Brooklyn Today December 15: MTA Abruptly Releases L-Train Shutdown Plan

December 15, 2017 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

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THE LEDE: Happy Friday, Brooklyn! MTA releases its plan for the L-train shutdown, we tour the abandoned Domino Sugar refinery, and it’s now easier to travel to Long Island. Plus, Eric Adams calls for Coney Island ferry service, Salma Hayek opens up about Harvey Weinstein, and a mother gets arrested for bringing her child to the doctor 323 times. Finally, ISIS steals U.S.-donated rockets, four children in France die when a school bus and train crash, and there’s a camel-only hospital in Dubai. Have a great weekend.

IMPRINT: President Trump’s made out of salami, pepperoni and a banana onthe cover of Tapas.

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The Rundown

~MTA ABRUPTLY RELEASES L-TRAIN SHUTDOWN PLAN, STILL MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS: For months, elected officials and residents pleaded for MTA to release its mitigation plan for the L-train shutdown, arguing that they were left in the dark with little communication. On Wednesday, however, MTA and the city’s DOT unexpectedly published its plan for the 15-month closure, which starts in April 2019. And while many questions were answered, numerous concerns still exist. The sudden release of the report took many off guard, but perhaps MTA and DOT wanted to release their strategy ahead of a Public Transportation Committee hearing on Thursday. The mitigation plan, though largely incomplete, is broken into three categories: subway service, the Williamsburg Bridge and street design. Take a look at what the report entails here. (via Brooklyn Eagle)

~$2.6 BILLION LIRR UPGRADE WILL CONNECT BROOKLYN WORKERS TO LONG ISLAND JOBS: Brooklyn residents will have new access to employment on Long Island after the completion of $2.6-billion rail project known as the Long Island Rail Road Expansion Project. The MTA board on Wednesday approved a contract with a consortium called 3rd Track Constructors to complete the design and construction of a 9.8-mile-long third track between Floral Park and Hicksville on Long Island. With a third track, all-day, two-directional service on LIRR’s Main Line will become a reality for commuters. Currently, during the morning and evening rush hours, only a very limited number of trains run in the “opposite-flow” direction (from NYC to Long Island in the morning, and from Long Island to NYC in the evening). This makes it difficult for those living in Brooklyn or Queens to get to jobs on Long Island. According to MTA, after the third track is complete, Brooklyn and Queens residents will be able to connect with opportunities in Nassau and Suffolk counties the same way that Bronx residents currently travel to jobs via Metro-North, benefitting the entire metropolitan region’s economy. (via Brooklyn Eagle)

~DOMINO SUGAR FACTORY MEMORIALIZED IN PHOTOGRAPHIC BOOK ‘BROOKLYN’S SWEET RUIN’: When it was rebuilt in 1883, the Domino Sugar Refinery was the largest in the world. That year, the Brooklyn Eagle described the new facility as “colossal.” At its peak, the factory processed one-third of the sugar consumed in a year in the U.S., and one-eighth of all the sugar consumed in the world. Since then, the 135-year-old industrial relic has become something of an icon on the skyline. After a long struggle, the Domino Sugar factory shut down in 2004. In 2013, urban landscape photographer Paul Raphaelson was granted access to the facility just weeks before its gutting and demolition. The photographs he captured during his exploration are gathered in the book “Brooklyn’s Sweet Ruin: Relics and Stories of the Domino Sugar Factory.” (via Brooklyn Eagle)

~BP ERIC ADAMS PUSHES FOR CONEY ISLAND FERRY SERVICE: With a possible rezoning approaching Coney Island, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams has submitted recommendations for the sea-faring neighborhood, including NYC Ferry service. A rezoning would come as a necessity to a proposal submitted by SP North of North Limited Partnership to develop the Harbor Houses project with more affordable apartments. To accommodate the area’s growing population, Adams said the city should consider expanding the water transportation to Coney Island in the same process. “It’s time to fully utilize Brooklyn’s waterways and expand NYC Ferry service to the transit-challenged community of Coney Island,” Adams said. “From Coney Island toMarine Park to Canarsie, ferry service to southern Brooklyn is a matter of transit equity whose time has come.” Adams also proposed increasing parking availability and expanding ground-floor retail along Mermaid Avenue. (via Curbed New York)

