The most accessible transportation method to reach different parts of Williamsburg is through the L line subway. If one has taken the L train ten years ago, one will see dramatic differences. More recently after gentrification, more people begin to take the L train. In fact, the increase in the number of people exceeded MTA’s expectations. This led to an installation of communications-based train control and an increase of the number of L trains running per hour. Previously, there may be around nineteen trains running per hour, but this number has reached twenty-six trains per hour during rush hours. Not only are more L trains built, but they are also newer models. 1
Other trains that reach Williamsburg include the J, M, Z, and G.
Another method of transportation is by the Williamsburg Bridge. The bridge opened in 1903 and is above the East River while crossing through Manhattan and Brooklyn. It has two roadways, a biking lane, a pedestrian road, and two transit tracks.
In the 1990s, DOT invested around six hundred million into renovating the bridge. This is intended to enable the bridge to withstand weather and traffic damages. 2
Photo from NYPL library Digital Database
Current photo of Williamsburg Bridge from NYC DOT
The MTA recently introduced a new bus service, the B32, that would travel along the waterfront. 3 It would operate every 30 minutes from 7am to 9pm. The bus will begin in September 2013.
There’s also the East River Ferry that travels through Brooklyn and Queens. It makes two stops in Williamsburg: at North 6th street and Schaefer Landing. Started in 2011, the ferry operates in 20 minute intervals with 4 dollars for a single ride. 4 It goes to East 34 street in Manhattan and while expensive, easier for some people to travel than the train. As the waterfront got more popular, people saw a need for another method of travel. The previous ferries were seasonal or had lack of demand or delays.
