As we were saying back on Monday in this post, the MTA is wrapping up the L-train work along 14th Street.
And just like that on Tuesday, the north entrance (westbound side) to the L train on 14th Street at First Avenue opened ... and now for the first time all four entrances — two on Avenue A and two on First Avenue — are open for access to the L.
This is the final major infrastructure element of the 1 Av Station expansion, which is part of the integrated resiliency, accessibility and capacity initiatives under the l Project. Previously, two new entrances near Avenue A and 14th Street were built and opened, one at Avenue A South in November 2019, and one at Avenue A North in February 2020. Following those openings, the existing entrances, which are part of the original 1924 station, were closed to be fully reconstructed. The First Avenue South entrance was reopened in April 2020, and this final original entrance at First Avenue North opened [Tuesday].
And kind of a but:
At this time, all entrances at 1 Av Station are open for customers with temporary finishes. Final finishes will be scheduled for one entrance at a time in the future, and the entrance will be temporarily closed at that time. Customers will be able to use the entrance to the station that provides complementary access.
Meanwhile, the two platform-to-street ADA elevators on either side of 14th Street near Avenue A will be complete by the end of the summer, per the MTA...
Look for some new crosswalks at Avenue A one day soon too...
The work officially began along this corridor in July 2017. In late April, Gov. Cuomo announced that the Sandy-damaged Canarsie tunnel rehabilitation phase was completed — reportedly several months ahead of schedule and less than $100 million as originally expected.
Workers recently removed the partitions from the L train's north entrance on First Avenue at 14th Street... another sign of progress in the ongoing rehab of the stations and tunnels here.
In late April, Gov. Cuomo announced that the Sandy-damaged Canarsie tunnel rehabilitation phase was completed — reportedly several months ahead of schedule and less than $100 million as originally expected.
The MTA's L Project Monthly e-newsletter provided an update this past weekend about what to expect with the renovations along 14th Street this month as the city beings to reopen from the COVID-19 pandemic:
• First Avenue North: To be opened with temporary finishes. All other entrances will remain open for the time being. In the future, we will alternate closing them down to do final finishes
• New Avenue A entrances: Tile and mosaic work on columns will be underway
• Two street-to-platform elevators at Avenue A on the north and south sides of 14th Street: Glass installation is scheduled for both platform and street-level, followed by testing
• Street restoration along 14th Street: Lane striping and NYC DOT signage will be completed between First Avenue and Avenue B; new cobblestone will be installed in the median between Avenue A and Avenue B; part of the worksite will be consolidated in the median between Avenue A and Avenue B; traffic signal and street lights will be installed along 14th Street.
• Avenue B-area substation: Water and sewer taps will be installed, and the roadway there will be repaired
• New escalator at 14th Street-Union Square: Estimated completion is now scheduled for summer 2020 following contractor delays due to COVID-19.
ICYMI: On April 26, Gov. Cuomo announced that the Sandy-damaged Canarsie tunnel rehabilitation phase was completed — reportedly several months ahead of schedule and less than $100 million as originally expected.
Now the MTA is focusing on non-tunnel elements, such as the new entrance on 14th Street at Avenue A and the rehabbed station at First Avenue.
The L Project e-newsletter from this past weekend provided an overview of interest to residents and commuters in this neighborhood. Here's a recap of what they had to say (completion dates subject to changes):
• The First Avenue north entrance is expected to open this month with final granite work at the street level scheduled for the fall.
• The First Avenue south entrance opened ahead of schedule last Monday. (The MTA said that the pushed to get it done early given the entrance's proximity to Mount Sinai Beth Israel.) Final work at the street level is scheduled for summer and fall.
[1st Avenue south entrance]
• The new Avenue A north entrance is currently open, with final finishes scheduled for after the completion of the First Avenue north side.
• The Avenue A south entrance is also open. The MTA still needs to complete the granite work. However, officials say that they're keeping this entrance open for the time being given its proximity to the hospital.
• Two street-to-platform elevators at Avenue A on the north and south sides of 14th Street: Estimated completion scheduled for the summer.
• Street restoration along 14th: Paving expected to begin on May 11, pending weather conditions, and the work is estimated to last one week.
The L train's new Avenue A north entrance — for Eighth Avenue-bound commuters — opened this past Monday.