~CITI BIKES AND STREET KIOSKS MAY BOOST BUSINESS: A recent NYU study found that Citi Bikes and WiFi kiosks on the street might boost small businesses. Seven Brooklyn neighborhoods with the bicycles and LinkNYC stations saw increases in sales compared to nearby areas without the services. Neighborhoods with the kiosks installed saw a seemingly small three-percent sales boost and restaurants with Citi Bikes nearby saw sales rise from 0.2 to 0.5 percent over a three-year period. Associate Professor Stanslav Sobolevsky at NYU said those increases are actually important. “That’s a substantial amount of money, not only in earnings for the businesses, but also in the taxes that they pay to the city,” Sobolevsky said. In regards to the kiosks, businesses get direct impact from the digital directories of nearby shops and restaurants, while Citi Bikes have a more indirect impact, bringing increased foot traffic to neighborhoods. (via Patch)

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Staff Picks:

LONG READ: “After Newtown shooting, mourning parents enter into thelonely quiet” (via WaPo)

ANOTHER LONG READ: Salma Hayek opens up about sexual harassment in “Harvey Weinstein Is My Monster Too.” (via NYT)

LISTEN: Hear LA Weekly’s former editor-in-chief, Mara Shalhoup, speak about the downfall of local journalism.

FICTION: Read “For All My Strangers,” a story about a girl grappling with America’s war in Afghanistan. (via Hobart)

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NATIONAL BULLETIN: A man gets arrested in Arizona for burning the city’s $40,000 Christmas tree…A mother in Dallas gets arrested for bringing her child to the doctor 323 times…And aside from people, avocados and lemonsare the biggest victims from California’s wildfires. (via Time, Star-Telegram and NYT)

FOREIGN FLASH: Four children in France die when a school bus and train crash…There’s a camel-only hospital in Dubai…And ISIS steals U.S.-donatedrockets in Syria. (via Time, USA Today and WaPo)

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ROYAL WATCH: The Royal Family attends a memorial service for the Grenfell Tower victims. (via ABC)

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BROOKLYN TONIGHT

9:00AM – 2:00PM — Interrupting the School to Prison Pipeline at Central Library. Details.

10:00AM — Senior Cinema lineup at BAM Rose Cinemas. Details.

11:00AM — Shape Up NYC: Healing Hatha Yoga at Audobon Center at the Boathouse. Details.

3:00PM – 6:00PM — Witness to War at The Old Stone House. Details.

6:30PM — Musical Shabbat at Bay Ridge Jewish Center. Details.

7:00PM — The Shacks at Brooklyn Bowl. Details.

7:00PM — Little Red Riding Hood at Brooklyn Music School. Details.

7:30PM — Brooklyn Writers Space Reading Series at Books Are Magic.Details.

8:00PM – 12:00AM — Night at the Museum: Artist Holiday Party at MoMA PS1. Details.

10:30PM – 3:00AM — December Babies Birthday Party at Littlefield. Details.

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EAGLE SPORTS: Anders Lee scored a pair of goals, including his team-high 19th of the season, Wednesday night at Barclays Center. Unfortunately, both tallies came after the game had long been decided. Lee’s late flurry couldn’t come close to helping the New York Islanders overcome a sluggish start and some poor puck-luck in an eventual 5-2 loss to the visiting Dallas Stars in front of 10,316 paying patrons. With the loss, the Islanders (17-11-3, 37 points) slipped to 9-2-2 at home this season, suffering just their second regulation defeat at Barclays, and first since a 6-5 setback to Ottawa on Dec. 1. “I remember that game in Dallas we couldn’t get going and they dominated us,” said Lee. He added, “I didn’t feel like they dominated us tonight. It was more that they capitalized on their opportunities.” And the Isles didn’t. (via Brooklyn Eagle)

MILESTONES

Happy birthday to Adam Brody, Dave Clark, Tim Conway, Charlie Cox,Michelle Dockery, Don Johnson, Edna O’Brien, Helen Slater, Alexandra Stevenson, Garrett Wang and Mark Warner!