Report: Despite looming shutdown, MTA plans to start expanding the 1st Avenue L stop

[Photo via EVG reader Michael]

The MTA has now held two meetings for people to yell at them (as Gothamist put it) about the looming L train shutdown to repair the Sandy-damaged tubes.

The two not-great options are basically: total shutdown for a projected 18 months. Or! A partial shutdown with repair work lasting for three (heh, sure) years.

There has been a lot of coverage about the various scenarios ... concerns from straphangers, residents, business owners... (You can check out some coverage at Curbed ... Gothamist ... The New York Times ... Here's a report from last night's meeting via DNAinfo)

Meanwhile! DNAinfo reports that the MTA will begin construction of new entrances to the First Avenue L train stop next year... However, this could all be a big tease, depending on the option the MTA goes with for the tube repairs. As DNAinfo notes:

[I]f the Manhattan stops along 14th Street shut down along with the Brooklyn-to-Manhattan service as some reports suggest could be a possibility, it could be years before riders can take full advantage of the new stairwells.

And here's the rendering for the Avenue A entrance via the MTA (h/t EVG reader Jeffrey!)...



As we previously noted, the MTA 2015-2019 Capital Plan, which was approved by the MTA Board last October, includes $71.9 million for a new entrance to the overcrowded First Avenue stop ... in part to make the entrances ADA compliant.

After last night's public meeting about the L, MTA officials will next hook up with local community boards for discussion before making a final recommendation possibly later this summer. The main work is set to begin in early 2019.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Is an Avenue A entrance for the L train in our future?

Avenue A L train entrance closer to a reality … some day

City council members talk up new L train entrance coming to Avenue A

Reports: L train shutdown looms in 2019

[Image via @frank_ape]

As you probably know, an L train shutdown for Sandy-related repairs will happen in some form or another. But when?

Yesterday, the MTA provided a date: repairs won't start until 2019.

However, the length of the closure is unknown. Per The Wall Street Journal today:

Officials have been weighing options that include closing both tracks running through the century-old tunnel or shutting down one track at a time to maintain some service between Brooklyn and Manhattan.

A full closure of both tracks through the L train tunnel could be completed in about 18 months, but a partial closure could take twice as long and cost more.

MTA officials said the project would involve reconstructing nearly 3 miles of track; replacing 56 miles of signal, power and communications cables; and repairing two fan systems used to evacuate smoke from tunnels.

And those officials will be collecting comments (and expletives) from commuters and other stakeholders starting next month. The MTA's first public meeting to discuss the upcoming repairs is set for May 5 at the Marcy Avenue Armory, per Curbed.

So anyway, we likely won't be seeing that new L-train entrance on Avenue A until after all this. Say, 2022.

Thanks to Brandon Sines for the use of Frank Ape!

We'll always have the L train

The MTA is reportedly mulling over plans to repair Sandy-damaged tunnels on the L train between Manhattan and Brooklyn ... including one scenario that shuts them down entirely during the duration of the repairs — roughly three years.

That was one eye-opening takeaway from a report published at Gothamist, who noted that the MTA is also considering keeping one tunnel open during the process.

Richard Barone, the director of transportation programs for the Regional Plan Association, told Gothamist:

"It really depends on how quickly it takes the MTA to get the job done versus the severity of the shutdown. So if they can get it done in a year, but they have to shut both tunnels down, it's one thing. If it takes them three or four years to do it, and they have to alternate shutting down the tunnels, you have to question, which is better? Is it better to get it done faster but with massive disruption? Is it even possible to do that? Is there an another alternative that these folks can take to get to Manhattan for work?"

In the shutdown scenario, Manhattan-bound L trains would terminate at Bedford Avenue, the line's busiest station, per Gothamist. More than 300,000 people take the L on an average weekday.

Thoughts on how a prolonged L train shutdown would impact this neighborhood...?

Previously on EV Grieve:
Is an Avenue A entrance for the L train in our future?

Avenue A L train entrance closer to a reality … some day

City council members talk up new L train entrance coming to Avenue A

[Updated] City council members talk up new L train entrance coming to Avenue A

As we posted earlier this month, an observant EVG reader looking at the 237-page PDF of the MTA's 2015–2019 Capital Plan noticed there was money budgeted (and approved!) for a second set of entrances for the L stop at First Avenue.

