Transportation Alternatives (TransAlt) was granted a $20,000 Dispatch Grant to spring into action in response to the unexpected L train shutdown, which will close the Canarsie tunnel connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn completely for one and a half years or partially for three years starting in 2019. Although the physical shutdown looms a few years away, it is imperative that TransAlt start mobilizing its grassroots networks in Lower Manhattan and North Brooklyn now. It will take a multi-year effort to organize citizens, coalition partners and elected officials to advocate for innovative transit solutions that will not only help mitigate the short-term L train crisis but also seize a rare opportunity to significantly influence the future trajectory of transportation in two critical New York City regions.