April 17, 2019

Andy Byford President MTA- Transit 2 New York, NY 10004

Polly Trottenberg Commissioner NYC Department of Transportation 55 Water Street New York, NY 10041

Dear President Byford and Commissioner Trottenberg,

As you are well aware, we are fast approaching the start of the L Project, set to begin Friday, April 26.

While the revised “Alternate Service Plan” for the L-train rehabilitation will carry many more riders than the initial version, we still need to plan for what will be an extensive undertaking that will inconvenience riders, especially on nights and weekends.

Given the three-train-per-hour L frequencies in those time periods, and the continuing vehicle traffic that reduces all bus speeds to single digits, I believe that the MTA must move up the start date for implementation of M14 Select Bus Service as soon as possible – to help meet the increased need beginning April 26 – and that the DOT move to implement the Busway that was part of the original plan under the full shutdown.

While Select Bus Service has been a success, improving speeds by 10 to 30 percent, that percentage improvement builds on a very small base speed of less than 5 mph. By instituting a Busway which limits access to 14th Street as a through-corridor between 3rd and 9th Avenues, and requiring private vehicles to take the next available turn off the street, SBS service would likely achieve speeds unseen to date—and offer a true functional alternative to walking or train service.

Now, we don’t need to use exactly the same Busway as was planned under the previously larger shutdown. We can scale it back by altering the hours of operation or increasing the types of vehicles, like trucks, allowed within it, for example. But, with the paint already on the ground and the slowdown under two weeks away, we must quickly move to ensure that we provide a service that can not only help the current 30,000 combined M14 A and D riders, who currently trudge along 14th Street at 3.9 and 3.8 mph, respectively, but also the newly-displaced L riders.

On April 26, tens of thousands of riders will need alternate forms of travel—and SBS ought to provide it. And as soon as a delineated Busway can be intelligently implemented, keeping bus lanes clear of almost all other vehicles will show we can offer a bold new transit choice for all New Yorkers.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to working closely to help meet the challenges in the months ahead. Should you have any questions or follow-up, please contact Paul Goebel, in my office at 212-669-8151 or [email protected].

Sincerely,

Gale A. Brewer Borough President cc: Thomas Chan, Chief of Transportation, NYPD Rob Marino, Government and Community Relations, MTA-New York City Transit Rami Metal, Director of Strategic Engagement, NYC DOT