By: Hadassa Kalatizadeh

Former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is speaking up to object the planned months-long closure of parts of the A train in the Rockaways.

As reported by the NY Times, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced the decision to shut down part of the A subway line for four months to undertake extensive repairs. The closure would begin in January till May, from south of the Howard Beach-JFK Airport stop, and include repairs to a bridge that was damaged in 2012 due to Hurricane Sandy. There are some 9,000 commuters who take this subway route daily, who would be affected by the plans. Free shuttle buses are scheduled to run along the route during the closure.

Cuomo, who is eyeing a possible bid for mayor of New York City next year, criticized the plan. Cuomo penned and widely distributed an email, arguing that there must be an alternative to the closure. He suggested that the planned closure should be re-evaluated by a panel of experts. He comparing the situation with a similar planned shutdown of the L train to Brooklyn in 2019, deeming to have extensive experience in the matter. “Don’t take the bureaucracy’s word for it,” Mr. Cuomo said in the statement Sunday.

“Convene the best experts and find a better way to get it done. Leadership matters.”

Per the Times, in 2019, then-Gov. Cuomo had stopped a planned 15-month shutdown of a major subway tunnel between Manhattan and Brooklyn, which would have potentially been one of the biggest transportation disruptions in NYC’s history, creating a setback for some 250,000 daily riders of the L line. In his case, he had ordered transit officials to instead mount cables to the tunnel walls, so that the L line could stay open.

Cuomo has been keen to offer his opinions about all kinds of topics including crime, immigration and cost of living, hoping to have a chance at the Democratic primary which will try to unseat Mayor Eric Adams next June.

The MTA, which is run by Gov. Kathy Hochul, publicly dismissed the advice from her predecessor. Mark Roche, the deputy chief development officer at the M.T.A., said that the plans had already undergone “internal and external expert review to weigh alternate delivery and construction methods.” “It was determined that the plan presented is the best option for getting this work done as quickly as possible, with the least impact to commuters,” Mr. Roche said in a statement.

Transit officials added that the A train project differs from the L train work referred to from 2019. The L train project had involved fixing damage to cables and other infrastructure inside the tunnel. The current A train project, however, is more complicated and includes repairing structural problems with the dilapidated bridge and viaducts.

Per the Times, for his part, Mayor Adams defended the MTA’s decision for the closure. He said at his weekly news conference that transit officials do not make decisions like this “to be cruel.” “The M.T.A. is making this call,” Adams said. “I support the call they’re making.”