Rockaway commuters are in for a unique experience with free artwork on display.
As the MTA’s Arts and Design Program turns 40 this year, the public transportation entity has brought intricate art pieces to subway stations across the five boroughs.
The Rockaway Peninsula’s subway stations are now dotted with colorful designs and displays from artists. Some works to check out include Duke Riley’s nautical-themed “Be Good or Be Gone” at Beach 98th Street and Ingo Fast’s “On and Off the Boardwalk” at Beach 67th Street.
“Be Good or Be Gone” is a play on local phrases and signage in taverns. According to Riley, the phrase is a way for visitors to the Rockaway peninsula to appreciate the area’s environment. One of the two-panel sections of the artwork includes images of the piping plover, an endangered bird that uses Rockaway Beach as one of its few remaining nesting grounds.
Other parts of the glass artwork panels include scenes, symbols, and the sea surrounding the area. Riley has long been inspired by maritime history and folklore surrounding New York’s waterways. “Be Good or Be Gone” also features the view of houses on stilts that Rockaway commuters see from the A train as it crosses Broad Channel.
Fast’s “On and Off the Boardwalk” is a series of 17 laminated glass panels for the Beach 67th Street station, divided between the station’s two platforms. The panels are a collection of colorful landscapes and figures. “On and Off the Boardwalk” pulls familiar scenes from the Rockaways, including families going to the beach, fireworks, and days at the beach. Other panels show an opposite scene of ice skaters skating in the beach community in the winter.
Rockaway subway riders are encouraged to check out the display, with free shuttle services available during the Rockaway Line service outage.
Service changes for the A train will remain in effect until May 2025.
A trains are not running between Howard Beach-JFK Airport and Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue or Rockaway Park-Beach 116 Street. A train service is available between Inwood-207 St and Ozone Park-Lefferts Boulevard or Howard Beach-JFK Airport. Additionally, Rockaway Park Shuttle trains aren’t running to/from Broad Channel.
Travel alternatives include:
- Free Rockaway Park Shuttle trains between Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue and Rockaway Park-Beach 116 Street.
- Two free, 24/7 shuttle buses:
- Additional local and express bus service.
- LIRR trains between Far Rockaway Station and Manhattan or Brooklyn via Jamaica.
- NYC Ferry service between Beach 108th Street and Pier 11/Wall Street.
Construction Progress
The MTA has provided a recap of progress made during the A train shutdown.
So far, project crews have installed 22 out of 37 longitudinal girders that make up the new Hammels Wye, creating 1,050 feet of new structure that didn’t exist at the shutdown’s start. At the same time, project crews are preparing the new precast concrete deck for installation.
The deck will then be lowered on top of the finished structure to serve as the main support for the new tracks. Progress is also being made on replacing the complex instruments that allow the South Channel Bridge to swing open and close. Once the old mechanical parts are demolished, a crane loads them into waste containers, where they’re routed to waste handling facilities for recycling.
