We have good news and bad news for N train riders in 2015.
The MTA plans to restore nine subway stations on the long-neglected N line. Unfortunately, the construction is expected to take four years, limiting one of Southern Brooklyn’s main arteries to Manhattan for a very long time.
The project, which will transform all the stations from 8th Avenue to 86th Street, is expected to begin in December 2015, though the contract is still out for bid, an MTA spokesperson said.
The work will be done in two phases. First, Manhattan-bound riders are looking at an extra long commute as the N runs express between 86th Street and 8th Avenue – though temporary platforms will be set up at 8th Avenue and Bay Parkway. For the second half of the construction, commuters trying to get back to Brooklyn will be required to take the train down to Coney Island-Stillwell and switch to the uptown N to get home.
But, hey, at least there won’t be stalactites hanging from the ceilings when we get our stations back.
“This project will bring all of these stations to a state of good repair,” MTA Spokesperson Marissa Baldeo said in an email.
As part of a multi-year project, funded under the MTA’s 2010 to 2014 capital program, the stations will get new platforms, lighting, safety features, updated canopies, and much-needed paint jobs. Say goodbye to the N’s signature street art, though – the new walls will be coated in fancy, graffiti-resistant paint.
The stations will also become more handicapped accessible, with the 8th Avenue station gaining a ramp and the New Utrecht station acquiring an elevator.
The stations being hijacked renovated are: 8th Avenue, Fort Hamilton Parkway, New Utrecht Avenue, 18th Avenue, 20th Avenue, Bay Parkway, Kings Highway, Avenue U and 86th Street.
New Utrecht Avenue and Avenue U are listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, and the MTA has promised to pay special attention to them, a spokesperson told the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. For example, the stations will be installed with some retro-looking lighting fixtures.
Personally, we’re going to miss the N line’s dilapidated, old platforms. So take some photos of the post-apocalyptic ruins while you still can and send them to [email protected].
Clarification: In a previous version of this post, we reported that construction would begin in winter of 2015. We have amended the post to specify that work will begin around December of this year, not now, in January. We also neglected to mention that temporary platforms will be set up at 8th Avenue and Bay Parkway to aid transfers. The article has been amended to reflect this.
