A new report on the L train confirms what anyone who has ever held a tote bag already knows: In short, it sucks. It’s especially bad in the mornings and on the weekends — from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays, if it’s running, the train often carries 35 percent more people than it’s supposed to, while a morning rush train at Bedford Avenue is 116 percent full on average. Also obvious to riders, but now verified by people who control budgets: Since 1998, the train has grown three-times faster — at a rate of 141 percent — than the rest of the subway system. But help is on the way!
A new plan, spearheaded by State Senator Daniel L. Squadron, will put more weekend L trains on the lines pronto! Summer of 2012, that is. But an extra Manhattan-bound train will be added between 9 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. as soon as December! After “a prolonged period of testing and evaluation.” Consider it more time for Missed Connections.
Soon, L Will Mean Less Crowded, Subway Officials Say [City Room/NYT]