For the next few months, you'll need to use the Avenue A entrances for all L-train action. (The Brooklyn-bound side arrived this past Nov. 4 at Avenue A.)
This morning, workers boarded up the north entrance at First Avenue.
This side is expected to be closed for repairs until May.
The south side entrance at First Avenue is expected to reopen in April...
Once the MTA complete the First Avenue entrances, the ones at Avenue A will close again so workers can add the finishing touches. No word just yet from the MTA about when all four entrances — two at First Avenue and two at Avenue A — will all be accessible at the same time.
When all the construction is wrapped up, the revamped 14th Street First Avenue station will have four entrances — including the two on either side of 14th Street at Avenue A as well as two new platform-to-street ADA elevators that will be ready for use this summer. (Find more details on this MTA advisory.)
As we first reported last week, the L train's new Avenue A north entrance — for Eighth Avenue-bound commuters — debuts today (Feb. 10).
Here's a look around the outside of the two entrance on the Stuy Town side of 14th Street...
MTA officials have said that the entrance is opening with "temporary finishes."
With this debut, the MTA will now close the north-side entrance on First Avenue on Feb. 17 for renovations.
Here's the full schedule of what to expect from The L Project e-newsletter:
• Starting this Friday night (around 10), you'll use the Avenue A north entrance to access trains in both directions on weekends and weeknights.
• On Monday, Feb. 17, the First Avenue north entrance will close for reconstruction. Like the other side, this will take about three months, so we're estimating a May 2020 completion. While this work is happening, both entrances to the First Avenue Station will be located at Avenue A.
• Once we complete the First Avenue entrances, the ones at Avenue A will close again for a bit so we can do the final finishes.
When all the construction is wrapped up, the revamped 14th Street First Avenue station will have four entrances — including the two on either side of 14th Street at Avenue A as well as two new platform-to-street ADA elevators that will be ready for use this summer. (Find more details on this MTA advisory.)
No word just yet from the MTA about when all four entrances — two at First Avenue and two at Avenue A — will all be accessible at the same time. Also, the work on the new substation at 14th Street and Avenue B is expected to wrap up this spring.
EVG regular Greg Masters, who provided the initial tip about the opening, shared these photos (the MTA noted that the station opened with temporary finishes)...
This work has been two-plus years in the making. According to MTA officials yesterday, the majority of work on the 14th Street sidewalk restoration is expected to be completed more than six months ahead of schedule.
When all the construction is wrapped up, the revamped 14th Street First Avenue station will have four new street entrances — two on either side of 14th Street at Avenue A as well as two new platform-to-street ADA elevators that will be ready next summer. (Find more details on this MTA advisory.)
Still no word on when the the north side (Eighth Avenue bound) entrances will open at Avenue A. Meanwhile, the luxury of having entrances at Avenue A and First Avenue will be short-lived.
According to the L Project Newsletter:
Now that the Avenue A side will be open, the 1st Avenue side will close on Nov. 11 for a few months for structural repairs. We have to make sure it looks as good (and has the structural strength too!) to match the new one. The same thing will also happen for the north side entrances. We'll always have two open at the station.
Concerns over a long-term L-pocalypse may have been unfounded, a new published report says.
The Daily Newsreports that the Canarsie Tunnel rehabilitation is actually a month ahead of schedule — and the whole project may be finished by April 2020.
All the major demolition work on the East River tunnel should be done by the end of this month, said Wayne Faulkner of JMT, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s consultant on the project. That part of the job includes removing 6,800 feet of crumbling concrete duct bank that houses long-abandoned Con Ed power lines on each side of the tunnel’s tubes.
The broken-up concrete was taken to the MTA’s Linden Yard in Brownsville, Brooklyn via work trains, said the MTA’s head of capital construction, Janno Lieber.
“One of the advantages of the approach that was taken when the project adjusted means and methods was you didn’t have to take all that huge amount of debris out through the Avenue A exit [in the East Village],” Lieber said.
Work was expected to take roughly 15 to 18 months.
In late April, the MTA started its service reduction to repair the Sandy-damaged tubes between Manhattan and Brooklyn, ramping down L times to 20-minute waits starting at 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. during the week and around the clock on weekends.