Now our local City Council members have issued a joint statement about the new L train entrance coming to Avenue A:

The MTA 2015-2019 Capital Plan, which was approved by the MTA Board on October 28, includes $71.9 million for a new entrance to the overcrowded First Avenue stop on the L train. The funding is part of the MTA’s $300 million Core Capacity program, and will improve both safety and accessibility for straphangers who use this station every day.

Council Members Dan Garodnick and Rosie Mendez, who represent the area, had pushed for the MTA to allocate sufficient funds for this improvement.

The current entrance creates significant bottlenecks, which lead to safety issues and can make entering and exiting the station extremely difficult. The station has also been identified by the MTA as one of 100 “Key Stations,” which experience heavy traffic or have critical connections between train lines and neighborhoods. Because of this designation, the planned new entrance will also comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and be accessible to individuals with disabilities.

“This station has gotten crowded beyond its capacity, and straphangers need relief,” said Council Member Garodnick. “A new entrance is going to make a huge difference, and will make the station infinitely more safe.”

"I applaud the MTA and I am grateful that it will be moving forward with our request for an alternate entrance/exit at Avenue A for the First Avenue L train stop. This train stop is so overcrowded that it is unsafe. Everyday individuals arriving and departing from the 1st Avenue confront a huge crowd of people rushing from or to the bus. This new entrance is needed now more than ever since there are several nearby residential development projects that will increase the neighborhood population." – Councilwoman Rosie Mendez, District 2

Not sure where exactly this new entrance will be…



In September 2014, an EVG reader spotted a crew doing a little soil sampling at this spot on the north side of 14th Street along Stuy Town … perhaps this might be the location for the entrance/exit…


[Photo from September 2014]

Updated 6:28 p.m.

Sen. Brad Hoylman's office also released a statement earlier today. It reads in part:

With the approval of its 2015-2019 Capital Program, the MTA is finally set to begin construction on a new entrance for the L Train First Avenue stop. Construction of the new entrance at 14th Street and Avenue A is an effort by the MTA to alleviate congestion and overcrowding that has long affected riders at the First Avenue stop. Senator Hoylman's statement on construction of the new entryway is below:

“I am pleased that the MTA has included a new L Train entrance at the 14th and Avenue A stop in its 2015-2019 capital budget, setting aside $40 million for improvements on the L line and an additional $59.1 million to make the First Avenue station ADA compliant.

“The western end of the platform has become a serious safety concern as straphangers mass near the station’s only entrance, creating dangerous overcrowding at the platform’s edge and potential obstruction of egress during emergencies.

“In light of Extell Development’s planned construction on the block of 14th Street between Avenues A and B, I wrote to Extell in February 2014 urging them to contribute to the construction of a desperately needed second entrance at the First Avenue stop. The MTA’s full backing of a new point of entry and exit for this station is particularly welcome news, and I encourage the MTA and Extell to work collaboratively to ensure that the construction is completed in a timely manner."

Previously on EV Grieve:
A Davey Drill and a dream

Is an Avenue A entrance for the L train in our future?

Avenue A L train entrance closer to a reality … some day

How you can score free pizza AND rodent repellent tomorrow at the 1st Avenue L stop

Via the EVG inbox®…

WHAT: New Yorker's are used to seeing rodents in the subway but commuters may see a few that are too big to ignore on their commute to work tomorrow morning.

WHO: The event is being sponsored by earthkind®, a North Dakota-based pest prevention company and the makers of the award-winning Stay Away® Rodent repellent that’s proven to keep rodents out of indoor areas, safely and naturally.

WHERE: Giant mice will be greeting commuters at the E. 86th Street and W. 72nd Street subway stations before heading down to Pizza Rat’s home base at the First Avenue L station for an authentic NYC lunch of, you guessed it, pizza! Free samples of Stay Away Rodent® will be given to the first 5000 riders who greet the mice and give them a warm, NYC welcome!

WHEN: Thursday, November 12th from 7:30 am to 1:30 pm

WHY: The earthkind® mice are on a mission to teach New Yorkers how to keep “pizza rat” and other uninvited guests [ED NOTE: Family members?] out of NYC hi-rises, brownstones and homes without using poisons.

