Maps: These are all the ways that L train shutdown would ruin your commute

By Virginia K. Smith | January 28, 2016 - 12:59PM

While there are some silver linings to the much-discussed shutdown of the L train for repairs (namely, the potential for cheaper rents), if you rely on the L to commute every day, chances are you're dreading the day the shuttle buses get brought in.

And with good reason: According to new data and maps pulled from data site CartoDB, all the shuttle buses necessary to replace the L would create so much extra traffic," they’d have to build a new bridge" to accommodate it all. CartoDB also pulled census data indicating that 114,067 people commute to Manhattan via the L every day, which, besides creating a mess of shuttle bus congestion, will put a whole lot of extra pressure on nearby train lines, should residents choose to simply walk (or take the bus) to a different line like the M or the G.

However, good news for those of you who don't live in "prime" Williamsburg: The farther east you move, the more viable alternatives you have to get into Manhattan by switching to another line, like the A at Broadway Junction or the M at Myrtle Wyckoff.

Below, a map of which transit line is your next best option, depending on which L stop you live nearest:

Of course, as with so many civic problems, anyone living in poverty will be the hardest hit by this transit shakeup, as CartoDB points out, and they put together this color coded map of "broader areas that would not have the financial resources and job flexibility to overcome a major transit disruption." Brownsville, Bushwick, and South Williamsburg have lots of low-income residents potentially affected by the transit change, while Greenpoint looks to be relatively well-off:

The site has lots more L train-related graphics to play around with, if you dare, including a graph of total commute time (including walk and subway ride) if you choose to walk to a different subway station in lieu of the shuttle. As for us, we're already dreading the excess crowding this is bound to bring to the M train.

(H/T DNAinfo)

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