Of course, the announcement was also celebrated by New Yorkers who rely on the line. Jocelyn Crespo, 35, who lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, described herself as “very relieved.”

“It gives us more options to get into work and opportunities to get to our friends,” she said.

But Mr. Cuomo’s announcement also raised a host of questions: Would the new technology work? Has it been effective elsewhere? Why did the governor wait until the last minute to do this? Transit advocates wondered how much the construction would cost and raised questions over whether Mr. Cuomo, who controls the subway, had made the decision unilaterally.

Mr. Cuomo appeared pleased to have stepped in to save the day. The decision, he said, would be a “phenomenal benefit to the people of New York City.”

Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office, however, sounded a note of caution, saying the whiplash move by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which oversees the subway, “was certainly no way to run a railroad.”

“So long as this new strategy proves to be real, the mayor thinks this is great news for L-train riders,” Eric Phillips, a spokesman for the mayor, said in a statement. “But like everyone else, the mayor thinks the M.T.A. has some real explaining to do about how it has handled this for the last few years.”</s>
• A New York City subway line that was scheduled to close completely for 15 months won’t be shutting down after all, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday.
• Teams of engineers from Columbia and Cornell universities studied systems in London, Hong Kong, and Riyadh to find a cheaper – and quicker – solution that wouldn’t strand 300,000 daily commuters.
• “Smart” fiber optic cables, lidar, and “racked” cabling will be used to mitigate further damage in the rehabilitated tunnel.

When New York Governor Andrew Cuomo toured a subway tunnel nearly destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in December, he and an entourage of engineers from Columbia and Cornell Universities saw first-hand the tremendous damage that salt water can do to a century-old tunnel.

After the hurricane’s 14-foot storm surge inundated the L train’s tracks, it crippled a vital link between Brooklyn and Manhattan that carries more than 250,000 commuters every day. The only option, now more than six years later, seemed to be a complete closure of the tunnel for 15 months.

After carefully studying technologies in London, Hong Kong, and Riyadh, the team assembled by Gov. Cuomo – the de-facto leader of the state’s Metropolitan Transportation Administration – recommended a ten-fold solution that would avoid a complete shutdown.

First, it’s important to understand why the damage was so bad

New York’s subway is old. Very old.

The Canarsie Line, which now carries the L train service from 14th street in Chelsea, under the East River to Williamsburg, through Bushwick and eventually to Canarsie, began service in 1924. It’s only two tracks for its entire 10-mile length – a surprising anomaly, considering most of the system has multiple to accommodate express and local services.

Despite being the first service of New York’s 27 lines to receive an upgrade to a modern signal system, known as Communications Based Train Control, or CBTC for short, much of the electronic equipment was installed inside a concrete “bench wall” in the tunnel.

When the tunnel flooded, it got inside the wall and corroded the communications and signaling equipment.

The MTA was able to restore service following the storm, but warned for years that a complete shutdown would be necessary to remove and replace the destroyed infrastructure. In 2017, after three years of public input and several possible options, officials decided a 15-month closure beginning in April 2019 was the best course of action.

With just months until the closure was scheduled to begin, a cryptic tweet from the non-profit Transit Center foundation began to make the rounds on Thursday morning.

And an hour later, a scheduled announcement appeared on the Governor’s public schedule for 12:45 pm at his Midtown Manhattan office.

Assembled high above third avenue’s bustling traffic was the team of experts assembled by Cuomo, including the deans of Columbia and Cornell’s engineering schools alongside MTA acting chairman Fernando Ferrer and other agency officials.

Moments later, the governor would announce the cancellation of the closure that had seen Brooklyn rents plummet and businesses make contingency plans for the lost foot traffic and revenue.

The repaired tunnel will be the first of its kind in the US

Instead of replacing the cabling that’s stuck inside the concrete benchwall, contractors will instead repair any damaged portions of the wall and convert it into a walkway for emergency situations and repairs going forward. For this, they’ll use fiberglass patching that’s been used on other infrastructure projects and is a bonafide method of construction, experts said at the press conference.

