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MTA Kicks Off Post-Byford Era With Rush Hour L Train Meltdown
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Feb 24, 2020
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By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Feb 24, 2020
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The L train melted down during rush hour this morning, necessitating a full stoppage of service between Brooklyn and Manhattan that's since tapered off into an "extensive delay" situation.
The trouble began with an unspecified "mechanical problem" afflicting a train at Bedford Avenue just before 9 a.m. Riders reported being stuck on overheated and overstuffed cars for upwards of 15 minutes, before they were eventually spit back onto the crowded platform, which is still very much a construction zone.
Emma Chessen, a 25-year-old associate at a non-profit, said she was stranded on the train for 15 minutes before it was eventually taken out of service. She decided to stick it out, while her co-worker, who was on the same train, gave up and crossed the East River by ferry. They got to the office about the same time. "It ended up taking me over an hour to do a 30 min commute but I did eventually make it in," she told Gothamist.
The delays eventually spread to Brooklyn-bound L trains as well. The MTA warns that riders should continue to expect "extensive delays in both directions as we clear significant congestion." They've recommended riders switch to the J/M trains, or make use of the 14th Street busway.
Elsewhere in the system, N, R, and W trains have been running with delays all morning after the MTA was forced to take a train out of service at Herald Square that had its brakes activated. Others trains seem to just be taking their sweet time today.
If all of this seems like too potent a symbol for the first Monday morning of the post-Byford era, consider these literal barricades that now separate transit officials from the masses.
Your Train Daddy is gone, and he's not coming back.
A spokesperson for the MTA did not respond to Gothamist's inquiries.
UPDATE: A spokesperson for the MTA, Tim Minton, provided Gothamist with the following update on this morning's issues: "An indicator light went out in the train cab at 9:05am. The crew followed proper protocol, checking the train to determine whether any doors had come open and discharging passengers due to what appears to have been a faulty light. No doors were found to be open and no issues were present beyond the illuminated indicator."
Minton continued, "We regret that this caused a delay in service just past the end of rush hour. Congrats to Gothamist on any extra clicks generated by referencing a popular meme in the headline of this story.”
Memes? Clicks? We don't know what he's talking about, but please continue sharing this article on social media with the hashtags #MondayMotivation, #HarryStyles, and #BabyYoda until we can figure it out.
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Jake Offenhartz
Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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