It's dangerous to keep trains running in the middle of all that work. It's also a hassle for riders, especially at night and on weekends.
So the MTA's considering why not shut down a whole line or at least a big segment and work around the clock to finish things quickly.
"And it may be that rather than have the pain by a thousand small cuts, you have to get in some places, work intensively to get things done, get out quickly and leave people with the infrastructure that's re-built," MTA chairman Jay Walder said.
That's the way do it in London, where the MTA's new chairman once worked. But even though no decision's been made, there's already opposition to an idea we'll call the London plan.
"We're not London. I don't think this is such a good idea. I think the MTA has to look at doing this efficiently," NYC Council Transportation Chairman Jimmy Vacca said.
Riders seemed perplexed, even in neighborhoods where there's more than one line nearby.
"How do you expect the people to get to work? You can't get to work like that. You gotta feel for the people. The people feel for the city," Al Witherspoon said.
But for anyone who's suffered through years of construction, the alternative is at least worth considering.
"When you think about construction, you do just want to be done with it. So In a way I feel like I support it a little bit. A couple months of distress might be a little better for the future," Daryl Carlisles said.
At this point, all of this is just being considered.
