The L train has been noted as the main mode of transportation for numerous commuters going to and from Manhattan. However, the line's underwater tunnel is expected to undergo vital repairs in two years time. On that note, a group of New Yorkers has launched a new interactive map to help ease the travels of NYC commuters.
The new L transit map is a collaboration between the transit advocacy group Transportation Alternatives and NYC-based Sidewalk Labs by Google. It aims to illustrate how the L train shutdown is going to impact riders across the system. The map, called the NYC Transit Explorer, is currently in beta mode, Arch Paper reported.
The map, moreover, reveals transit access of the L Train system visually. The aim is to encourage New Yorkers to perceive the location more broadly and learn how to get around past the L train. The map is able to aggregate the MTA's GTFS feeds for buses, subways, and the Staten Island Ferry to give a rough estimate of how long it will take to get from one point to another. Furthermore, the guide map will also allow users to tweak the variables to their liking for commuters to access the best and fastest alternative possible.
In other news, the maintenance shut down traces back to the superstorm Sandy in 2012 that flooded the century old Canarsie Tunnel under the East River. Apparently, millions of gallons of saltwater caused severe damage. Hence, the MTA announced that the L train had to be shut down for 18 months.
L Train commuters should note that the train between Manhattan and Brooklyn would be closed as early as January 2019 to make the repairs. Note that the Canarsie Tunnel was one of the nine underwater tunnels flooded during the storm. Plenty of signals, tracks, switches, signal cables, communication cables and power cables had suffered damage and needed to be rehabilitated, Amny reported. See what hurricane sandy did to the Canarsie below:
