May 17, 2016 By Michael Florio
Renovations and tech upgrades are on track for a handful of Astoria subway stations.
The upgrades will come to six stations next year, according to Luke DePalma, Assistant Director for Government and Community Affairs with MTA/NYC Transit.
The six subway stations are: 39th Ave, 36th Ave, Broadway, 30th Ave, Astoria Blvd and Ditmars Blvd.
Renovations will include painting and structural repairs to the platforms and stairwells, DePalma said last Thursday at a town hall meeting hosted by Assembly Member Aravella Simotas and the United Community Civic Association.
Four select stations – 30th Ave, Broadway, 36th Ave, and 39th Ave – will receive additional enhancements, including WiFi hotspots and charging cords, DePalma said.
The Astoria Blvd station will also become ADA compliant with the installment of elevators.
“This is all to improve the rider experience,” DePalma said.
The MTA is currently in the design phase for all of these renovations. The agency expects to present its plans to the community board in the fall, with work slated to begin in 2017, according to DePalma.
“There will be a public outreach and presentation for these plans,” he said. “But we are not there yet. We are about 40 percent done with the design.”
The stations will have to close during construction.
However, DePalma stated that standard procedure is to close one side of the station at a time.
“We have no current plans to shut down any of these stations completely,” he said. “Riders would have to bike ride to a station in one direction.”
