New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo convened a panel of experts -- including Lance Collins, the Joseph Silbert Dean of Engineering -- to look at New York City's Canarsie Tunnel, a vital underwater subway path connecting Manhattan to Brooklyn. Flooding from Superstorm Sandy had badly damaged the century-old tunnel, which was set to close for 15 months of repairs beginning in April 2019. The inconvenient shutdown of the tunnel's L-train service was so dreaded by New Yorkers, some had dubbed it "L-pocalypse." Cornell and Columbia engineers have worked collaboratively to develop a proposal to renovate the Canarsie Tunnel while keeping it operational, safe, on time and on budget. Night and weekend closures would be required, but only one of the tunnel's two tracks would close at a time, allowing for continuous, round-the-clock service.