Avenue A L train entrance closer to a reality … some day

[Those 1st Avenue L train entrances]

An observant EVG reader spotted the following in the 237-page PDF of the 2015–2019 Capital Plan that the MTA board approved last week…



So there's budgeted $$$ for a second set of entrances for the L stop at First Avenue. A news release via the MTA from last December suggested the following scenario:

At the 1 Av station, new fare control areas at Avenue A would double capacity – a 100% increase – up to the street from each platform. The Avenue A entrances would serve 60% of the station’s ridership, thus eliminating a 500-foot walk (from First Avenue to Avenue A) for 31,000 weekday customers entering or exiting the station.

According to Sen. Brad Hoylman's office, use of the station at East 14th Street and First Avenue has increased by 30 percent from 2007-2012. (Seems like 300 percent.)

And the L train only promises to get more crowded with the arrival of the 150 residential units in the two new 7-floor buildings on East 14th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B that Extell is developing. (Not to mention the residential building replacing the former Peter Stuyvesant Post Office.)

In February 2014, Holyman asked Extell Development to "contribute toward the construction of a second entrance to the 1st Avenue L train subway station." (You may read his letter to Extell here.) Not sure how that ask went.

Regardless, the money is in the MTA budget to make this new L train entrance/exit dream happen.

The Extell developments are expected to be complete in early 2017. No word on a timeline from the MTA on when any of this L train entrance work might happen. (Given that the 2015-2019 Capital Program finally got the OK so close to 2016…)

Previously on EV Grieve:
A Davey Drill and a dream

Is an Avenue A entrance for the L train in our future?

Noted

H/T @HopeBeach

Noted

By now, perhaps, you've seen the viral video of the rat dragging a slice of pizza down the stairs to the L train platform at First Avenue and East 14th Street last night.

If not, then you can watch the video and read an interview with the man who shot it at DNAinfo here. (Matt Little was returning to Bushwick after working at Upright Citizens Brigade on Avenue A.)

Meanwhile, The New Yorker has an essay from the pizza rat — Paul, who has lived in the East Village his whole life. (Four months.)

Subway riders preparing for all scenarios now when taking the L train

Because an avalanche hasn't caused delays on the L... yet.

Photo at the First Avenue L stop this morning by Andrew Adam Newman on Ave C.

Report: Why the subway is late and crowded a lot

An EVG reader passed along this photo from Union Square last evening showing more Hellish than usual lines for the L. (Gothamist has more on what happened here — rail conditions! signal problems! status quo!)

Meanwhile, the Post today examines new MTA stats and finds!

Subway riders are being squashed together on increasingly crowded trains, new data revealed Monday — and lack of basic manners getting in and out of cars is contributing to a spike in delays.

Weekdays trains experienced overcrowding delays a staggering 14,843 times in December — the most recent month where data was available.

That is a 113 percent increase from a year earlier.

One more stat from the article: "6 million people crammed into subway cars on 29 different days in 2014 — the most since the MTA started tracking ridership."

Recognize this creep?

Recognize this creep @NYCTSubway? He groped a F/25 at Union Sq #Ltrain yesterday. Call #800577TIPS w/ info. pic.twitter.com/ooG09UN5vL

— NYPD L Train (@NYPDLTrain) January 29, 2015

Is an Avenue A entrance for the L train in our future?

[Photo from September by EVG reader stickmanpk]

Back in September, EVG reader stickmanpk spotted a crew with a Davey drill taking some soil samples on East 14th Street near Avenue A. At the time, we thought it was something to do with the new development in the works for the former Peter Stuyvesant Post Office across the street.

Later, though, we heard this was for the MTA... to explore a new Avenue A entrance for the L train.

Now, via a reader, here's an MTA press release dated last Thursday that discusses the possibility of a new entrance here.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is seeking federal funding toward approximately $300 million in infrastructure improvements for the Canarsie L Subway Line, which runs from Manhattan to the Canarsie section of Brooklyn through neighborhoods that have seen the largest increases in population in New York City.

Proposed infrastructure improvements include adding three power substations to allow for two additional trains per hour, a 10% increase in service, which could carry 2,200 additional customers per hour. Other elements include installing elevators at the 1 Av and Bedford Av stations to make them fully compliant with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, and adding new street-level entrances at both stations to make it easier for customers to enter or exit the stations and alleviate platform crowding that can delay trains.

