By Quentin C. Livingston
The L train shutdown, which would have ceased all L train service to/from Manhattan for 15 months, was cancelled abruptly by New York governor Andrew Cuomo.
"Long story short, with this design it would not be necessary to close the L train tunnel at all”. This is what New York governor Andrew Cuomo said in a press conference on Thursday January 3rd. Cuomo organized a panel of experts and declared that the proposed 15-month complete shutdown of the L train between Brooklyn and Manhattan would no longer be necessary. This announcement comes just 4 months before the full closure was planned to start on April 27, 2019, after 3 years of planning and negotiating.
The L train tunnel, dubbed the Canarsie Tunnel, is an underriver tunnel that allows the L train to travel between Brooklyn and Manhattan. In October 2012, it was heavily flooded with saltwater during Hurricane Sandy, severely damaging critical equipment. Since the event, the MTA has been brainstorming on the fastest and most effective way to get the work done while also providing alternative routes for the commuters affected. A 15-month total shutdown was ultimately decided, in which all sections of the concrete walls, or bench walls, within the tunnel would be demolished and rebuilt encasing replaced cables and other communication equipment.
According to the New York Post, Cuomo’s plan calls for only the most damaged sections of bench wall of be fully repaired and replaced, leaving the old cables to be permanently shut down in place, while other sections will be enforced with a fiber-reinforced polymer. A fiberglass barrier would then be constructed between the tracks and bench walls, providing more protection against any further damage. New cables would then be installed externally to the side of the tunnel coated in a fireproof material, rather than encased in new bench walls or the fiberglass. Smart sensors would also be installed on the fiber polymer, which would detect and communicate further deterioration in the original tunnel structure.
The Canarsie Tunnel consists of two individual tubes. Each tube contains one track, with trains travelling just to Manhattan in one, and just to Brooklyn in the other. Under Cuomo’s plan, L train service would be unaffected weekdays, with one tube closing down and one tube remaining open during repairs. Work will only take place on nights and weekends, during which time L trains are predicted to run every 15-20 minutes. The time it would take to complete the work is estimated at 15-20 months, as compared to the 15 months of the total tunnel closure.
The MTA initially planned to expand, rehabilitate, and make capacity improvements to multiple subway stations throughout the city, as well as make the Bedford Avenue, 1 Avenue, and 6 Avenue stations on the L line fully accessible to people with disabilities. They confirmed that all these enhancements will continue with the new plan. The MTA also confirmed it will increase service on the G, M, and 7 lines during the time of repairs, however a full list of service alternatives has yet to be released. The repairs are also proposed to start the same time as the original plan: April 27, 2019. However, this isn’t confirmed as of the time of writing, as the MTA continues to discuss the details of the plan and has yet of officially approve it via a vote, despite cancelling the original 15-month closure.
Multiple students at TBLS expressed support of the cancellation. Class II discipulus Latif Diaoune called the shutdown cancellation a “blessing from God”. Class II discipula Kirsten Carrington said “The shutdown would have affected me quite a bit because I live very far from the school. I live on Staten Island and my commute is already close to two hours long. I am very happy it got cancelled because now I won’t have to worry so much about getting to school on time.” Other students seemed neutral on the issue. Class II discipula Kazi Hoque said “I take the G, so it doesn’t really affect me in any way.” Some students expressed concern over the new plan however. Class I discipulus George Arteaga stated “I honestly think that the L train shutdown being cancelled will create more problems down the line as the tunnel will continue to age. I can see how Cuomo’s plan can prevent the immediate disruption of people’s commutes however it is just delaying the inevitable.”
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