As of Thursday, January 3, 2019, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has chosen to halt the planning of the much needed Canarsie Tube Shutdown, which would’ve worked to replace water damaged electrical systems and improve the structural integrity of the underwater tunnel. 

In 2012, Hurricane Sandy ravaged the vital subways connections under the East River. So far, much of the reconstruction had been completed or is on its way to completion. Canarsie, which carries L trains between Manhattan and Brooklyn, has been estimated to have recieved the most damage. The duct banks, which hold communication and power utilities along the tunnels’ length, had been found cracking and falling into the trackbed. 

Preparations have already been made. Earlier this year, the MTA presented a 3-year and a 15-month plan. The 3-year plan dictated that one of the two tunnels would be worked on at a time, and a single track service would be operated in Manhattan. This option was strongly urged against, as the Manhattan skeleton service would be unreliable and subject to headway inconvenient to many. A 15 month closure would close both tubes at the same time, and no L service in Manhattan at all. In both scenarios, Brooklyn L trains would be normal, and shuttle buses and increased subway service on adjacent lines would be implemented.

Cuomo’s plan is to leave both tunnels open during the weekday hours, but for weekends and nights, work would take place. A 15 month closure would allow the MTA to carry out quality work on the tubes instead of being confined to short hours overnight, which would lead to cheap workmanship. This has already been seen in many of the ESI projects, where the pressure of deadlines led to rushed products. 

We need a 15 month shutdown to ensure the Canarsie Tubes recieve proper construction work.