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MARKOWITZ PROTESTS PLANS TO CLOSE ‘L’ STATIONS ON WEEKENDS

Photograph by Kathryn Kirk

In photo: Assemblyman Joseph Lentol, Borough President Marty Markowitz, and Karen Marston of NURTUREart outside the Bedford Ave. L train stop in Williamsburg.

On Monday, October 31, Borough President Marty Markowitz joined Assemblyman Joseph Lentol, State Senator Martin Dilan, and members of the North Brooklyn business and arts community to protest the MTA’s plan to shut down parts of the L line for construction.

The proposed closures are part of a highly controversial system upgrade that will eliminate conductors. The closures would be effective during weekends, starting on Fridays at 12:00 a.m. and ending on Mondays at 5:00 a.m. The final dates have not been finalized by the MTA. The closures would inconvenience local residents as well as cause economic hardship for business owners. The L line goes through Williamsburg, Bushwick, East New York and Canarsie.

“For L train riders from here in Williamsburg to Canarsie, service disruptions under ground have been turning the L train into a ghost on the weekends for too long,” said Brooklyn President Marty Markowitz. “Riders are fed up with these changes haunting their ability to travel on the weekends. Of course, we recognize that the MTA must complete the necessary work to ensure safe, efficient subway service. But in light of the transit authority’s budget surplus and its decision to provide the treat of holiday discounts, the continued inconvenience and economic hardship caused by L train construction feels like a trick. If the MTA truly wants to be responsive to its consumers’ concerns, it should work with the community affected by its service changes to come up with a plan that works for everyone involved.”