Two alternatives for repairs on the New York subway's L Train line will have severe consequences for 225,000 riders who cross the East River daily.
"MTA brass face a difficult decision on fixing the 92-year-old Canarsie tunnel that links the two boroughs [of Brooklyn and Manhattan]," reports to an article by Dan Rivoli. The repairs are needed after "Hurricane Sandy flooded the tunnel with more than 7 million gallons of salt water" and the tunnel continues to corrode.
Work is scheduled to begin 2019, but the MTA is still presented with two options for how to perform the necessary maintenance to the tunnel. In option one, work "could kill L train service in and out of Manhattan for 18 months, leaving the line with only Brooklyn service." Option to would leave extra-crowded trains "[limping] beneath the East River on a single track for three years."
Rivoli coverage maintains a human angle throughout, sharing stories of residents and commuters who depend on the line—especially describing the tough choices they will have to make when either alternative for the repair work is chosen. Mayor Bill de Blasio recently told WNYC's "Brian Lehrer Show" that he was "more sympathetic" to the three-year approach, but he is unprepared to give a formal position.
Read the full story: Looming L train tunnel repair forces riders to consider how altered commute will affect their lives
New York's L Train Will Be Closed for 18 Months
The New York MTA has chosen the "remove-the-band-aid-quickly" strategy for its plans to repair the L Train line from Brooklyn to Manhattan.
First Weekend of L Train Slowdown Could Have Been Worse
The long awaited repair work on the L Train between Brooklyn and Manhattan launched over the weekend.
Breaking: Gov. Cuomo Cancels L Train Closure
Surprise, shocking news from New York City, as Governor Andrew Cuomo steps in at the 11th hour to change course on the highly anticipated (and dreaded) L Train closure scheduled to begin later this year.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Los Angeles just elected an urban planner as its mayor
Transportation analysts are optimistic that Raman will be more aggressive in addressing transit issues than Bass.
Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax survives legal challenge
A panel of judges found that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate injury as a result of New York City's implementation of the tax.
Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity
Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority