Closure Averted, New York's L Train Repairs Also Finish Under Budget, Ahead of Schedule

A perhaps surprising measure of success has been achieved by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

1 minute read

April 30, 2020, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


New York Subway

Leonard Zhukovsky / Shutterstock

"The MTA’s dreaded repairs to the L train’s East River tunnel were completed ahead of schedule, despite the coronavirus pandemic," reports Caroline Spivack. 

The news came in an announcement by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday, April 26. The governor caused a stir in back in January 2019 with last minute changes for plans to shut down the L Train between Brooklyn and Manhattan to repairs fix damages caused by Superstorm Sandy. Spivack explains more about what the project has accomplished in wrapping up repair work ahead of schedule.

Work on the Hurricane Sandy-damaged Canarsie Tunnel was initially scheduled to wrap up in July 2020 at the earliest to the tune of $500 million, but MTA officials said last year that the rehab was going so well that they expected to wrap up work by April. Transit officials say the project is being finished for nearly $100 million less than the original price tag.

The news about a transit project outperforming expectations in New York City is a notable change from years of delays and record costs. The worst effects of the once-dreaded L Train closure also seem to have been avoided.


Monday, April 27, 2020 in Curbed New York

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

September 16, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

Overlapping highways

The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin

People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.

September 8, 2026 - Benjamin Schneider

Geese flock to a frozen pond in Aurora, Colorado. There are houses in the background.

Colorado’s Largest Data Center Could Rise Next to Homes — Without a Public Hearing

The proposed campus would consume 11 times the power of Denver International Airport; as it has across the country, opposition mounts.

September 17, 2026 - Capital & Main

A coal power plant in Iowa billows smoke into the air.

Nation's most wind-powered state turns to coal as data centers increase energy demand

For the first time in decades, Iowa has increased its generation of coal power.

September 17 - Inside Climate News

A sign on a fence describing the rain garden behind it.

NYC cools commuters with city's first rain garden above a bus stop

New York City officials say the plants in the rain garden can absorb 16 gallons of rainwater during heavy storms.

September 17 - Gothamist

A map showing Brightline West's intended route from  Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga, California.

Brightline West’s future may rely on $6 billion federal loan

The company has until Nov. 2 to make a $400 million equity investment into its proposed high-speed rail line.

September 17 - Smart Cities Dive

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.