Lpocalypse is nigh: 10 effects the L train shutdown could have

Via Flickr's Michael Tapp. — Via Flickr’s Michael Tapp.

Cherish your subway rides while you can, L train riders, for today the soothsayers and doomsday prophets finally heard official word from mount MTA. The Times reported this morning the MTA has come to a final decision about what to do with the L train to repair Hurricane Sandy damage: The train will be completely shut down between Bedford Avenue and Eighth Avenue for 18 months, starting in January 2019. That means no L train whatsoever between Williamsburg and Manhattan, and no trains along 14th street in Manhattan at all.

2019 is a cosmically long way away, so who knows if we’ll all still even still be alive or if President Trump will have replaced all forms of mass transit with mandatory gold SUV ownership by then. But the shutdown will have a huge impact across the borough, not the least of which are dips in rents along the L corridor and a whole new wave of trite jokes about Williamsburg and the people who live there. Here are 10 effects the train’s shutdown may have:

People completely forgetting that lots of families, elderly people and working folks live off the L train, not just young people

"L Train construction" aka "Hipster quarantine"

— MAC (@MACNAISMITH) July 25, 2016

All across the country, rich mommies and daddies are flabbergasted they couldn't stop the L train shutdown w a promise to fund a new library

— Roberto Ferdman (@robferdman) July 25, 2016

A return to the good/bad old days of Williamsburg loft living

Is it naive to hope that the L train shutdown will make fancy north Brooklyn loft apartments magically vacant for rollerblading through

— rachel syme (@rachsyme) July 25, 2016

Small business opportunities

https://twitter.com/resnikoff/status/757567785463611392

European tourism market goes bust

That there are several hotels being built within blocks of my old E Williamsburg apartment makes the L train shutdown sorta grimly hilarious

— febru-erin (@morninggloria) July 25, 2016

The condo boom slows, maybe?

nightmare for the city, but silver lining is buyers of overpriced expensive condos in williamsburg now screwed https://t.co/Ogt3GVTcDg

— Danny Gold (@DGisSERIOUS) July 25, 2016

More blue bikes everywhere:

https://twitter.com/justinclam/status/757588074159308801

Crown Heights and other neighborhoods get a population boom

The L Train shutdown is going to wreak havoc on Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, Prospect Lefferts. There goes your rent.

— MehraBee (@MehraBee) July 25, 2016

The poor little G train has to pick up the slack

The G train really needs to mentally and physically prepare for the L train shut down. #LTrain #GTrain #2019

— Jessica Fryer (@JessicaFryer212) July 25, 2016

Everyone also just takes off

In solidarity with the L train I will also not be working in 2019.

— Sarah F Cox (@xoxoCox) July 25, 2016

But mostly, literally this:

L train is down. So many people standing around outside and you can’t even get down to the G train platform. pic.twitter.com/Og0lD40UmJ

— Josh Morrissey (@joshmorrissey) July 18, 2016