L train repairs turn Canarsie commutes into a three-part trip
Riders starting at Canarsie-Rockaway Parkway must take a free shuttle bus to East 105th Street.
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L train riders in Canarsie are being told to leave extra time for their commute as track work at Canarsie-Rockaway Parkway forces passengers to take a shuttle bus and two separate trains.
From 5 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on weekdays through Friday, L trains are running in two sections: between Eighth Avenue and Broadway Junction, and between Broadway Junction and East 105th Street.
Riders starting at Canarsie-Rockaway Parkway must take a free shuttle bus to East 105th Street. From there, they can take an L train to Broadway Junction before switching to another L train to continue toward Manhattan.
For Ellandra, of Brownsville, Monday’s commute affected much more than her arrival time.
“I was very late to work, and I got sent home,” she said.
When asked whether she would be paid for the day, Ellandra said, “No, I’m not gonna get paid for today.”
At East 105th Street, Carolyn Fulton Chisholm ran into a different problem.
“I’ve never seen it before. Millions of steps. I couldn’t make that,” she said.
Chisholm said she never made it to her doctor’s appointment and will now have to reschedule.
Yolanda Boyd travels from Harlem to Brooklyn for work. She said her usual hour-and-18-minute trip can now take about two and a half hours.
“It makes me want to quit this job and find a job closer to home,” Boyd said.
Why is the MTA doing the work?
The MTA said crews are replacing 30-year-old switches near Canarsie-Rockaway Parkway that have reached the end of their useful life. The switches allow trains to move between tracks as they enter and leave the terminal.
Crews are also replacing track nearby. The MTA said coordinating both projects should reduce the need for future service changes while providing a smoother and more reliable ride.
Running L trains in two sections allows the agency to provide as much service as possible while the Canarsie terminal is closed.
The MTA said it hopes to finish the work earlier than expected. Until then, riders should check the MTA app and allow extra travel time, especially during rush hour.
