It came as a relief, though hardly a surprise, that the MTA will opt to close the East River L train tunnel completely for a year and a half to repair major damage inflicted by Hurricane Sandy. The MTA also considered a partial shutdown that would last twice as long, an option that would have reduced service to a nearly unusable 20% of normal. But the agency signaled from the get-go that it strongly preferred the faster total closure.
The MTA said it was going to take advantage of the shutdown to make some significant station and tunnel improvements, including adding much-needed stairs and elevators at the overcrowded Bedford Avenue station in Williamsburg and at the First Avenue stop in Manhattan. Three electric substations also will be installed to boost power, which will allow the MTA to run more trains during rush hours.
These are important steps. It is much more efficient and less disruptive to carry out major station work while service is suspended. That’s why RPA has encouraged the MTA to do even more. In a policy paper released in April, RPA recommended capital improvements at six stations along the L corridor, including adding elevators, widening platforms and improving the circulation of riders in the station. We also suggested adding glass platform doors, as cities around the world are doing. These aren’t vanity projects; the aging stations need upgrades to meet the needs of our growing population and work force.
Station and line improvements will be welcome when the L train comes back in service, but the MTA and city transportation agencies also will need to offer alternatives for the more than 200,000 riders who use the L to cross the East River every day. The MTA already is planning to increase service on the G, M and J lines, which will be crucial to helping commuters cope. There are other steps officials should be considering, focusing on surface improvements to aid bus and pedestrian travel. For example, a portion of 14th Street in Manhattan could be reserved for pedestrians, buses and cyclists, with deliveries restricted to overnight hours. It also would make sense to create a dedicated busway over the Williamsburg Bridge, connecting the First and Second Avenue Select Bus Service routes to Brooklyn.
The city and state have just started developing the plan to cope with the tunnel shutdown, and more backup strategies will be developed. Hopefully, transportation officials will take advantage of the opportunity to think big and long term so that after enduring the disruption, New Yorkers will encounter a subway line that was worth the wait.