MTA New York City Transit and the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) announced two town hall meetings to be held in Manhattan and Brooklyn in May to discuss the Canarsie Tunnel Reconstruction project coming to parts of the  line in April 2019.  The meetings are the latest in a long series of public meetings and workshops that have been held about this project since 2016.

As part of ongoing efforts to engage communities affected by project, NYC Transit President Andy Byford and NYCDOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, as well as other agency representatives, will outline alternate service plans and take questions from members of the public. Transit and NYCDOT personnel will preview measures the agency will take to help move the roughly 225,000 customers who travel through the tunnel each weekday, as well as the 50,000 riders who use the  train just within Manhattan. NYCDOT will discuss its proposed street improvements to support travel alternatives during the closure. Changes will include HOV restrictions on the Williamsburg Bridge, the addition of Select Bus Service to 14th Street, new protected bike lanes and new bus lanes in Brooklyn and Manhattan. 

“This crucial project presents an unprecedented challenge for us and our customers, and we’re committed to taking their input and getting this right,” said NYC Transit President Andy Byford. “Ensuring that the public is actively engaged is an essential part of the success of the project.”

"To address the 15-month shutdown of the  train tunnel, which will begin in April 2019, the MTA and DOT are working closely together with elected officials, businesses, local residents and other stakeholders on a plan to minimize the disruption to hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers," said NYC DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. "The outreach we are doing in these upcoming town halls is a crucial part of that process. We need riders, residents, and businesses in the affected Brooklyn and Manhattan communities to turn out and give us their input as our final plans evolve."

NYC Transit and NYCDOT have been aggressive in informing the public about the project since 2016, including presentations at Community Board meetings, media outreach, open house meetings, community workshops, meetings with elected officials and advocates, and a dedicated mini-site.  Next month’s town halls follow a series of highly-attended open house meetings in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens this year where residents were able to learn more about plan details and discuss them directly with project personnel.

The town halls will take place on the following dates:

Manhattan Town Hall

Wednesday, May 9, 2018, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Doors Open: 5:30 p.m.

The Auditorium

66 West 12th Street,

New York, NY 10011

To get to the event, take the  to 14 Street or the following bus routes: M1, M2, M3, or M55

Brooklyn Town Hall

Wednesday, May 16, 2018, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Doors Open: 5:30 p.m.

Progress High School

850 Grand Street at Bushwick Avenue,

Brooklyn NY 11211

To get to the event, take the  to Grand St or the following bus routes: Q54 or Q59

ABOUT THE CANARSIE TUNNEL RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT

The Canarsie Tunnel was one of nine underwater tunnels that flooded during Superstorm Sandy in 2012, all of which required extensive rehabilitation and repair. The Canarsie Tunnel suffered extensive damage to tracks, signals, switches, power cables, signal cables, communication cables, lighting, cable ducts and bench walls throughout a 7,100-foot-long flooded section of both tubes. Bench walls throughout those sections must be rehabilitated to protect the structural integrity of the tubes.

The scheduled 15-month closure of the Canarsie Tunnel’s two tubes begins in April 2019. 

More information on the Canarsie Tunnel repairs and the alternate service changes are available on this dedicated MTA mini-site on the work.