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L (New York City Subway service)
Encyclopedia
The L 14th Street – Canarsie Local is a rapid transit
service of the New York City Subway
, providing service along the entire length of the two-tracked BMT Canarsie Line
. It is colored gray on route signs, station signs, rolling stock, and the official subway map.
The L service operates between Eighth Avenue in Chelsea, Manhattan
, and Rockaway Parkway in Canarsie, Brooklyn
, at all times. It also briefly enters Queens
at Halsey Street
, serving the neighborhood of Ridgewood
.
The L service, being a local train, was originally the LL. From 1928 to 1967, the same service was assigned the BMT number 16.
In 1924, part of the eventual 14th Street – Canarsie Line
opened, called the "14th Street – Eastern District Line" (commonly the "14th Street–Eastern Line"), and carried the number 16. This was extended east, and in 1928 it was joined to the existing Canarsie Line east of Broadway Junction. Since that time, the 14th Street–Canarsie Line service has operated as it is today, except for an extension from Sixth Avenue to Eighth Avenue, which opened in 1931 to connect to the new Eighth Avenue Subway
.
On November 26, 1967, with the opening of the Chrystie Street Connection
, the BMT Eastern District lines were given letters; the 16 became the LL. When double letters were dropped on May 5, 1986, the LL became the L, and it still has that designation.
Before the 14th Street – Eastern and Canarsie Lines were connected, the Canarsie part of the line already had a number, 14, running from lower Manhattan via the Broadway Elevated and called the Canarsie Line. When the 14th Street – Eastern Line was connected in 1928, this was renamed to the Broadway (Brooklyn) Line
, but continued to operate to Canarsie. In 1967, the 14 Canarsie service was given the label (though the 14 itself was designated , continuing east from Broadway Junction towards Jamaica). Canarsie service to lower Manhattan was discontinued in 1968.
1994 . . . 16,968,025
1996 . . . 18,107,243
1998 . . . 21,196,693
2000 . . . 26,155,806
2005 . . . 30,452,319
Time between scheduled trains:
Five busiest stations in 2005:
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
service of the New York City Subway
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
, providing service along the entire length of the two-tracked BMT Canarsie Line
BMT Canarsie Line
The Canarsie Line is a rapid transit line of the BMT Division of the New York City Subway system, named after its terminus in the Canarsie neighborhood of Brooklyn...
. It is colored gray on route signs, station signs, rolling stock, and the official subway map.
The L service operates between Eighth Avenue in Chelsea, Manhattan
Chelsea, Manhattan
Chelsea is a neighborhood on the West Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The district's boundaries are roughly 14th Street to the south, 30th Street to the north, the western boundary of the Ladies' Mile Historic District – which lies between the Avenue of the Americas and...
, and Rockaway Parkway in Canarsie, Brooklyn
Canarsie, Brooklyn
Canarsie is a neighborhood in the southeastern portion of the borough of Brooklyn, in New York City, United States. The area is part of Brooklyn Community Board 18....
, at all times. It also briefly enters Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
at Halsey Street
Halsey Street (BMT Canarsie Line)
Halsey Street is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located on the border of Brooklyn and Queens at the intersection of Halsey Street and Wyckoff Avenue, it is served by the L train at all times....
, serving the neighborhood of Ridgewood
Ridgewood, Queens
Ridgewood is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It borders the neighborhoods of Maspeth, Middle Village and Glendale, as well as the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bushwick. Historically, the neighborhood straddled the Queens-Brooklyn boundary. The neighborhood is part of Queens...
.
History
In 1924, part of the eventual 14th Street – Canarsie Line
BMT Canarsie Line
The Canarsie Line is a rapid transit line of the BMT Division of the New York City Subway system, named after its terminus in the Canarsie neighborhood of Brooklyn...
opened, called the "14th Street – Eastern District Line" (commonly the "14th Street–Eastern Line"), and carried the number 16. This was extended east, and in 1928 it was joined to the existing Canarsie Line east of Broadway Junction. Since that time, the 14th Street–Canarsie Line service has operated as it is today, except for an extension from Sixth Avenue to Eighth Avenue, which opened in 1931 to connect to the new Eighth Avenue Subway
IND Eighth Avenue Line
The Eighth Avenue Line is a rapid transit line in New York City, United States, and is part of the B Division of the New York City Subway...
.
On November 26, 1967, with the opening of the Chrystie Street Connection
Chrystie Street Connection
The Chrystie Street Connection is a major connecting line of the New York City Subway, and is one of the few connections between lines of the BMT and IND divisions...
, the BMT Eastern District lines were given letters; the 16 became the LL. When double letters were dropped on May 5, 1986, the LL became the L, and it still has that designation.
Before the 14th Street – Eastern and Canarsie Lines were connected, the Canarsie part of the line already had a number, 14, running from lower Manhattan via the Broadway Elevated and called the Canarsie Line. When the 14th Street – Eastern Line was connected in 1928, this was renamed to the Broadway (Brooklyn) Line
BMT Jamaica Line
The Jamaica Line is an elevated rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway, in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, United States. It runs from the Williamsburg Bridge southeast over Broadway to East New York, Brooklyn, and then east over Fulton Street and Jamaica Avenue to...
