MTA Hosts Another L-Train Shutdown Town Hall Amidst 14th Street Devastation

With Canarsie Tunnel rehab poised to deadlock East 14th Street, and already a complete bottleneck, the MTA is really starting to hear it from the locals. An attempt to assuage the populace is underway, as the city tonight hosts a town hall related to the impending doom.

Polly Trottenberg, Department of Transportation Commissioner, and Andy Byford, President of New York City Transit, will be at the meeting to address any concerns.

There is much to address at this gathering, as residents from the Lower East Side, Alphabet City, and Chelsea are directly affected by this L-Train shutdown. As previously reported, many living around Kenmare Street are fighting the stopgap shuttle bus route through Little Italy; and those near Avenue A and 14th Street are battling excessive noise and a little-known plan calling for the removal of toxic debris and materials deliveries on the block.

Arthur Schwartz, a labor lawyer and resident of West 12th Street, previously filed suit against the MTA and DOT, alleging that they failed to complete necessary environmental review work for a project that plaintiffs claim endangers health and the “delicate infrastructure of our historic low-rise” neighborhoods.” We hear that Schwartz is now broadening the case on the east side due to the alleged public endangerment and threat to retail.

Details of the meeting:

Doors Open: 5:30 p.m.
Program: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Middle Collegiate Church
112 2nd Avenue
New York, NY 10003
The venue is ADA accessible.