Community Groups Discuss L Train Closure at Greenpoint Panel

GREENPOINT – Representatives from the City Council and local business and environmental organizations met Thursday, September 8, in Greenpoint for a panel discussion concerning the looming L train closure.

The event was hosted by Transportation Alternatives, an advocacy group that supports bicycling, walking and public transit. Organizations represented on the panel included Evergreen, Grand Street BID, BABAR and Neighbors Allied for Good Growth.

Council Members Stephen Levin and Antonio Reynoso, representing the 33rd and 34th City Council districts, respectively, were also in attendance.

With the Department of Transportation’s plan for the L train shutdown coming in November, it was difficult for concrete conversations to take place, but the groups made their agendas clear, seeing the closure as an opportunity to reconsider much of the city’s transportation infrastructure.

Ideas put forth included the expansion of CitiBike east into Bushwick, reopening of closed subway entrances on the supporting JMZ lines, and the extension of the G line (along with more cars per G train). We’ll dig into them in the coming months.

Council Members Levin and Reynoso used the opportunity to tout their Intro 495 bill, which seeks to limit truck traffic in North Brooklyn by capping the amount of city waste processed through their districts. With the mayor’s recent announcement of support, they hope to pass the bill this year.

In regards to the L shutdown, Council Member Reynoso said, “I’m actually very excited. Unfortunately, ‘natural disasters’ are they only way we get an infusion of significant capital for infrastructure.”