The New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will hold public meetings on its reconstruction plan for the Canarsie Tunnel, through which the “L” train provides service between Manhattan and Brooklyn under the East River.
The first meeting will take place 6 p.m. May 5 at the Marcy Avenue Armory, 355 Marcy Avenue in Brooklyn, with another meeting in the planning stages for later in the month.
Officials said any closure of the tunnel, which was damaged during Superstorm Sandy, would not take place before January 2019, and between now and then, MTA plans to develop alternate routes for commuters.
“The reconstruction of the Canarsie Tunnel will be an unprecedented response to an unprecedented natural disaster and will unfortunately lead to substantial inconvenience for many of our customers,” MTA New York City Transit President Veronique Hakim said. “We are committed to working hand in hand with the community to inform our decision on construction alternatives and to replace as much service as we can during this unavoidable reconstruction project.”
MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas Prendergast said the construction work aims to restore the tunnel’s stability.
“The heavy damage sustained by the Canarsie Tunnel during Superstorm Sandy requires that we undertake a full reconstruction in order to ensure the integrity of the tunnel and the safety of our riders for generations to come,” Prendergast said. “The public meetings that the MTA will host in partnership with elected officials will mark the official start of a robust community engagement effort in which we will detail the need for the project, solicit feedback from the public on the potential construction options and begin a collaborative process to develop an alternative service plan to mitigate impacts on “L” train riders.”
