Canarsie residents who live at the end of the L train say the MTA needs to listen to them before any decisions are made on temporarily shutting down the line.

The transportation authority said it has to close the tunnel under the East River because of storm damage from Sandy. But with its plans still in formation, residents in this isolated pocket of Brooklyn, where seagulls circle above, said on Sunday they were anxious because just getting to their train station is already a hike.

"You have people that come in on the bus," said Maria Garrett, referring to the preferred mode of transit to the Rockaway Parkway train station. Garrett said she and her neighbors can't afford more inconveniences on their way to work in Manhattan.

"Maybe 15 to 20 more minutes added to our commute but no more than that," she said.

There's a lot of confusion about the proposed shutdown. The MTA said it needs to close the Canarsie Tunnel for repairs in 2019. It's asking riders whether they'd prefer a year and a half without any service to Manhattan, or three years with partial (20 percent) service. Extra trains would be added at connecting stations along the L, such as Lorimer and Broadway Junction, and shuttle buses and ferries would also help get riders to Manhattan.

But 28-year-old Lavar Phillilps said he didn't trust the plan, because shuttles were already inadequate when there was weekend and evening work. "It takes too long and it's not enough service," he said.

Phillips had another suggestion: "Maybe provide, like, a car service or voucher or something? I mean because people are paying all this money to go to the MTA and then every time you turn around, not even just the L train, every other train, there's like, oh, there's service delay or service interruption."

But Jessica Gaston said she believed extra service would make a difference. "They have provided enough shuttles to get by," she said, of other train disruptions. She said Canarsie is so far from Manhattan that the MTA should try to keep some trains running during the longer reconstruction option of three years.

Several other riders, however, said they preferred to get the job done quicker even if they lose all train service across the river. Garrett said many Canarsie residents are home owners and would never consider moving during the reconstruction.

Closer to Manhattan, a few Bushwick residents who rent said they would consider leaving the L line. "It's going to be chaos," said Gerardo Hernandez. At least one other rider agreed.

"I would probably move somewhere closer to a different line," said Kelsey Garcia, who works in Manhattan.

But one rider who gave his name only as Michael said he wanted to know more about the service options, especially ferries. "After a while, neighborhoods get accustomed to whatever," he said.

The MTA is planning to hold a hearing on the L train options this Thursday.