New electronic equipment will be sheathed in low-smoke, fire resistant cabling and “racked” or hung from the tunnel in a way that it avoids further damage and can be easily repaired if need be. A ground wire will be placed underneath the track bed, as is currently done on some outdoor and above-ground lines.

“This is a design that has not been used in the US before,” Cuomo said. “It has been implemented in Europe, but has never been implemented in a tunnel restoration project. It uses many new innovations that are new, frankly, to the rail industry.”

Some night and weekend closures of one tube will still be necessary, the MTA said in a press release, allowing for a limited service to continue at the same time as construction.

The “de-coupling” of the infrastructure has “never been done before,” the governor added. Damaged cabling inside the benchwall will be abandoned and replaced with new electronics.

Fiber optic cables will also be installed along the entire 32,000 benchwall that can continuously monitor the tunnel for cracks or damage, before a catastrophe occurs. Lidar, a laser-like radar technology, can also be added onto trains for more thorough periodic inspections to the structure.

“This is really state of the art technology,” Lance Collins, dean of Cornell’s engineering school, said at the press conference. “This is an unusual application in that we’re using it in rehabilitation, but its proven technology.”

Other recommendations from the task force, all of which have been accepted by the MTA, include waterproof tunnel gates which can be closed in the event of high water to prevent flooding.

The technology could be rolled out to other infrastructure projects, too

The L train is far from the only piece of New York infrastructure experiencing a crisis.

The Gateway tunnel that connects New York and New Jersey via the Hudson River, which Gov. Cuomo also toured in December, is also badly in need of repair or a new tube for the critical Amtrak Northeast Corridor trains and commuter rail services. The Second Avenue Subway – a multi-decade boondoggle that only recently opened with three stops – could also use the technology, the MTA said.

“Human nature is to do what you have done that is tried and true,” said Gov. Cuomo. “No designer wants to give you a plan that hasn’t been done before, but you have to be willing to break the box.”
• New York Gov. Cuomo axes plan to shut down the L train, saves Brooklynites from commuting hell
• New York’s governor just killed a plan to shut down one of the most crowded subway lines in NYC – and people are freaking out
• New York Governor Andrew Cuomo killed a controversial plan that would have caused commuting hell for thousands of people – but it’s terrible news for people moving to the area
• People are slamming New York’s governor for taking over 2 years to come up with a plan to avoid shutting down one of NYC’s busiest subway lines</s>NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed a new option which would change plans to shut down the L train subway tunnel between Manhattan and Brooklyn, currently set to begin work on April 27.

Repairs on the tunnel were expected to take 15 months and only keep L train service operational between Bedford Avenue and Canarsie Parkway stations in Brooklyn during that time, with no service between the boroughs.

Cuomo announced on Thursday his engineers and officials have come up with a new plan that, among other features, “would not require to shutdown the L train at all.” Night and weekend work would only require closures of one tube, allowing transit to continue.

“To make a long story short, they have proposed a new design to use in the tunnel,” said Cuomo. “It is a design that has not been used in the United States before to the best of our knowledge.”

The governor noted the new plan follows methods that have been used in Europe, but not for tunnel restoration.

“The MTA has gone through the new designs and believes it is feasible,” he said.

The repairs on what is called the Canarsie Tunnel have been needed for years due to damage from Superstorm Sandy. The tunnel flooded during the storm, requiring extensive short-term repairs just to bring service back. Long-term repairs are now need to make sure the tunnel can continue to operate “without major failures.”

Last month, Cuomo and his team toured the Gateway Tunnel and Canarsie Tunnel ahead of the scheduled shutdown as part of their ongoing L train shutdown evaluation.

According to the current plan from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and New York City Department of Transportation, on April 21 the MTA plans to start service on five additional bus routes and offer new select bus service on 14th Street. Ferry service between the boroughs will also be added to help commuters. As part of its plan, the MTA says additional service will also be added on seven subway lines.