The slowdown came about back on Jan. 3 when Gov. Cuomo made that surprise announcement that the L-train wouldn't be completely shut down as previously planned.
Meanwhile, seems like a good time to check in on the progress of the new L-train entrances — with elevators — that are coming to Avenue A and 14th Street...
... and the northern side of 14th Street...
The MTA shared this photo back in April showing an Avenue A entrance from below...
[Trent Reeves/MTA Capital Construction]
The work on a new entrance a block away from the First Avenue station started in July 2017 to help relieve congestion at the stop.
In late May, Town & Villagereported that a Stuy Town resident first made a request for an Avenue A stop — in 1947!
A Stuy Town resident who moved into the complex when it opened in 1947 wrote a letter to the Brooklyn Manhattan Transit Corporation, which operated the L at the time, asking if the transit agency would expand the First Avenue station by building an entrance at Avenue A. Resident Reginald Gilbert of 625 East 14th Street argued that pressure on the station from the influx of new residents made the new entrance a necessity.
The partial L-train shutdown begins in less than 10 days... and the MTA is finally starting to dribble out a few details for commuters who depend on the line to get around.
With the revised approach [closing one tube at a time between Manhattan and Brooklyn], the L will continue as normal during peak and midday weekday times. Service on the L will be reduced nights and weekends. We’ll be enhancing M, G, 7, and bus service to provide alternatives in addition to the L. This service plan will be in effect on nights and weekends, starting at 8 p.m. on Friday, April 26, through summer 2020.
And...
With the revised approach, L customers will have normal service during the highest ridership times.
Weeknights: 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. L trains run every 20 minutes between Brooklyn and Manhattan and every 10 minutes within Brooklyn. Service will ramp down starting at 8 p.m. to make room for work trains. Overnight, between 1:30 a.m. and 5 a.m., the service runs at its normal frequency, with L trains running every 20 minutes.
Weekends: 8 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday, L trains run 20 minutes between Brooklyn and Manhattan, and every 10 minutes within Brooklyn. Overnight, between 1:30 a.m and 5 a.m., service runs at its normal frequency, with L trains running every 20 minutes.
Enhanced M14A regular bus service
We’re planning additional M14A bus service to connect customers to the subway lines where we are enhancing service.
The extra M14A route service will extend to connect with Delancey/Essex St FJM Station. On weekends the M14A/D buses, combined, run every 3 to 5 minutes for the majority of the day along 14 St.
On weeknights, buses will run every 4 to 5 minutes between 8 p.m. and midnight, in both directions across 14th Street for connection to the M train at 6th Avenue, or to the 6 train at Union Square for transfer to the M train at the Broadway-Lafayette station. The M14A will connect to the Delancey-Essex J/M Station every 7 to 10 minutes (as compared to every 12 to 20 minutes currently).
Sounds like a well-oiled machine? Heh. There are important details to be worked out, as amNY reported last evening:
There still is not an official timeline for the new project. The MTA continues to hammer out the new contract with the companies doing the work: Judlau and TC Electric. Janno Lieber, the MTA’s construction chief, said that the new project will take between 15 and 18 months, and she expects it to be less expensive than the $477 million contract for the original, full 15-month closure.
For more on the latest with the L train ... Christoper Robbins filed a post at Gothamist ... and Curbed has an explainer here. And at amNY, Vincent Barone talks with some anxious L-train regulars about what might happen starting April 26.
There isn't any mention in the media reports or on the MTA site about the stations at First Avenue and Third Avenue being reconfigured to exit-only on weekends. (That idea was mentioned as a possibility back in January courtesy of some leaked MTA documents.)
Also in L-train news: Overnight L-train service has been suspended weeknights starting this past Monday.
Per media reports, there aren't any trains from Manhattan to Lorimer Street in Brooklyn operating from 10:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. This will take place every weeknight until April 26.
And in case you've been away this year... back on Jan. 3, Gov. Cuomo made a surprise announcement with news that the L-train wouldn't be completely shut down between Brooklyn and Manhattan for Sandy-related repairs after all.
As Town & Village reports, the MTA has agreed to reduce the hours of operation as it continues to prep for the L-train slowdown next month.
