Tag: l train

MTA Shuts Down Independent Review Of L Train Unshutdown Plan

I missed this Gothamist article last week. Despite repeated promises by the head of the MTA (“I have stated a number of times already in this meeting that a third party team will be engaged to report to the board and me, all of us, on what the best path forward is”, Fredy Ferrer – January 2019), the MTA is NOT hiring a third-party consultant to review Governor Cuomo’s L train tunnel plan. In a Trumpian twist, Ferrer now says that was all fake news, and the third-party consultant was only meant to monitor safety and environmental issues DURING construction (“the consultant was never [meant] to come back to the board with a comparison”, Ferrer – March, 2019).

Maybe the consultants first job can be to tell us why all the MTA employees at the Bedford Avenue station are wearing dust masks all the time, but the air is safe to breathe for commuters.

“We Have Not Figured Out Exactly How to Handle That”

02/15/2019 | Comment

“We have not figured out exactly how to handle that” is a quote from MTA Managing Director Ronnie Hakim about overcrowding on the First Avenue and Third Avenue platforms specifically, but it might as well be the mantra of MTA and City DOT when it comes to the new plan to fix the L train tunnel. Most of the surface transit mitigation that was in place for the L train shutdown is off the table (read: the City isn’t doing anything) and the MTA doesn’t really know what additional service it will run for the down times. Service will start to get reduced around 8 p.m. on weeknights, and trains will run with (minimum) 20-minute weekends.

Luckily, very few people go to north Brooklyn on nights and weekends, so it should all work out just fine.

L Train Service Partially Shut Down After 2 Passengers Faint from Noxious Fumes

The explanation – diesel trains running overnight – and the symptoms – “gas” smells between First Avenue and Graham Avenue (or beyond) – don’t seem to line up. Complaints about the noxious odors seemed to start around 9:30 a.m., with heavier reporting coming between 10 and 11 (this is based on the @NYCTSubway Twitter feed and posts to the North Brooklyn Community Facebook page). One of the fainting incidents happened around 11:00 a.m. And the Daily News mentions a “liquid leak of an unknown substance ‘bubbling’ at the Grand St. station around 12:20 p.m.”. The Transit Workers Union pulled their members out of the stations around noon, and one of the union heads was warning passengers to stay out of the Grand Street station.

Retail Vacancies Abound near the Bedford Avenue L Stop

Does “L-mageddon already has a prime span of Williamsburg’s Bedford Avenue in its grip”?

A lot of the examples shown around Bedford and North 7th have been vacant or under-rented for ages. Add to this the long-standing shittyness of this stretch of Bedford and the insanely high rents, and I’m a bit skeptical that this is all about the L train. But it sure doesn’t help.

(Special bonus for long-time Northside denizens – a cameo appearance by Kenn Firpo!)

L Train Shutdown Could Turn Grand Street into a Car-Free Zone

As part of the plan to remediate the shutdown of the L train, Transportation Alternatives floats a plan to make Grand Street car free from the Williamsburg Bridge east to the intersection of Grand and Metropolitan (pretty much the Kings/Queens line). This would allow buses and cyclists freer travel along Grand, but surely would be greeted with howls from all of the merchants along Grand between Rodney Street and Bushwick Avenue. Still – “complete street redesign” would be a welcome thing in many places.

In Williamsburg, Pondering Life Without the L Train

her most immediate concern was how the woman who cleans their home would get there. On Monday, she and her husband also discussed how he might be able

vs.

If the commute is three times longer, is it worth it?

Perspective, people.