You can read full details about that here. For the complete list of temporary service options, click here.</s>New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday the long-talked-about L train shutdown that would cut off subway service to troves of New Yorkers is canceled after a panel of “experts” found a “highly innovative but feasible” alternative to avoid the 15-month closure.

The L train, which connects Manhattan and Brooklyn and sees roughly 250,000 daily riders, was slated to shut down for 15 months starting April to make necessary repairs to damage caused by Superstorm Sandy in 2012. The plan has been discussed for years, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority officially announced in 2016 that "L-mageddon" will be happening, giving residents three years to prepare for the impending difficult commute.

"There will be no shutdown," Cuomo said in a news conference Thursday.

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Cuomo said that he conducted a panel of “the best experts” officials could find who recommended a “major breakthrough” new design that’s been used in European train systems.

Instead of a full shutdown, commuters will see some night and weekend closures during the tunnel renovations. Both tunnels will be operating during the day, but one of them will be shut down at night for repairs, according to Cuomo.

"It uses many new innovations that are new, frankly, to the rail industry in this country,” Cuomo said in a news conference Thursday. “…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.”

Cuomo said the subway tunnel itself was fine, despite several sections that do need repairing. The main concern was the electrical components that came in contact with the seven million gallons of saltwater brought in from the 2012 storm.

“Saltwater and electronics do not mix,’’ said Cuomo.

THE COLORFUL HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK CITY SUBWAY MAP REVEALED

The governor toured the L train tunnel with engineering experts last month and hinted there may be another alternative to a full shutdown.

“If there’s a better way of doing it, they tell us there’s a better way of doing it,” Mr. Cuomo said last month. “If there’s not a better way of doing it, they say that’s the best that it can be done.”

Thursday’s surprise announcement shocked and angered some New Yorkers.

“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,” one Twitter user wrote.

Another person said: “I have been in the tunnel and the damage is a ticking time bomb. It has to be fixed and should have been done already. By not closing it peoples lives are in danger.”

“Some might be wondering why canceling the L train shutdown is a bad thing. Here is why: Tons of people moved in order to prepare, we were told this was NECESSARY post Sandy, also told that the 15 month shutdown would speed up & actually fix the mess...,” a woman tweeted. “Now, Cuomo wants to shut it down on weeknights & weekends. If you live here & use transit frequently, you know that this means the project will take YEARS. So get ready for MORE delays/service changes, my fellow NYers.”

News of the canceled shutdown gave other straphangers who didn’t move some relief.

“A.ll those gentrifiers in northern Brooklyn get a reprieve if true. Glad for the longtime residents on the L line if true,” a tweet read, while others posted GIFs showing their excitement over the cancelation.

If the original plan went through, about 15 percent of commuters were expected to take the bus, PIX11 reported. The majority of riders were then expected to travel to a different subway line.</s>NEW YORK (Reuters) - More than two years after the announcement that one of New York City’s busiest subway lines would stop running between Manhattan and Brooklyn to allow for repairs, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Thursday that service would not be halted after all.

The expected closure of the L train tunnel under the East River for at least 15 months had dismayed residents of the Brooklyn communities of Williamsburg, Bushwick and beyond, who were bracing themselves for squeezing onto other already crowded lines or into promised new bus services. Some even moved out of their neighborhoods.

Cuomo told a news conference that engineering experts from Cornell and Columbia universities had looked at the plans over the last few weeks drawn up by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the state agency that runs the subway, and found them needlessly disruptive.

“The simple fact is you have roughly 250,000 people who would need another way to get to work,” Cuomo said.

Under the new plan, work would take place only on nights and weekends, with trains running on limited service through one of the two tubes inside the tunnel.

Fernando Ferrer, the MTA’s acting chairman, said at the news conference the MTA would adopt the academics’ plan and that, beginning in the spring, it will take 15 to 20 months to complete.

Asked whether he would promise that work would not exceed 20 months, Cuomo said: “I can’t promise,” before chiding the reporter for asking what he called “a silly question.”

