N Train Shuffle: Man-Bound Stations Re-Open Monday, More Closures Ahead
Okay southern Brooklyn N riders, we have some good news and some bad news. Let’s start with the good because when is there ever good news from the MTA these days.
The good: After more than a year, 9 stations on the N line will re-open this Monday, said MTA officials this week.
On Monday, May 22 at 5am, the Manahttan-bound platform at these stations are slated to open:
- Fort Hamilton Parkway
- New Utrecht
- 18th Avenue
- 20th Avenue
- Kings Highway
- Avenue U
- 86th Street
- full platforms at Eighth Avenue and Bay Parkway
The stations, which serve a total of nearly 53,000-weekday straphangers, will now have “accessibility-compliant” platforms, new lighting, stairways, and handrails; repairs to canopies and columns, and new artwork.
“It’s a vital Brooklyn corridor that needs to be brought into a state of good repair with new amenities and technology such as an upgraded communications system,” MTA Interim Executive Director Ronnie Hakim said in a statement.
The bad: Prepare for another season of station closings on the derelict N line. The $400 million renovations will continue on Coney Island-bound platforms, which will be closed for work starting in July (exact dates TBA).
The entire 9-station project is expected to take approximately four years, with full completion expected in late 2018, said MTA officials.
The ugly: After a series of massive subway F*ups this month, many commuters have just about had it with the MTA’s promises.
Many local pols and candidates have taken up the charge, from Brad Lander’s #subwaywoes campaign, Carlos Menchaca’s rally at the shuttered R stops, and Justin Brannan’s call to return the MTA to City hands.
And some didn’t respond well to the MTA’s 6-point plan:
@MTA @NYCTSubway 4/ The @MTA says their 6-point plan is designed to address “low hanging fruit.” But the problem is that the tree is crumbling. #SubwayWoes
— Brad Lander (@bradlander) May 17, 2017
“These short-term plans must also be matched with a long-term vision that acknowledges the scale of the problem and invests the billions of dollars we’ll need to restore reliable, quality service. Fixing the problem will require real funding for our subways and buses, as well as sustained attention from Governor Cuomo, who ultimately runs our transit system,” said Riders Alliance executive director John Raskin.
