Tag: subway

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.

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.

G Train Weekend Outages

It could have been worse, but if you plan your weekends around the G train being in operation, make new plans:

The [MTA…] considered closing the Greenpoint tube on the G train all summer for repair work. Instead, the tunnel will be closed for 12 weekends this year. Service will be replaced with a shuttle bus between Brooklyn and Queens. The Greenpoint tube will likely be closed during the summer of 2014 for additional repairs, the official said.

How Much More Williamsburg Development Can the L Train Handle?

According to the Observer (and the MTA), a lot. CBTC upgrades will let the line operate at a theoretical capacity of 26 trains per hour, or one train every 2 minutes and 20 seconds or so (current capacity is 19 trains an hour, or one every three minutes or so). That represents a 38% increase in capacity, which is great considering the continued pace of development between Bedford Avenue and Myrte-Wyckoff.

At least until there is a sick passenger.