The repairs were necessary to fix damage caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, one of the most devastating storms ever to hit the U.S. East Coast. Although the century-old tunnel is structurally sound, salt water from the East River leaks inside, corroding electrical switches and power lines.

“Salt water and electronics do not mix,” Cuomo said.

One of the biggest changes in the new plan is that the MTA will no longer remove and replace all 32,000 feet of benchwall, a gangway-like walkway that allows workers, or evacuating passengers, to walk along the edge of the tunnel.

Instead, weakened parts of the benchwall will be patched up with strengthened, industrial-use plastic. The cables that currently run inside the benchwall will instead be suspended from racks higher up the tunnel wall.</s>Democratic New York Governor Andrew Cuomo gives a news conference after casting his vote for the midterm elections, at the Presbyterian Church in Mt. Kisco, New York, U.S., November 6, 2018. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs/File Photo

NEW YORK (Reuters) - More than two years after an announcement that one of New York City's busiest subway lines would stop running between Manhattan and Brooklyn to allow for repairs, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Thursday that service would not be halted after all.

The expected closure of the L train tunnel under the East River for at least 15 months had dismayed residents of the Brooklyn communities of Williamsburg, Bushwick and beyond, who were bracing themselves for squeezing onto other already crowded lines or into promised new bus services. Some even moved out of their neighborhoods.

Cuomo told a news conference that engineering experts from Cornell and Columbia universities had looked at the plans drawn up by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the state agency that runs the subway, and found them needlessly disruptive.

"The simple fact is you have roughly 250,000 people who would need another way to get to work," Cuomo said. The line also is one of the relative few that connect the east and west sides of Manhattan.

Under the new plan, work would take place on nights and weekends, with trains running on limited service through one of the two tubes inside the tunnel. It was not clear how long the repairs would take to complete.

The repairs were necessary to fix damage caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, one of the most devastating storms ever to hit the U.S. East Coast. Although the tunnel is structurally sound, salt water from the East River leaks inside, corroding electrical switches and power lines.

"Salt water and electronics do not mix," Cuomo said.</s>[What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.]

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced on Thursday that the L train subway tunnel would not fully shut down in April as planned in what would have been one of the biggest transit disruptions in New York City’s recent history.

The L train shutdown was scheduled to begin April 27 and last 15 months, crippling a key piece of the city’s transportation network. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates the subway, had said the closing was necessary to repair damage from Hurricane Sandy in 2012, when the tunnel between Manhattan and Brooklyn was inundated by floodwaters.

Under a new plan unveiled by Mr. Cuomo workers would use a different design to repair the tunnel and some work could be done on nights and weekends. He said not fully closing the L train would be a “phenomenal benefit to the people of New York City.’’

The alternative plan was recommended by a panel of experts convened by Mr. Cuomo, who called the new design a “major breakthrough’’ that had been used in Europe but had not been tried in the United States.</s>New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Thursday that New York City's L train will not shut down for 15 months. The New York Times first reported the planned announcement.

Read more: New York's Cuomo is killing a plan that would shut down an entire subway line for 15 months and leave hundreds of thousands struggling to find transportation

The city had planned to close the subway line, which runs between Brooklyn and Manhattan, for 15 months beginning in April to repair two tunnels that run beneath the East River. The tunnels received serious damage during Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

The shutdown would have made life difficult for the hundreds of thousands of people who rely on it, as the L line serves a number of commuters who don't have many convenient alternatives.

Using a new technology that has been used in Europe for tunnel construction — but never in the US and never for a tunnel reconstruction — a complete closure will not be necessary, Governor Cuomo said. Teams from Columbia and Cornell Universities' engineering schools toured the tunnel and proposed the new methods.

Before the new announcement, the city's transit agency, the MTA, has been scrambling to figure out how to transport the line's 250,000 daily commuters on buses and connecting subway lines. Experts were projecting crippling congestion on the Williamsburg Bridge, and even more packed trains on the few other options for the North Brooklyn neighborhood.

