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Why the L Train Slowdown Affects You

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From Gothamist and WNYC Why the L Train Repairs Affect All 9 Million of Us Plus: The city wants to c

From Gothamist and WNYC Why the L Train Repairs Affect All 9 Million of Us Plus: The city wants to cover Staten Island with dockless bikes, having experimented with bike-share programs on the North Shore last summer. The cost to build elevators at one subway station has doubled in the ten years since the MTA was ordered to install them. And we have a quiz for all you movie-loving subway riders who think you know the subway based on its cameos. By [James Ramsay](mailto:james@wnyc.org?subject=We%20the%20Commuters) [L Train] Mary Altaffer/AP A confession: I don’t really care about the L train. I don’t live off the L. I rarely go over there. I’ve followed the back and forth over this tunnel shutdown-that-wasn't, and I often find myself agreeing with some of the We The Commuters [survey]( respondents who told us to cool it with the dang L train stuff. But. Tomorrow marks the start of the new 15-month tunnel repair plan. So, I asked Gothamist’s Chris Robbins, who’s been following the L train shutdown saga since [he first broke the news]( back in 2016, what it’s all about and why I should pay attention. CR: Do you use the G train to get around Brooklyn? How about the J/M/Z to get into Manhattan? Does your commute involve Union Square? Or a bike ride over the Williamsburg Bridge? Then the L train slowdown is going to affect the way you get around. Around 400,000 New Yorkers ride the L every day, and more than 200,000 of them use it to get between Brooklyn and Manhattan. Now, with less frequent L service for the next 15 to 18 months, many of those people will take their chances on different subway lines or commuting methods altogether. In fact, [the MTA is relying on it](. So, you could expect to see more crowding on your line, especially after 8 p.m. on weeknights, or on the weekends. Remind me, what is the MTA doing to help out riders who can’t/don’t want to wait 20 minutes for a train while L service is disrupted? CR: The MTA is planning for more frequent service on the J/M/Z and G trains, and there will be buses running between L and G and J/M/Z stops in Brooklyn to give riders more options, plus more M14 buses from the Lower East Side to 14th Street (as my colleague Jake Offenhartz [just reported]( those buses got a big boost now that Mayor de Blasio has finally decided to restrict private cars on 14th Street starting in June). There are also newish bike lanes on Grand Street in Brooklyn and on Delancey Street and 13th Street in Manhattan. For a full range of L-ternatives, [here's a nifty guide to your options](. Based on all this, what can I expect when my train line eventually needs a major face-lift? CR: The whole reason we're in this mess is the [damage to the Canarsie tube]( wrought by Hurricane Sandy. And while the MTA has addressed many of their outstanding Sandy-related repairs, the F train tunnel still needs to be patched up. Last [we read]( the MTA plans on getting the work done during weekends in 2022, but that may change based on how successful/chaotic these L train repairs are. That said, if New York City Transit president [Andy Byford's $40 billion Fast Forward plan]( ever becomes a reality, expect the whole system to be affected by delays and service changes due to repairs. The upside is, those repairs wouldn't just patch up a broken system, they would revolutionize it for years to come. No pain, no gain, as they say at Planet Fitness. As a New York voter, what should I take away from this? CR: Make no mistake: The success or failure of this L train plan rests on the shoulders of Governor Andrew Cuomo. He has been governor for more than eight years, and he appoints a plurality of the MTA's board (including its chair), but he [only recently took a keen interest in the MTA]( after his 2018 primary opponent, Cynthia Nixon, made it the linchpin of her campaign. (Governor Cuomo [has not ridden the subway since December 31, 2016]( Cuomo [announced that a total L train shutdown would be unnecessary](. Cuomo rammed congestion pricing [through the state legislature]( to create a steady revenue stream for the MTA. Cuomo appointed the leaders of the MTA who [waived off a promised independent review]( of his new L train repair plan. Cuomo inserted language into the budget that [allows him to do the exact same kind of rejiggering]( to the long-stalled East Side Access project. It is truly #CuomosMTA, and voters should act accordingly. What’s the one thing you’re still eager to learn as these repairs get underway? CR: So many questions remain! How will the MTA deal with overcrowding on L train platforms? Will the buses on 14th Street and in Williamsburg be an efficient remedy, or will vehicular traffic render them a nightmarish exercise in futility? Is the bike path on the Williamsburg Bridge prepared for a crush of new riders? Will anyone learn that taking a car into Manhattan at 10 p.m. on a Saturday night is a terrible idea? How Do Riders at the End of the L Train Feel About the Coming Nights and Weekends Service Changes? [sphoto33]( "I was thinking of alternatives [for the initial shutdown plan]. This will be a little bit bad, but it’s better than not completely working at all. It’s sort of like having a party, but you only have one person there that showed up. That’s not a bad party, not at all." David Germain, a 34-year-old security contractor for bars and clubs, told WNYC's Shumita Basu that he's optimistic about this new plan for the L train tunnel repairs. [Here's what other Canarsie locals had to say.]