Governor calls off planned shutdown of NYC subway line
01/03/19, 15:23
Commuters ride the L train, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019, in New York. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday, he's calling off a planned 15-month shutdown of the L train, a critical subway link between Manhattan and Brooklyn, saying a team of experts had come up with a way to overhaul a flood-damaged tunnel beneath the East River without closing it or even significantly curtailing service. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he’s calling off a planned 15-month shutdown of a critical subway link between Manhattan and Brooklyn.
The surprise announcement Thursday came after years of planning for the upheaval expected to be caused by the temporary closure of the L-train tunnel across the East River.
The shutdown was supposed to start in April.
People had dubbed it the “L-mageddon” for its expected impact on a quarter million riders a day.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority had said a full shutdown was the best way to repair flood damage caused by 2012’s Superstorm Sandy.
But Cuomo unveiled a new plan that won’t require a complete closure, with the needed work being done on nights and weekends.
Even during those periods, trains would keep running.
Commuters wait for the L train, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019, in New York. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday, he’s calling off a planned 15-month shutdown of the L train, a critical subway link between Manhattan and Brooklyn, saying a team of experts had come up with a way to overhaul a flood-damaged tunnel beneath the East River without closing it or even significantly curtailing service. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)Pedestrians walk past the chain link fence enclosing the L train construction site along 14th Street, Thursday, Jan. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)A construction worker helps direct traffic and pedestrians at the L train construction site on the corner of Avenue A and 14th Street, Thursday, Jan. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)Construction crews work at the L train site on 14th Street and Avenue A, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