The impending transit emergency caused rents to drop in affected neighborhoods, many of which as much as a 45 minute walk away from other trains. Luxury buildings along the waterfront even announced plans for shuttles to Manhattan and other subway lines. Even more audacious hopefuls proposed things like a tram across the river or a floating pontoon bridge.

"This is the shortest, best route to the rebuilding of the tunnel," Cuomo said.

Twitter users expressed divided opinions over reports of the announcement. Some said they were excited by it, while others suggested the announcement would be most beneficial to landlords.

"The L train is not shutting down? This is major news, especially for us the M trainers. Rejoice y'all!" one Twitter user said.

"Congrats to North Williamsburg and Greenpoint landlords on the reversal of the L train shutdown, it's always good to see the little guys win one," another said.

Here's what people are saying on Twitter.</s>Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Thursday that the complete 15-month L train shutdown will be canceled, with only some night and weekend train closures now necessary to fix the subway tunnel.

Cuomo said that he asked a panel of "best experts," including those from Columbia and Cornell, to look at the L train situation again as the April 2019 start date looms.

"I asked them to review the plan, to look at it with fresh eyes, no assumptions, no givens, and if there's any possible suggestions for how we can make it better, great," Cuomo said at an announcement Thursday. "To make a long story short, they have proposed a new design to use in the tunnel."

This design has not yet been used in the United States, per Cuomo.

"With this design it would 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.

The L train shutdown was slated to begin in April 2019 and last 15 months, stranding thousands of straphangers and disrupting New York City transportation. The closure was necessary, officials said, to fix the Canarsie Tunnel, which was flooded and damaged during Hurricane Sandy.

At the announcement of the news, some New Yorkers expressed concern that this would inconvenience their subway travel for even longer. Cuomo said at the news conference that "this is the shortest, best route for rebuilding the tunnel."

This story is developing and will be updated with more information.</s>
• New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Thursday that New York City will not shut down the L train subway tunnel for 15 months.
• The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the city’s transit agency, announced the planned closure in 2016.
• Some Twitter users criticized Cuomo for taking over two years to introduce an alternative plan.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Thursday that New York City will not shut down the L train subway tunnel for 15 months.

The city had planned to close the tunnel, which runs between Brooklyn and Manhattan, for 15 months beginning in April to repair two tubes located beneath the East River. The tubes received serious damage during Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Read more: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo axes plan to shut down the L Train, saves Brooklynites from commuting hell

New York City will instead adopt a new technology previously used for tunnel construction in Europe. The technology, which was recommended by teams from Columbia and Cornell Universities’ engineering schools, has not been used in the US.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), New York City’s transit agency, announced the planned L train tunnel closure in 2016. The MTA and other government agencies, like the Department of Transportation, had been working on a plan for the L line’s 250,000 daily riders to use buses and other subway lines during the closure. Some Brooklyn residents had moved from the borough in anticipation of the closure as rents declined in neighborhoods that would have been affected by it.

Some Twitter users criticized Cuomo for taking over two years to introduce the alternative plan. Here’s what Cuomo’s critics are saying.
• New York Governor Andrew Cuomo axes plan to shut down the L Train, saves Brooklynites from commuting hell
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• New York Governor Andrew Cuomo killed a controversial plan that would have caused commuting hell for thousands of people – but it’s terrible news for people moving to the area
• Lyft says it is ‘optimistic’ about Andrew Cuomo’s solution to the L train shutdown after the ride-sharing service ran an ad campaign targeting stranded subway riders
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announces that a complete shutdown of the 14th Street Tunnel in New York City, proposed to allow for subway repairs caused by damage from Hurricane Sandy, has been halted. Cuomo says that engineers will use a new technology from Europe to make critical repairs to the tunnel without having to close it entirely. The complete shutdown would have closed the tunnel, which is used by nearly 225,000 people each weekday, for an expected 15 months.