Video: L Train Riders At Bedford Ave React To Multi-Year Shutdown News

Video by Jessica Leibowitz

The MTA is considering completely suspending L train service between Brooklyn and Manhattan for years in order to repair saltwater damage from Hurricane Sandy in the train tunnels under the East River. The project is expected to begin in 2017 and could take as many as three years to complete, depending on whether the MTA completely suspends service or tries accomplishing the work on nights and weekends.

A similar undertaking to repair the R Train's Montague Tube was successfully completed after a 13-month overhaul that displaced 65,000 daily riders. But the L line has 300,000 daily riders with no convenient alternative route across the East River. This town needs a gondola.

The bedrock of New York City is made of tough love, so we broke the news to L train riders at Bedford Avenue.