The next phase of accessibility improvement construction at the Queensboro Plaza subway station will require some train route detours for the next two weeks, the MTA said.
Manhattan-bound 7, N and W trains will bypass the Queensboro Plaza subway station starting Monday, July 31 at 5 a.m. through Aug. 14 at 5 a.m.
The work consists of demolishing, removing and rebuilding the middle section of the entire Manhattan-bound platform — an area of around 10,000 square feet, according to the MTA. When completed, the new platform will be raised and leveled to align with trains and the newly constructed platform edges. The construction is part of a project to make the transit hub fully accessible.
“Accessibility is such an integral part of mass transit, especially for a city like New York where millions of riders rely on it every day, and we remain committed to delivering these improvements as quickly and efficiently as possible,” said NYC Transit President Richard Davey.
Other improvements to the station will include an expansion of the mezzanine by around 2,300 feet, new lighting for the mezzanine and security and communication enhancements. The MTA is also building two new elevators at the station.
Riders Alliance spokesperson Danny Pearlstein said accessibility improvements in the transit system are long overdue.
“Right now, there are over a million New Yorkers who are shut out of the subway because they have trouble climbing stairs. And as the city ages, more and more of us will need accessible stations, so this certainly could not be any more of a pressing need,” Pearlstein said. “It’s over a generation after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, so this is a very long time coming.”
And though it might cause inconveniences to some riders, Pearlstein said the trouble will be well worth it.
“Accessibility is essential to the transit system. We don’t yet have it. It can’t come soon enough,” Pearlstein said. “And a very short term closure for a particularly tricky project is certainly worth paying for.”
The MTA advised Manhattan-bound riders who typically get on at Queensboro Plaza to instead use the E, M or R lines at nearby Queens Plaza station. The Queens Plaza station is elevator accessible and will have service in both directions.
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