Astoria straphangers, rejoice. The 30th and 36th Avenue N/W stations reopened to the public on Friday at noon, but there’s still more train pain to come.
Work on these stations began in October 2017, and are part of the MTA’s $150 million Enhanced Station Initiative (ESI) to rehabilitate four Astoria train stations.
“The Enhanced Station Initiative embraces new techniques and innovations that simplify the work and shorten construction time while bringing real improvements to the transit experience. We’ve received great feedback from the customers who use the redesigned ESI station in Brooklyn at 53 St, and we look forward to opening more of these modernized subway stations and bringing more amenities to more stations across our system,” said MTA Managing Director Ronnie Hakim.
Improvements to the newly opened stations include improved signage, new security cameras and railings, glass barriers and LED lighting and a new staircase at the 30th Avenue location.
The MTA also announced that they would begin repairs on the Broadway and 39th Avenue N/W lines in Astoria, as part of the same $150 million plan. According to the transit authority, the repairs for these stations would be similar to those that were performed at 30th and 36th Avenues. The project is slated to commence on July 2, and the station will be closed for eight months during the rehabilitation.
Structural, safety and functional repairs will be made to these stations, including replacing deteriorated structural steel beams and columns, platform surfaces, and other support structure in the mezzanines, installing new canopy roofs, repairing track and platform girders and building a new street entrace for the Broadway station.
The stations will also get updated power service, new floors and ceilings, brighter and more energy efficient LED lighting and fixtures.
In a statement from the MTA, they said that this was the first time since the stations opened in 1917 that they were receiving rehabilitation.
“These outdoor stations have deteriorated after more than a century of snowstorms, rain, sun, wind and daily foot traffic. 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,” said NYC Transit President Andy Byford.
All Astoria N/W stations are in the process of getting upgrades and repairs. The MTA started repairs on the Ditmars Boulevard station in April, and it will stay open throughout the project until its completion in June 2019.