Per their report:
Neighbors have said work often ends at 11 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, although the MTA has said it tries to stop any noisy work by 10 p.m. But on Tuesday night, the MTA’s chief development officer overseeing the project, Janno Lieber, committed to stopping work by 7 p.m. at a meeting held by Community Board 3’s Transportation Committee.
“We’re constantly looking for ways to minimalize the impact of our work on neighbors, and they understandably have been asking for shorter hours,” Shams Tarek, a spokesperson for the MTA, told Town & Village.
Tarek added that the MTA wanted to first consult the contractor to make sure doing this wouldn’t lengthen the duration of the project, which includes the creation of an Avenue A entrance to the First Avenue L station. The new schedule of 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday to Friday, with possibly shorter hours on Saturday is effective immediately.
Other L-train details are still being decided, such as the possibility of exit-only stations at First and Third Avenues once the L-train slowdown officially starts later next month.
Meanwhile, on the topic of the L-train work along this corridor... a resident who lives adjacent to the construction zone, recently shared these videos from 8 p.m., showing that not everyone on the site may be all that busy after hours ...
In the first one, the operator of this diesel hydraulic excavator attempts to right a tipped rubber trash can...
...and here's the excavator trying to be a broom...
Starting in March, customers can meet with MTA team members at any of four open houses, or on subway platforms and in train cars. There, customers can get information on:
• Updates on the proposed construction approach and progress on other elements staying the same, such as the new elevators at Bedford Avenue, First Avenue and 14 Street/Sixth Avenue (L platform) Stations
• The new proposed service plan
• One-on-one trip planning help with MTA team members
• Other service elements to help navigate the changes, such as how to know which train to board. Additionally, NYC DOT will be present at the open houses to review planned street treatments.
And the four open houses are scheduled in Brooklyn and Manhattan:
• March 7 — Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 328 W. 14 St. between Eighth Avenue and Ninth Avenue
• March 13 — Williamsburg Northside School, 299 N. Seventh St. at Meeker Avenue
• March 19 — Grand Street Campus High School, 850 Grand St. between Bushwick Avenue and Waterbury
• April 8 — 14th Street Y, 344 E. 14 St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue
The open houses are scheduled between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
While Gov. Cuomo helped avoid a full shutdown, the repairs to the Sandy-damaged L tubes between Manhattan and Brooklyn will still be a major disruption.
During the rehab starting in late April, the MTA will reduce L-train service to 20-minute waits on weeknights and weekends — from Bedford Avenue through Manhattan — with reductions in service beginning as early as 8 p.m. on weeknights.
And there's still no word if the First Avenue and Third Avenue stops will be "exit-only" stations.
The MTA posted the latest L-train rehab proposal at this link (PDF!).
MTA managing director Ronnie Hakim briefed selected reporters yesterday on the latest L-train rehabilitation plan. While Gov. Cuomo helped avoid a full shutdown, the repairs to the Sandy-damaged L tubes between Manhattan and Brooklyn will still be a major disruption, Hakim admitted.
On weeknights, service between Manhattan and Brooklyn will begin to slow just after the evening rush, at 8 p.m. Headways will grow to every 20 minutes after 10 p.m. — the current arrangement between 1:30 and 5 a.m. Weekend service will be significantly diminished, with 20 minute headways — up from as little as four minutes now.
And...
Only one bus service improvement is certain: Hakim said 14th Street buses will run every three minutes on weekends, up from the current range of four-and-a-half minutes to seven-and-a-half minutes between buses. But the previously planned dedicated busway is no longer in the works, and the launch of M14 Select Bus Service, originally scheduled for April, has been delayed.
And...
Hakim did not confirm whether stations at First and Third avenue will become “exit-only” due to large crowds that are expected to gather on the platforms because of the extended headways. She said only that the MTA “may” make those stations exit only.
Mayoral spokesman Eric Phillips said the administration is still undecided on the busway and other street changes planned for the original shutdown — despite the MTA's belief that the bus priority wouldn't be necessary.
"As we learn more and more detail every day from the MTA about its closure of the L train, we’ll continue to design efforts and review existing plans to help affected riders," Phillips said in a statement.
Gothamist has a nice recap here... reactions include this statement from Transportation Alternatives ... and...
The de Blasio admin potentially backing out of a 14th St Busway is cowardly and short-sighted. That’s my statement.
Finally, here's a statement from Sen. Brad Hoylman:
"Today the MTA confirmed our fears that the new L Train plan will bring little to no alternate service enhancements, the loss of the 14th Street busway, possible exit only stations at 1st and 3rd Avenues, delayed subways, and historic overcrowding. I'm extremely concerned. So far, this is not a plan that will avert a shutdown. It’s an effort to steamroll a quick fix over the public.
The MTA has promised to take community input into account as it moves forward. I'm pleased to see that they are planning to expand M14A service, and I hope to see much more done to help riders. I know they will be hearing from many constituents in my district, who are being left without real options."
The MTA hopes to start the L-train rehabilitation work during the last weekend of April, as previously planned. Hakim said that they'd be public outreach sessions in the weeks ahead.
The L Train bus and bike lanes are halfway done. Join Transportation Alternatives and commuters everywhere to demand that the NYC Mayor commit to the best versions of Manhattan's 14th Street and North Brooklyn's Grand Street
Rally for L Train Bus and Bike Lanes
Feb 6th @ 10 a.m.
The transit advocacy group has said it would be a mistake for the city to reverse course on the 14th Street bus lane additions and the 12th Street and 13th Street bike lanes now that L service between Manhattan and Brooklyn will only be shut down on nights and weekends. You can read more at this Streetsblog post from Jan. 28.
A few items of interest to residents and retailers around here...
On weekends:
• "Stations at First and Third avenues will likely be reconfigured to exit-only." ("That’s just abysmal for the East Village," said Jon Orcutt, the spokesman for TransitCenter.)
Overnight, there will be 20-minute gaps in train service (like on weekends) .. plus!
• "There will be the aforementioned need for 'metering' at L platforms at Union Square, Third Avenue, First Avenue and Bedford Avenue. If the monitoring of station crowds reveals a danger, the MTA would temporarily restrict access to the platforms."
MTA officials weren't pleased by the leak.
“The alternative service plan for the L train hasn’t been completed yet, so citing draft and outdated reports is not only irresponsible but it does a disservice to New Yorkers and our customers who need reliable, official information,” the agency said in a statement. “The MTA will work with the community to provide the service they need while keeping the L train open in both directions 24/7 and providing full, unaltered weekday service for 275,000 riders a day.”
You can read quickie recaps at the Daily News ... amNY ... and the Post, who noted that "[a]n MTA insider said the announcement had Cuomo’s fingerprints all over it."
As for that announcement, here's the official MTA news release issued last night:
As you know the MTA had previously scheduled a complete shutdown of the L Subway train beginning April 27. The disruption of service was to allow reconstruction of the two tubes between Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Late last year a design review team of international experts was brought in to review the final plan, and they proposed new construction alternatives and technology which have been used effectively in other countries and industries. The new methods and means include laser light technology to determine structural defects, smart fiber optic sensor technology, and carbon fiber wrapping to reinforce components. Some of these alternatives have not been used by the MTA before and the design integration would be an innovation for the MTA.
The design firm managing the L Subway train project from the beginning has been Parsons Brinckerhoff (now called WSP). WSP has done extensive work studying the new design alternatives and has informed the MTA (and discussed at a public meeting on January 15) that the proposed construction design alternatives are indeed applicable to the L Subway train and can significantly reduce construction time and thus the inconvenience to our riders. Therefore, the total shutdown of both tunnels and all service scheduled for April 27 will not be necessary. We do anticipate a shutdown of one tube on nights and weekends, however service both ways (between Manhattan and Brooklyn) would be scheduled 24/7.
This project is a major priority for the MTA and reconstruction will be supervised by MTA Capital Construction and overseen by MTA Managing Director Veronique Hakim. The MTA will also hire an independent consultant to oversee safety operations that will report directly to the Board. The MTA is now working with the various contractors on a new final construction schedule and contracts which delete some elements of the initial construction plan and add the new design alternatives. We do not believe the cost of reconstruction will increase, and given the tremendous benefits to the riding public, reduction in the volume of traffic and savings from the traffic mitigation efforts, it is a clear positive alternative and in the public interest.
We expect the formulation of the final construction schedule and contract completions to take several weeks. The current construction estimate is 15 to 20 months. As soon as we have more definitive information we will provide it to our customers and the public.
So no word yet on cost or the new construction schedule and other aspects of the L-tube work, such as its impact on residents who live along 14th Street between First Avenue and Avenue B. Cuomo's new plan calls for repairs to occur on nights and weekends, when workers will close one tube at a time with trains running every about 20 minutes or so.
At the MTA board meeting Tuesday, Manhattan Borough President "seemed exasperated over the many unanswered questions." Per the Times: "This is better than ‘Law & Order,’ which we all watch on a daily basis, in terms of intrigue," she said.
So who know what will happen next. As amNYreported:
The MTA appears to be confidently moving ahead with the plans, even though the MTA board will have to approve any material changes to the contract for the work, which has long been set with contractors Judlau and TC Electric. During a public hearing earlier this week, board members expressed discomfort about voting on any redrafted contract before an independent review of the proposal was competed.
The engineering team behind Gov. Cuomo’s miracle L-train cure has little experience working on transit projects — and spent a grand total of an hour evaluating the damage firsthand in the subway line’s tunnel, The Post has learned.
But, in a stunning piece of spin, the governor’s office defended that lack of expertise as innovative thinking.
“We’re breaking the box by using the expertise of engineers who don’t usually work on subways in order to improve it,” Cuomo spokesman Patrick Muncie told The Post.
A reader shared this photo from Avenue A and 14th Street tonight, where workers continue to jackhammer away on the new L-train entrance here... apparently not impacted by the Governor's 11th-hour plan.
In a surprise move yesterday, Gov. Cuomo announced that the L-train won't be completely shut down between Brooklyn and Manhattan for Sandy-related repairs in April after all.
With this new plan, workers will repair the Canarsie tunnel one tube at a time on nights and weekends, with one track remaining open for service... all over the course of 15 to 20 months.
According to Cuomo, crews will install cables on racks along the inside of the tunnels, and leave the old cables where they are. Per various published reports, the workaround relies on the use of a fiber reinforced plastic, which hasn’t been used in the United States for this type of tunnel repair.
There are questions about all this...
I'm trying to break down what Cuomo did to the L train today, and at a very fundamental and basic level, I think there are two gating questions: "what the hell did he even just propose?" and "how do we have any assurances it will work?"
Gersh Kuntzman at Streetsblog has the best post (link here) on answering some questions raised following yesterday's presser.
Meanwhile, here's reaction from two local elected officials...
Sen. Brad Hoylman:
“As the State Senator who represents the entire stretch of the L train in Manhattan, I welcome any alternative to the L-train tunnel shutdown that repairs the tunnel within the current project timeline and maintains train service, while eliminating the need for hundreds of additional dirty diesel buses in our neighborhoods and traffic on side streets.
That said, after three years of planning and community input, my constituents have reason to be circumspect about the details. It’ll be the job of the new Senate Democratic majority along with our Assembly colleagues to provide sufficient oversight of the MTA and this plan.
In addition, we must continue to push for more reliable train and bus service, planned upgrades to our station and bike infrastructure, and work toward the ultimate goal of reducing car traffic through congestion pricing.”
District 2 City Councilmember Carlina Rivera:
“While I believe that the State and MTA are committed to providing the best L train plan for New Yorkers, I am disappointed that today’s news was announced without warning and with nowhere near enough detail, after years of careful planning by our communities.
Residents in my District are now in the dark about how they will be impacted by this new plan, and I am worried that many New Yorkers unnecessarily moved from affected areas and local small businesses suffered preparing for the expected shutdown.
In my discussions with MTA officials [yesterday] afternoon, I did hear some encouraging information, including potentially less noise and construction along 14th Street between 1st Avenue and Avenue B. But I am still left with more questions than answers.
As we learn more and weigh the dramatic impact this plan will have on our city, I am calling on the City Council to hold hearings this month on this plan so we and the public can have our questions fully answered from State and agency officials well ahead of the plan’s commencement.
In addition, the city Department of Transportation must stay the course with that the current L Train Alternative Service Plan, including new bike lanes, bus routes, and protected bus corridors, until the public and advocates are able to process and comment on this new plan.