( Best of the Week From Gothamist and WNYC [That 70s Train] Jen Carlson/Gothamist The fern-bar-chic subway love seats aren't long for this world. With the MTA planning to replace the faux wood-paneled, orange-seat R-46 cars starting in 2020, we have [this appreciation]( of our favorite subway interior scheme. After the NYPD confiscated several bikes last weekend for not having bells, we found a picture of Commissioner James O'Neill biking sans bell. Can't do it. [It's a violation]( of 1236-B of New York's Vehicle and Traffic Law. If you buy a MetroCard at one of eight subway stations, you could win a Hawaiian vacation. The Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau paid the MTA to dispense [250,000 branded MetroCards]( which then have to be registered online. Next month, a single winner will be chosen. The MTA is leasing out rooftop space for solar panels. The agency said this week that it plans to gradually rent 10 million square feet of rooftop space on its own properties to companies that want to install solar panels and [sell the electricity back to the power grid](. What Else We're Reading Some folks at New York City Transit think Andy Byford might quit. The president of New York City Transit, who was hired by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to come up with a subway repair plan, hasn't spoken with the governor in months, and he's reportedly growing frustrated with the politics of the job. ([The New York Times]( New York City wants to cover all of Staten Island with a dockless bike-share system. The North Shore of Staten Island got 400 bikes last summer as part of a pilot program. Now, the city is soliciting bids from bike-share companies to serve the entire borough. ([The Wall Street Journal]( The projected cost of these subway elevators has nearly doubled in the decade since it was ordered. Of the eight stations that were required in 2010 to make upgrades for riders with disabilities, the 68th St - Hunter College station is the only one that still doesn't have an elevator. While locals who were concerned about the "pristine quality" of their block kept the project from going forward, the projected cost rose to $116 million. ([The City]( The MTA's highest-paid employee last year made $344,147 in overtime. Thomas Caputo, until recently the chief measurement officer for the Long Island Rail Road (apparently a highly specialized job), made a total of $461,646 last year. He then retired, meaning his pension could see a boost from his final year's pay. ([New York Post]( Best of the MTA's Lost and Found Clarissa Sosin for WNYC These prosthetics have been in the Lost and Found for a long, long time. If you've lost something on a bus, subway or the Staten Island Railway, [stop by the MTA's Lost and Found]( at Penn Station. It's not easy to find, but it's oh so satisfying when you do. And if you don't claim your property in time, they auction it off! Take Our Quiz: Are You a Subway Cinephile? [Coming to America] [YouTube]( If the subway ran perfectly and didn’t seem to invite [disrespectful vermin]( from time to time, one thing is certain: It’d make for a boring place to set a movie scene. Thankfully (?), the subway system is a wild and precarious place, and some of the great auteurs of our age have taken note — like whoever directed the 2014 version of [Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles](. [Take our quiz]( to see how well you know the subway's role in film history. Weekend Service Changes: Night of April 26 – Early Morning on April 29 service between 137 St, Manhattan and 242 St, the Bronx will be replaced by trains, M3, M100 and free shuttle buses. Flatbush Av-bound trains will skip Bergen St, Grand Army Plaza and Eastern Pkwy in Brooklyn. Woodlawn-bound trains will run express from Utica Ave. Atlantic Av-Barclays Center. in Brooklyn, and some uptown trains skip 183 St., Fordham Rd., Kingsbridge Rd., Bedford Pk. Blvd., 170 St, Mt. Eden Ave and 176 Street. Brooklyn Bridge-bound trains will skip Longwood Ave., E 149 St., E 143 St, Cypress Ave, and Brook Ave. Service on trains between Euclid Ave and Lefferts Blvd/Howard Beach will be replaced by free shuttle buses. Coney Island-bound trains will skip 4 Ave-9 St., 15 St.-Prospect Park and Fort Hamilton Pkwy. A complete and continuously updated list of MTA service updates can be found [here](. [Check here]( for complete details about the Long Island Rail Road. For NJ Transit, [check here]( for the latest service advisories. Video: These Opera Singers Composed a 10-Minute Opera About the F Train, and It's Pretty Juicy [opera] WQXR For the Greene Space's recent [24-hour marathon]( a team of composers and performers had exactly one day to come up with a mini-opera. The prompt: a subway delay. [See how dramatic this one gets]( Upcoming Meetings and Events Monday, May 20th - Metro-North Committee Meeting – 8:30 a.m. - LIRR Committee Meeting – 9:30 a.m. - NYCT & MTA Bus Committee Meeting – 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 22nd - MTA Board Meeting – 9:00 a.m. For official MTA committee meetings, registration for two-minute public speaking slots opens 15 minutes before the start time. To speak before a board meeting, you must register 30 minutes early. Both are held at at the MTA's Board Room at 2 Broadway on the 20th Floor. This newsletter is a work in progress, and we're very open to constructive criticism! [Email me](mailto:james@wnyc.org) with tips and suggestions, including what you'd like to see covered here. Follow We The Commuters on [Twitter](. (Instagram coming soon.) Join our [Facebook Group](. And [swipe a stranger in]( if you have an unlimited card. [James] James Ramsay quite enjoyed [WQXR's classical commute playlist on Spotify]( and suggests you download it for your ride home today. (Photo by Amy Pearl/WNYC) Support WNYC + Gothamist Make a donation to support local, independent journalism. Your contributions are our largest source of funding and pays for essential transportation coverage and more. [Donate]( Copyright © 2019 New York Public Radio, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: New York Public Radio 160 Varick Street New York, NY 10013 [unsubscribe]( [update preferences]( [privacy policy](

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