Gov. Andrew Cuomo: L Train Tunnel Project Expected To Be Completed Ahead Of Schedule
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- L train commuters are finally getting some good news. Tunnel repairs could be complete six months ahead of schedule.
Complaints are commonplace for regulars on this train line.
"We're at the mercy of the MTA," commuter Andrew Fitzsimons told CBS2's Nick Caloway on Sunday.
Many commuters from Brooklyn to Manhattan say they are still adjusting to the new normal in the limited nighttime and weekend services.
"On weekends, it's more of a 20-minute wait," commuter Sanaai Carney said.
Construction on the Canarsie Tunnel began back in April. Commuters are thankful service wasn't halted altogether during the project. But the drastically reduced service has everyone's attention.
"I work until 4 in the morning in the East Village, so I have to come back. Sometimes it'll take me an hour and a half to get home," Fitzsimons said.
And even when the train does show up it's not usually a very enjoyable ride.
The L train is one of the busiest lines in the city, so fewer trains usually means more crowded trains, Caloway reported.
"It's very annoying because you might be squished up on some guy," Carney said.
"I almost never take the train on weekends or nights, because of the L train, because of the construction, yeah," commuter Robbie Kivlen added.
But there is good news. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Sunday the L train tunnel restoration is ahead of schedule. The 15-to-18-month project could be finished in just 12 months, with an end date of April 2020.
"This is a better tunnel than it was. It is a better tunnel then the original design of the tunnel," Cuomo said.
Cuomo toured the tunnel on Sunday morning, touting the completion of the Manhattan-bound tube, which is Phase 1 of the project. Phase 2, the tube for Brooklyn-bound traffic, begins Monday.
The news of an early completion is music to some commuters' ears.
"I mean, like, 'ahead of schedule?' Sure, okay. I just want the train to work normally," Kliven said.
But for many, they said they'll believe it when they see it.
