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U.S. NEWS Friday 4 January 2019

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Governor calls off planned shutdown of NYC subway line

By DEEPTI HAJELA The original plan, adopted
Associated Press by the Metropolitan Trans-
NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly portation Authority after
a quarter-million New York- lengthy public debate, had
ers who for years dreaded called for a complete shut-
"L-mageddon," a planned down of a portion of the
15-month shutdown of a L line for 15 months while
key subway tunnel be- workers repaired damage
tween Manhattan and from Sandy, when salty,
Brooklyn, got a last-minute corrosive water flooded 7
reprieve from the governor miles (11 kilometers) of the
Thursday with a new plan tube.
that will allow repairs to go The plan called for replac-
on at nights and weekends ing old electrical equip-
and keep the trains run- ment by removing a dam-
ning. aged concrete benchwall
Gov. Andrew Cuomo made that lines the tunnel and
the surprise announcement encases power cables. The
just weeks after convening cables would then have
a panel of top engineer- been replaced and the
ing experts to take another wall rebuilt, in a labor-inten-
look at the L train tunnel sive process.
beneath the East River to The new plan calls for install-
see if there was a way to fix ing cables on racks along
flood damage from 2012's the inside of the tunnels,
Superstorm Sandy without and leaving the old cables
doing as much demolition where they are. The old Commuters ride the L train, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019, in New York.
and disrupting so many concrete benchwall would Associated Press
lives. Turns out, there was. stay too, encased in a pro-
"This was an outside-the- tective fiber-reinforced Those who would have to be very trial-and-error." and the businesses that ca-
box, creative solution," polymer, where necessary, been hardest hit were over- Some are questioning, ter to them, like restaurants
said Cuomo, a Democrat, or patched. joyed with the news. however, if the new plan is and bars. Since 1990, rider-
at a news conference an- Not having to take out "I think we averted a disas- truly the best option. ship has vastly increased,
nouncing the new plan. He and replace the old wall ter," said Robert Stone, 69, "The governor's plan may with about 400,000 rides on
was flanked by engineer- cuts down on cost and who was riding an L train or may not work, but you'll an average day. Of those,
ing experts from Colum- time, officials said. And to his home near the Third pardon transit riders for be- more than half go through
bia and Cornell universities the new plan could be ac- Avenue stop in Manhattan. ing skeptical that a last-min- the tunnel.
who dreamed up the pro- complished with night and "This line is full, it's one of ute Hail Mary idea cooked The agency could have
posal. "You have to be will- weekend work instead of a the most on-time lines of all up over Christmas is better gone with a three-year par-
ing to think outside the box shutdown. the subways and I believe than what the MTA came tial shutdown, but the MTA
or break the box." Asked about the plan at this is the right solution, not up with over three years decided in mid-2016 that
While many were relieved an unrelated news confer- to shut it down. I think it's a of extensive public input," it would be better to close
by the announcement, ence with police, New York great thing." said John Raskin, executive the Canarsie Tube com-
some wondered whether City Mayor Bill de Blasio Shanice Brown, who man- director of the Riders Alli- pletely starting in the spring
the last-minute change said his administration had ages the Goorin Bros. hat ance, a transit advocacy of 2019. That called for L
had been full thought only gotten initial informa- store in Williamsburg that group. "We need a full pub- train service at five stops in
through. tion, but "anything that depends on the L train to lic release of the details of Manhattan to be halted,
The announcement came avoids disruption I favor ob- bring in customers and em- Governor Cuomo's idea, as as well as trains through the
after years of planning for viously and a lot of people ployees, said the change in well as the mitigation plans tunnel. The line would con-
the upheaval expected to in Brooklyn, a lot of people plans is a big relief. Brown that will allow hundreds of tinue to operate among
be caused by the tunnel's in Manhattan have been said she had been worried thousands of L train riders Brooklyn neighborhoods.
closure, which was sup- really worried about the L about what the shutdown to get around during the MTA Acting Chairman
posed to happen in April. train shutdown." would mean for business, inevitable shutdowns and Fernando Ferrer called
Brooklynites had already "So, if there is a plan that and whether the alterna- slowdowns in service." the new plan "an innova-
begun rearranging their can be better for the peo- tives the MTA had pro- The L line is one of the city's tive and more efficient
lives for the expected "L- ple of our neighborhoods, posed in terms of buses, fer- most crowded, running approach" and said the
pocalypse," with some that's great, but I want to ries and other subway lines through neighborhoods like agency, which operates in
changing jobs or apart- reserve any further judg- would have worked. Williamsburg and Bushwick the city and its suburbs but
ments to avoid the looming ment until I hear more," he "It didn't feel very secure at that have become major is controlled by the gover-
commuting snarls. said. all," she said. "It was going draws for young people nor, would adopt it in full.q