Gov. Cuomo pumps brakes on full L Train shutdown

The long-dreaded full shutdown of the L train subway tunnel, slated for this April, has been cancelled.

Gov. Cuomo unveiled a new plan on Thursday that would allow work to be done only on nights and weekends.

“It would not be necessary to close the L train tunnel at all, which would be a phenomenal benefit to the people of New York City,” Cuomo said at the announcement.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority had said that the closure was necessary to repair damage from Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and a full closure was chosen to get the repairs done quickly. A previous partial-closure option considered by the MTA would have taken three years to complete.

Following Cuomo’s announcement, it was not immediately clear what alternative plan the MTA would choose.

Ever since plans for a full shutdown were first announced in 2016, the impending closure of this crucial link to Manhattan has hung over the Williamsburg real estate market like a dark cloud — though some investors also saw opportunity in the lower prices. [NYT] — Kevin Sun