, but continued to operate to Canarsie. In 1967, the 14 Canarsie service was given the label (though the 14 itself was designated , continuing east from Broadway Junction towards Jamaica). Canarsie service to lower Manhattan was discontinued in 1968.
1994 . . . 16,968,025
1996 . . . 18,107,243
1998 . . . 21,196,693
2000 . . . 26,155,806
2005 . . . 30,452,319
Time between scheduled trains:
- Morning and evening rush hours: 4 mins.
- Midday: 6-8 mins.
- Overnight: 20-25 mins.
Five busiest stations in 2005:
- (1) First AvenueFirst Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line)First Avenue is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of First Avenue and East 14th Street in East Village, Manhattan, it is served by the L train at all times....
, Manhattan - (2) Bedford AvenueBedford Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line)Bedford Avenue is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Bedford Avenue and North Seventh Street in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg, it is served by the L train at all times...
, Williamsburg, Brooklyn - (3) Canarsie – Rockaway Parkway, Canarsie, Brooklyn
- (4) DeKalb AvenueDeKalb Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line)DeKalb Avenue is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Wyckoff and DeKalb Avenues in Bushwick, Brooklyn, it is served by the L train at all times....
, Bushwick, Brooklyn - (5) Graham AvenueGraham Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line)Graham Avenue is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Graham and Metropolitan Avenues in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, it is served by the L train at all times....
, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Ridership on the L train has increased dramatically since 2000. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the U.S...
's $443 million fleet of subway cars on the L service was introduced in 2002, but by 2006 was already too small to handle growing ridership. The Transit Authority had projected that 212 Kawasaki-made R143
R143 (New York City Subway car)
The R143 is a standard gauge subway car design used on the B Division of the New York City Subway in the United States. The cars are primarily used on the L service. The New York City Transit Authority owns 212 R143 cars, numbered 8101 to 8312, and built for an average cost of about $1.5 million...
subway cars would be enough to accommodate ridership demands for years to come, but ridership has risen higher than expected.
The Canarsie Line tracks have been undergoing an extensive retrofit that will eventually allow them to utilize CBTC, a system that will transfer control of the trains to a computer on board, as opposed to the current system, where the trains are manually operated by a human operator. While the retrofit has resulted in nearly two years of service changes and station closings, this system will eventually allow trains to run closer together, and enable in-station displays to note the exact time until the next train arrives. The line also used OPTO (one person train operation) beginning in June 2005, but a combination of public outcry due to perceived safety issues, which increased after the July 2005 London tube bombings, heavy lobbying by the Transport Workers Union of America
Transport Workers Union of America
Transport Workers Union of America is a United States labor union that was founded in 1934 by subway workers in New York City, then expanded to represent transit employees in other cities, primarily in the eastern U.S. This article discusses the parent union and its largest local, Local 100,...
(TWU), as well as an arbitration ruling that MTA had breached its contract with TWU caused the Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the U.S...
to end OPTO the following September.
In addition, the MTA's successful implementation of train-arrival message boards on the L train have also been the first in the system.
Stations
For a more detailed station listing, see BMT Canarsie LineBMT Canarsie Line
The Canarsie Line is a rapid transit line of the BMT Division of the New York City Subway system, named after its terminus in the Canarsie neighborhood of Brooklyn...
.
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Stations | Subway transfers | Connections | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manhattan Manhattan Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York... |
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| Eighth Avenue | (IND Eighth Avenue Line IND Eighth Avenue Line The Eighth Avenue Line is a rapid transit line in New York City, United States, and is part of the B Division of the New York City Subway... ) |
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| Sixth Avenue Sixth Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line) Sixth Avenue is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and 14th Street in the Manhattan neighborhood of Chelsea, it is served by the L train at all times.... |
(IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line at 14th Street) (IND Sixth Avenue Line IND Sixth Avenue Line The Sixth Avenue Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in the United States. It runs mainly under Sixth Avenue in Manhattan, and continues south through the Rutgers Street Tunnel to Brooklyn... at 14th Street 14th Street (IND Sixth Avenue Line) 14th Street is a local station on the IND Sixth Avenue Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and 14th Street in Manhattan, it is served by the F train at all times, and the M train on weekdays except late nights.This underground station opened on December 15,... ) |
PATH Port Authority Trans-Hudson PATH, derived from Port Authority Trans-Hudson, is a rapid transit railroad linking Manhattan, New York City with Newark, Harrison, Hoboken and Jersey City in metropolitan northern New Jersey... at 14th Street 14th Street (PATH station) The 14th Street PATH station, opened on February 25, 1908, is located on 14th Street and Sixth Avenue , at the south end of Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood.- Layout :... |
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| Union Square | (IRT Lexington Avenue Line IRT Lexington Avenue Line The Lexington Avenue Line is one of the lines of the IRT division of the New York City Subway, stretching from Downtown Brooklyn or Lower Manhattan north to 125th Street in East Harlem. The portion in Lower and Midtown Manhattan was part of the first subway line in New York... ) (BMT Broadway Line BMT Broadway Line The BMT Broadway Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in Manhattan, New York City, United States. , it is served by three services, all colored yellow: the on the express tracks and the on the local tracks... ) |
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| Third Avenue Third Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line) Third Avenue is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Third Avenue and East 14th Street in East Village, Manhattan, it is served by the L train at all times and there are no connections to other subway lines.This station has two side... |
