DiNapoli: Station Repairs Too Slow
Just 51 of the city’s 468 subway stations were in good repair-and only one of Queens’ 81 stations was free of defects, according to a study State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released last Thursday, Oct. 2.
Stations in Brooklyn and Queens had the largest share of structural defects with one-third, according to the report. Data in the study was obtained from New York City Transit (NYCT), a subsidiary of the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA).
The NYCT data rated station conditions by surveying structural components–stairs, columns and platforms–and architectural items including tile, paint and lighting, it was noted. A rating scale of one to five was used.
Those stations rated three or higher are worn or damaged, according to NYCT. Stations rated under three are considered in good repair. The survey does not consider cleanliness, maintenance or the condition of elevators or escalators, DiNapoli stated.
“New York City Transit reports it is making progress on repairing stations but the pace is too slow and much more work needs to be done,” DiNapoli said. “Worn or damaged stairs and platform edges pose risks for riders, while broken tiles, lights and peeling paint leave riders with a low opinion of the transit system.”
Systemwide, more than onequarter of all structural components had defects and at 94 stations, at least half of these need repairs, the report found.
The study reported that over the last 30 years, NYCT has renovated 241 stations at a cost of $4.5 billion, but not committed resources to maintain them as they have deteriorated over time. Beginning in 2010, NYCT altered how it deals with station conditions by giving priority to the most deteriorated structural components, instead of fully renovating the stations.
The data in DiNapoli’s report is based on NYCT’s 2012 study, the most recent available information. The NYCT surveys station conditions every five years.
Other findings in the report included; NYCT planned to fully renovate all 468 stations by 2022, but that goal will not be reached; just 51 stations, 11 percent, of the system’s stations met NYCT’s minimum standards for both structural and architectural components; and the NYCT estimates it will need to invest more than $5 billion over the next 20 years for subway station repairs.
