By Bill Parry
Astoria is about to get two of its subway stations back in operation just as two more stations are about to close for extensive repairs and renovations.
MTA New York City Transit announced Friday that extensive structural, safety and functional repairs, renovations and improvements will be done at the Broadway and 39th Avenue N/W stations, with the work scheduled to beginning Monday, July 2. Workers will repair and replace deteriorating station infrastructure such as steel beams and columns, staircases, platforms, open-air canopies and concrete, among other improvements, to ensure the safety, comfort and convenience of customers as well as the reliability of the Astoria Line.
“These outdoor stations have deteriorated after more than a century of snowstorms, rain, sun, wind and daily foot traffic,” NYC Transit President Andy Byford said. “We thank our customers for their patience while we make these repairs and improvements. Once these projects are done, major defects will be fixed and these stations will be in a renewed state for the local community to use for decades to come.”
Work at Broadway and 39th Avenue includes the repair of tracks and platform girders and new concrete slabs will be installed above mezzanines. The stations will also get upgraded power service, new floors and ceilings, brighter and more energy efficient LED lighting and fixtures, digital signage, renovated turnstile areas and countdown clocks and enhanced station entrances. A new street entrance for the Broadway station will be added for better pedestrian access.
The stations will close in both directions after similar repairs and renovations are completed at the 30th Avenue and 36th Avenue N/W stations, which are scheduled to reopen on time June 22. None of these four open-air, elevated stations had undergone repairs like this since they first opened for service in 1917.
NYC Transit staff have conducted extensive community outreach ahead of the July closures, visiting more than 100 businesses over the course of the last several months. Large-scale signage has been posted at the stations since June 1, and Transit officials are working with area businesses to develop a marketing campaign to help drive customers to patronize them. The agency is also assisting with advertisements on train platforms to promote 30th Avenue Restaurant Week coinciding with the reopening of the 30th Avenue and 36th Avenue subway station, which had been closed since October. More than 30 bars and restaurants are expected to participate from Friday, June 22, to July 1.
Business owners and sponsors are asked to contact Franks Arcabascio of the 30th Avenue Business Association at farca
MTA NYC Transit is in the process of repairing and upgrading all stations on the Astoria N/W Line with work beginning at the Ditmars Boulevard station in April. The station remains open throughout the project, which is scheduled for completion by June 2019. At the Astoria Boulevard station, the entire mezzanine will be demolished and rebuilt to accommodate the installation of four elevators.
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr
