[Photo from July 2]
You likely saw this news everywhere yesterday: The MTA announced that L-train service between Bedford Avenue and Eighth Avenue will shut down for 18 months starting in January 2019.
The MTA opted against the three-year schedule that would have kept one of the L train's tracks open with greatly reduced service.
Per The New York Times:
L trains will continue to operate in Brooklyn between the Williamsburg and Canarsie neighborhoods, but will not run between the Eighth Avenue stop in Manhattan and the Bedford Avenue station in Brooklyn. All five L train stops in Manhattan will close, along with the tunnel. About 225,000 riders now take the L train across the East River each day.
And here are a few details via The Wall Street Journal:
Opened in 1924, the L train tunnel’s innards have suffered damage wrought by the passage of years and Sandy.
Construction crews will replace electric cables running inside the structure’s deteriorating concrete lining.
Ms. Hakim said the authority planned to offer incentives to speed up construction work, and would impose penalties if the work is delayed beyond 18 months.
The project is expected to cost between about $800 million and $1 billion.
In making the announcement yesterday, MTA officials did not present transit options for the L's displaced riders. They will apparently offer some solutions at a later date.
DNAinfo rounds up a few possibilities ... and there's the idea to close parts of 14th Street to vehicular traffic, with a dedicated bus and bike route to help ease the crosstown commute while the L is out. And maybe make this permanent.
Other advice on how to get around along this corridor during the shutdown is welcome.