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| First Avenue First Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line) First Avenue is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of First Avenue and East 14th Street in East Village, Manhattan, it is served by the L train at all times.... |
Northbound M15 Select Bus Service | |||
| Brooklyn Brooklyn Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated... |
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| Bedford Avenue Bedford Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line) Bedford Avenue is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Bedford Avenue and North Seventh Street in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg, it is served by the L train at all times... |
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| Lorimer Street | (IND Crosstown Line IND Crosstown Line -External links:*... at Metropolitan Avenue) |
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| Graham Avenue Graham Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line) Graham Avenue is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Graham and Metropolitan Avenues in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, it is served by the L train at all times.... |
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| Grand Street Grand Street (BMT Canarsie Line) Grand Street is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Grand Street and Bushwick Avenue in Brooklyn, it is served by the L train at all times.... |
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| Montrose Avenue Montrose Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line) Montrose Avenue is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Montrose and Bushwick Avenues in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, it is served by the L train at all times.... |
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| Morgan Avenue Morgan Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line) Morgan Avenue is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Morgan Avenue and Harrison Place in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, it is served by the L train at all times.-History:... |
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| Jefferson Street Jefferson Street (BMT Canarsie Line) Jefferson Street is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located in Bushwick, Brooklyn at the intersection of Jefferson Street and Wyckoff Avenue, it is served by the L train at all times.... |
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| DeKalb Avenue DeKalb Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line) DeKalb Avenue is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Wyckoff and DeKalb Avenues in Bushwick, Brooklyn, it is served by the L train at all times.... |
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| Myrtle–Wyckoff Avenues | (BMT Myrtle Avenue Line BMT Myrtle Avenue Line The Myrtle Avenue Line, also called the Myrtle Avenue Elevated, is a fully elevated line of the New York City Subway as part of the BMT division. The extant line is the final remnant of one of the original Brooklyn elevated railroads... ) |
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| Halsey Street Halsey Street (BMT Canarsie Line) Halsey Street is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located on the border of Brooklyn and Queens at the intersection of Halsey Street and Wyckoff Avenue, it is served by the L train at all times.... |
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| Wilson Avenue Wilson Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line) Wilson Avenue is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Wilson Avenue and Moffat Street in Brooklyn, it is served by the L train at all times.- Layout :The station's design has some unusual features... |
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| Bushwick Avenue – Aberdeen Street | ||||
| Broadway Junction | (IND Fulton Street Line IND Fulton Street Line The IND Fulton Street Line is a rapid transit line of the IND Division of the New York City Subway, extending from the Cranberry Street Tunnel under the East River through all of central Brooklyn to a terminus in Ozone Park, Queens. The IND Rockaway Line branches from it. It forms part of the A... ) (BMT Jamaica Line BMT Jamaica Line The Jamaica Line is an elevated rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway, in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, United States. It runs from the Williamsburg Bridge southeast over Broadway to East New York, Brooklyn, and then east over Fulton Street and Jamaica Avenue to... ) |
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| Atlantic Avenue Atlantic Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line) Atlantic Avenue is a rapid transit station on the BMT Canarsie Line, a part of the New York City Subway system. Built in 1916, it was reconfigured in 2002–04. This station is a good example of the Dual Contracts architecture. Much of the period woodwork and ironwork is intact. The fare control... |
LIRR Long Island Rail Road The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US... Atlantic Branch at East New York East New York (LIRR station) East New York is a station on the Long Island Rail Road's Atlantic Branch in East New York, Brooklyn, where that branch passes through the historic Jamaica Pass. It is located at ground level, in the median of Atlantic Avenue, and underneath the elevated main lanes of Atlantic Avenue, with one side... |
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| Sutter Avenue Sutter Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line) Sutter Avenue is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Van Sinderen and Sutter Avenues, it is served by the L train at all times.... |
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| Livonia Avenue Livonia Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line) Livonia Avenue is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Livonia and Van Sinderen Avenue, it is served by the L train at all times.... |
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| New Lots Avenue New Lots Avenue (BMT Canarsie Line) New Lots Avenue is a station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of New Lots and Van Sinderen Avenues in East New York, it is served by the L train at all times.... |
B15 bus to JFK Int'l Airport John F. Kennedy International Airport John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North... |
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| East 105th Street East 105th Street (BMT Canarsie Line) East 105th Street is grade-level station on the BMT Canarsie Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of East 105th Street and Turnbull Avenue in Brooklyn, it is served by the L train at all times.... |
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| Canarsie – Rockaway Parkway | ||||
External links
- MTA NYC Transit – L 14th Street – Canarsie Local – Effective June 26, 2011