De Blasio promises Brooklyn commuters ‘War Room’ approach to L-Train shutdown

August 22, 2018 By Raanan Geberer Brooklyn Daily Eagle

AP file photo/John Minchillo

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Mayor Bill de Blasio, at a press conference in East Williamsburg, promised that the city would pursue a “war room dynamic” to move commuters between North Brooklyn and Manhattan during the 15-month shutdown of the L-Train’s East River tunnel that will begin in April.

“I’m here to say, ‘We got you. We are on this,’” the mayor said at the Tuesday press conference, which he reached by riding the L from Union Square, according to the New York Post.

He admitted that “it’s not going to be easy,” but assured the audience that “people will be able to get around.”

The city will be adding more shuttle buses, ferry service and rental bikes to compensate. Councilmember Stephen Levin, who represents Greenpoint and parts of Williamsburg, said riders will be able to accept the inconvenience if less than 20 minutes are added to their commutes. He told the Post, however, that “any more than that and it’ll start to be an issue.”