency emphasizes you can still get to Brooklyn and make it to Williamsburg if you take the A, F and J subway lines.
There will also be extended weekend service on the M line to 57th Street.
Uber will also be offering $5 cab rides on the company's new carpooling option for everyone affected by the L train closures.
"There are a lot of great small businesses out in Williamsburg and out in Brooklyn and we want to make sure that they're still getting the traffic that they deserve," Uber's marketing manager Jenny Avallon told 1010 WINS.
