NYC bracing for major subway line shutdown next year

NEW YORK — Residents and businesses are already bracing for the shutdown of one of New York City’s busiest subway lines a year from now.

The New York Times says the “L” train between Brooklyn and Manhattan will be halted for 15 months to repair Superstorm Sandy damage to an East River tunnel.

Vehicle traffic in some areas could increase 70 per cent during peak rush periods.

Manhattan’s 14th Street will become the nation’s busiest bus route.

Seventy buses an hour will stream across the Williamsburg Bridge onto narrow Chinatown and SoHo streets.

The West Village is expecting 5,000 bicyclists on freshly laid paths.

On Tuesday, neighbourhood groups filed a lawsuit over environmental and disability-access issues.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority does not comment on litigation, but says the tunnel repairs are desperately needed.

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Information from: The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com