New Report Highlights What I & Others Already Knew
The string of bad publicity for the MTA continues as two separate reports came out detailing either service or system condition issues. In this entry I will talk about the first report which focused on system conditions. The report was co-sponsored by State Assemblyman Dov Hikind & Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer.
The report’s initial idea came about to two incidents with the first coming in January involving a 14 year old boy who fell onto the tracks at a Kings Highway station in Brooklyn after part of the platform beneath him collapsed. The second incident occurred at a MTA meeting in February when NYC Transit President Howard Roberts responded to Mr. Hikind’s concerns. Mr. Hikind did not care for the response which led to the birth of the idea for this report.
I have read the entire 9 page report & I must say the results are not surprising although they are disturbing. Here is a small sample of different parts of the report:
Of the ninety-one stations inspected, fifty-seven of them (63% overall) had conditions that represented a significant safety hazard for riders. The conditions documented at stations included cracks in the platform, loose rubbing boards, cracked stairwells, gaps between subway doors and platform, missing sections of platform edge, loose ceiling panels, raised metal and wood plates, eroding cement and other hazardous conditions.
Stations that scored the worst safety ratings were in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan. In Brooklyn, the Avenue J, Avenue M and Kings Highway stations of the B and Q Line were given failing grades due to the conditions of the platforms on both the Manhattan and Brooklyn bound sides. The Avenue J station was also given a failing grade in cleanliness category due to the prevalence of full garbage bags on the platform on multiple inspection dates.
In Manhattan, at the 57th Street station of the F line, surveyors encountered widespread erosion throughout the station. The platform edges throughout the station on both the uptown and downtown sides were cracked, not properly connected and in terrible condition overall. Surveyors witnessed a number of homeless individuals sleeping on the mezzanine level as well. The West 4th station of the B/D/F/V lines was also ranked lowest due to similar platform conditions including a segment of rubbing board that was detached from the platform edge and was liable to crack at any time.
In Manhattan, at the 57th Street station of the F line, surveyors encountered widespread erosion throughout the station. The platform edges throughout the station on both the uptown and downtown sides were cracked, not properly connected and in terrible condition overall. Surveyors witnessed a number of homeless individuals sleeping on the mezzanine level as well. The West 4th station of the B/D/F/V lines was also ranked lowest due to similar platform conditions including a segment of rubbing board that was detached from the platform edge and was liable to crack at any time.
Click here to view the entire report.
As I said the results are not surprising yet disturbing at the same time. This is the current state of our system & I don’t want to hear about finances being the only reason for it being this way. When times were going great, where was the MTA in fixing these issues? They as usual only patched up stations here & there instead of properly maintaining each one as if they were as important as the stop before or after it.
This is the system we will most likely be paying even more for starting in 2009. I wonder if doubling the fare is still seen as a good idea…..
xoxo Transit Blogger
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[…] trackbed after stepping on a platform edge to see if a was on its way. The incident helped fuel a co-sponsored report by State Assemblyman Dov Hikind & Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer which highlighted […]