“More than 49,000 customers use the 1 Av and Bedford Av stations on an average weekday, and the stations experience overcrowding during peak periods. The area around the Bedford Av station has been rezoned to allow for almost 10,000 new residential units, and ridership is expected to continue to rise,” said New York City Transit President Carmen Bianco. “We have to increase capacity on the Canarsie Line and improve customer flow at stations to meet this increasing demand, and securing federal funding for a project of this magnitude will go a long way toward achieving that goal.”

At the 1 Av station, new fare control areas at Avenue A would double capacity – a 100% increase – up to the street from each platform. The Avenue A entrances would serve 60% of the station’s ridership, thus eliminating a 500-foot walk (from First Avenue to Avenue A) for 31,000 weekday customers entering or exiting the station.

Partial funding for the Canarsie improvements has been included in the MTA’s proposed 2015-2019 Capital Program, per the release.

According to the MTA, the L line first opened as a segment on June 30, 1924, a time when men also wore suspenders without irony.

Previously on EV Grieve:
A Davey Drill and a dream

A Davey Drill and a dream

Last Thursday, we noted the arrival of a Davey Drill outside the former Peter Stuyvesant Post Office branch on East 14th Street.

As the above photo shows, the drill is now across the street … doing a little soil sampling in a new spot.

EVG reader stickmanpk, who took the photo, offered some wishful L train thinking.

"Could they actually be thinking about adding a second entrance for the subway at Avenue A in anticipation of the 2,000 new residents we’ll see with the coming developments? Hey, you’ve gotta have a dream…"

Previously on EV Grieve:
UPDATED: Did you hear the rumor about the Peter Stuyvesant Post Office branch closing?

Report: Closure of the Peter Stuyvesant Post Office is pretty much a done deal

First sign of more development on East 14th Street?

Asbestos abatement to begin at former Peter Stuyvesant Post Office

New 7-floor buildings for East 14th Street include 150 residential units

Here is the future of East 14th Street and Avenue A: 7 stories of residential and retail

Straphangers feeling the effects of the MTA reducing sign and tape budgets

Oh, and no L train service between Lorimer and Eighth Avenue until Tuesday morning at 5. Really.

A scene from the L train platform

Photo by Bobby Williams.

Today in rats dying getting on the L train

Yep. Photo by Bobby Williams.

Reader report: Man arrested for having dog on L train platform

Per a reader:

Brooklyn bound L train at 1st Ave. 2 a.m.

Police gave this guy many chances to leave before backup came and arrested him. He was being a jerk and saying he seen dogs on the train before.

Not sure what's going to happen to the dog.

Today in photos of a dead rat on the L train platform

At 14th Street via Dave on 7th...

So early, so many bad headline possibilities!

The commute was killing him.
What a rat race.
"I like Grizzy Bear's earlier stuff."

Oh, you can do better.

We'll always have the L train

14th Street and First Avenue via the Long Lost Intern of EV Grieve (LLIOEVG).

[UPDATED] FDNY: Man struck and killed by L train at 14th Street and Third Avenue station

We first posted this information on our Twitter account this morning... (here... and here...)

An FDNY official told me around 8:45 that someone was under a train at 14th Street and Third Avenue... the L was stopped in both directions...

Early reports indicate that the man is dead.

UPDATED:

Patrick Hedlund at DNAinfo reports the man was struck and killed by a Brooklyn-bound L train. He was pinned beneath the train. Nearly 200 passengers had to be evacuated from the train through the tunnel, Hedlund notes.


UPDATED:

The MTA has changed the status of the L:

UPDATED:

The Post reports that the victim was 22 years old. And he was standing on the tracks between the Union Square and Third Avenue stations. Officials have yet to release his name, or offer any theories why he was standing on the tracks.

UPDATED:

The Post ID'd the victim as Brian Omara O'Mara of Garden City. Still no explanation why he was walking on the tracks.

UPDATED:
Sunday night.

Per The Wall Street Journal:

Police said Mr. O'Mara had been out drinking with friends, who later realized he didn't enter a taxi with them at the end of the night.

Police are checking Mr. O'Mara's MetroCard to determine what time he entered the train station. It is believed he used an emergency exit on the station platform to enter the tunnel and was hit by a train, police said.

Officers recovered a cellphone, a wristwatch and a wallet with more than $100. A woman who answered the phone at Mr. O'Mara's home declined to comment.