The M train is about to become a whole lot less useful, and while we still have the L at least, Bushwick’s transportation alternatives for this summer are already becoming more and more convoluted.
As of July 1, the M train will no longer operate between Myrtle-Broadway and Metropolitan Avenue stops as crews work to replace the old, decrepit Myrtle Viaduct (the curved portion of the M train track as it splits off from the J/Z line) and the Fresh Pond Bridge.
The MTA says, “While regular monitoring and critical maintenance permits ongoing service, the 103-year-old viaduct is now beyond its useful life. The aged concrete deck has suffered major deterioration, and the tracks and structure must be replaced.”
Phase one of construction will take place over the next two months and involve a whopping three shuttle bus options, each operating along a different route.
Route one will replace service between the Myrtle-Wyckoff and Myrtle-Broadway stations with stops and Knickerbocker and Central Avenues. Route two will replace service between the Metropolitan and Myrtle-Wyckoff stations, serving Fresh Pond Road, Forest Avenue, and Seneca Avenue along the way. Route three could be described as the express option connecting Metropolitan Avenue to the Flushing Ave JMZ stop, which depending on the time of day might move a little bit faster than the M train would during normal operation.
Once phase one is complete, a portion of the M train line between the Metropolitan Avenue and Myrtle-Wyckoff stops will reopen, and phase two will begin. Crews will continue rebuilding the viaduct for the next eight or so months. The M train will run all the way to Broadway Junction to provide an additional transfer point to the L, too.
The MTA predicts that improving M train service will ease the burden of the impending L train closure, but if you’ve ever been on a packed rush hour M train while the L is down or delayed, you know it will take a lot more than a speedier trip along the viaduct’s curve to fix the mess we’re about to be plunged into.
Featured image by Katarina Hybenova for Bushwick Daily.