But regardless of how the L Train Tunnel repair goes, our State and City agencies must deeply evaluate how the mishandling of these announcements continues to erode public trust in our most important institutions, and work to redouble their efforts with our communities.”
At an unrelated event yesterday, Mayor de Blasio said that "anything that avoids disruption I favor obviously and a lot of people in Brooklyn, a lot of people in Manhattan have been really worried about the L train shutdown," as reported by the Associated Press. "So, if there is a plan that can be better for the people of our neighborhoods, that's great, but I want to reserve any further judgment until I hear more."
Construction and congestion on side streets in the East Village could be abated, sparing neighbors fumes from supplemental buses and asbestos in the debris removed from the tunnel.
Andy Byford, who oversees New York City’s subways and buses, said there would likely not be a high-occupancy vehicle lane over the Williamsburg Bridge, as had been planned. Additional ferry service from Brooklyn to Manhattan will also not be needed.
No decision has been made regarding shutting down 14th Street in Manhattan for bus service...
Gov. Cuomo announced today that the 15-month L-train shutdown that was to start in April to repair Sandy-damaged tubes is no longer necessary.
During an early-afternoon press conference, Cuomo, joined by a team of Cuomo-appointed tunnel experts (engineering academics with unknown insights into MTA project management), unveiled a new renovation method using a different design for repairs that would require night and weekend closures of one tube at a time.
"It uses many new innovations that are new, frankly, to the rail industry in this country ... With this design, it will not be necessary to close the L train tunnel at all, which would be a phenomenal benefit to the people of New York City," he said.
Cuomo said he does not believe this design has been used in the United States before, though it has been implemented in Europe.
The governor said that commuters should not worry about the integrity of the tunnel: Major structural elements were not compromised. The MTA needs to fix the circuit breaker house and power cables that were damaged after the tubes flooded and were therefore exposed to salt water.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials spent years weighing repair options, including shutting down one track at a time to maintain some service between Brooklyn and Manhattan.
In 2016, they opted for a full shutdown, reasoning that it could be completed in half the time and at less expense than a partial shutdown. Initially, they said that a full shutdown would be needed for 18 months, but that timeline was later shortened to 15 months.
Judlau Contracting Inc., which won a $477 million contract to repair the tunnel, was offered incentives to finish the work ahead of schedule and penalties of $400,000 for every day beyond the deadline that the project was delayed.
Mr. Cuomo’s decision to alter the project raises questions about how the contractor can now finish the work on time. It also raises questions about contingency plans that were being put in place by the MTA and New York City following years of planning.
The L-train prep work started in July 2017 on 14th Street between First Avenue and Avenue B. This past summer, residents learned that this corridor was not only the main construction zone leading up to the L-train closure, but also during the 15 months the MTA expected the trains to be offline between Bedford Avenue and Eight Avenue.
Meanwhile, some quickie reaction via Twitter...
My hot take is that I have no idea if this is a better L-tunnel plan than what was supposed to happen. Obviously needs a lot of dissection. What I do know is that Cuomo took interest in this far later than he should have.
Now riders will be majorly inconvenienced for 3-5 years instead of 15 months of a total shutdown...#Cuomo plan very light on details except that it's a "breakthrough"
Cuomo halting the L train shut down at this point is like when you've finally adjusted to life after being dumped and you feel fine in your new life and then they text you "I've been thinking a lot about you." https://t.co/Thcyvn6Efx
Waiting until the last minute to cancel the L train shutdown -- after three years of anxiety, & a lot of uproot -- just to be hailed the hero, is the single most Cuomo thing possible https://t.co/7YBEFv2QUO
How much has it already cost New Yorkers to pay for L train shutdown preparations that now won't be needed? There are A LOT of questions that need to be answered.
An EVG reader shared this notice from over at 426-430 E. 14th St., the three-building parcel between Avenue A and First Avenue...
Canvas Property Group announced that building-wide renovations were to start yesterday on vacant apartments, common areas and the retail spaces.
Five of the six storefronts are vacant (just Big Apple Barber Shop remains). The 14th St. Lotto & Magazine was the first to go, in February 2017. A clerk at the store said that they were moving uptown. He declined to say why they were leaving the neighborhood.
Back to the reader, who lives on the block — he said he felt badly for the remaining residents at 426-430 ... having endured the construction noise outside, and now inside.
The buildings were sold for $28 million in a transaction recorded in August, per public records.
On Tuesday, Assembly Member Harvey Epstein along with residents and advocates rallied outside the MTA HQ on Broadway to call for greater community input to mitigate the ongoing impact of the L-train renovations underway on 14th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A.
This past summer, residents learned that this corridor is not only the main construction zone leading up to the L-train closure, but also during the 15 months the MTA expects the trains to be offline between Bedford Avenue and Eight Avenue.
As one 14th Street resident told me about Epstein's press conference: "He got really annoyed with the MTA's intransigence about the ongoing work. Same issues: loud noise, accessibility issues, late hours — going to 24/7 — and general horribleness."
Here's part of the press statement released by Epstein's office (and NY1 has a recap here ... and Town & Village here)...
Assembly Member Harvey Epstein advocated with residents and business owners of 14th Street to draw attention to concerns over air quality, noise, and dust mitigation as a result of the L Train renovations. Tenants, business owners, community groups, elected officials, and others gathered to hold the MTA accountable to the repercussions of ongoing construction, which have hurt small businesses and created innumerable nuisances for local tenants.
Local residents have raised concerns about the MTA’s limited engagement. Without any input from the community, the L Train construction has created huge impediments on 14th Street. Small businesses are obstructed by sidewalk closures and barriers, and many local owners have reported a decrease in business since construction began. Tenants have been harangued by constant white noise, traffic jams, and dust and debris that have impacted air quality. There’s also been little consideration for accessibility, and sidewalk closures have made it difficult for people with disabilities to access the affected area.
The press conference was held to highlight these ongoing issues and bring the stories of 14th Street residents to the forefront. With the support of Assembly Member Epstein, advocates demanded that the MTA take definitive steps to address community concerns, including: holding monthly meetings with 14th Street residents; implementing shorter hours of construction, including prohibiting work on Sundays; instituting an independent monitor for air quality and environmental concerns.
“We're calling on the MTA to be a better neighbor to folks on 14th Street” Epstein said. “We're not trying to stop the MTA from doing the necessary work to improve the L train line and the 14th Street and First Avenue, but we do expect the MTA to seek community input in order to minimize the impact of ongoing construction on local residents."
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and City Councilmember Carlina Rivera also called for more accountability from the MTA.
MTA spokesperson Shams Tarek provided this statement to Gothamist:
"We have had dozens of meetings with neighbors of the L Project, have developed extensive procedures to minimize the impact of construction, and welcome practical ideas on how we can further protect local quality of life," Tarek said. "We require our contractors to uphold strict guidelines regarding noise, vibration, air quality, and safety, are monitoring all of these impacts, and any suggestion otherwise is just false."
Meanwhile, Gothamist has a piece from Wednesday focusing on the green stuff (upper-left-hand corner in that photo above) that workers are dredging up from the bowels of the L tube.
Transit Authority President Andy Byford had pledged to be transparent about what materials workers would dispose of and how. As for the green substance, officials said that it was water, concrete and dirt, per Gothamist.
"I don't believe anything the MTA says," resident Penny Pennline said Tuesday. "I'm not buying it, they also said 9/11 was safe for the first responders, where are those people now?"
L-train gunk aside, there are other quality-of-life issues, such as the constant noise. A resident who lives adjacent to the construction site shared this video from Wednesday...
Here's 14th Street resident Patrick Ryan from Tuesday: "Everyone who lives on East 14th Street understands the L train has to be repaired, but the conditions that the residents and schools and small businesses are living under are untenable and dangerous. The air quality in our area has suffered immensely due to the continuous use of diesel run machinery, a constant flow of trucks, and fifteen uncovered industrial dumpsters regularly being filled and emptied and overflowing into the streets.”
In another development, Gov. Cuomo was scheduled (at the last minute) to tour the Canarsie tube overnight "so that he and his experts can decide if repair work really needs to take 15 months," the Postreported.
“This is a vital and complicated project. We’re talking about a hundred year old tunnel. This is highly disruptive to New Yorkers,” Cuomo said after the tour. “I want to be able to look New Yorkers in the face and tell them that this is the best possible way to have done this.”
All photos courtesy of the 542 E. 14th St Tenants' Association
