Rendering of the upcoming street level elevator at the Greenpoint Avenue G station.
(MTA)
July 23, 2018 By Nathaly Pesantez
The Greenpoint Av station is gearing up to see many changes, as the MTA announced it will begin construction on a multimillion dollar elevator and accessibility project in early September.
The $23.4 million project will bring three elevators to the Greentpoint Av station—one between the street and mezzanine, and two between the mezzanine and platform in each travel direction—and includes updating infrastructure like stairs, handrails, turnstiles, and braille signage.
The street-level elevator enclosure will be installed on the east side of Manhattan Avenue between Greenpoint Avenue and Kent Street, and requires bumping out the sidewalk by eight feet and installing sidewalk pedestrian ramps.
In addition, the MTA said it will modify the station agent booth to a wheelchair, user-friendly height. Bollards will also surround the street-level elevator enclosure for added safety.
A rendering of the mezzanine showing the planned elevator at the northbound platform. (MTA)
In all, the agency said it will take 28 months, or more than two years, to complete the work. At a March Community Board 1 meeting, where the MTA first presented its project in a public forum, an MTA official said it’s likely the project will be completed in the third quarter of 2020.
The project’s duration, according to the agency, has to do with factors like work being limited to one side of Manhattan Avenue at a time to minimize disturbance.
The work, in addition, may require some station closures, but it will be minimal, with subway service not expected to be impacted.
The project saw much support from the community when presented in March, but did see some pushback as well, with some claiming the elevator will make Manhattan Avenue more congested and potentially pose safety and quality of life issues. One business owner also claimed that the street level elevator enclosure will hurt his business by blocking the storefront.
The Greenpoint Av station will be the second subway station in Brooklyn in recent months to undergo a major elevator installation project, with work beginning at a Bay Ridge station in June.
“We are deeply committed to expanding accessibility for our customers, and the Fast Forward Plan if fully funded will mean that after five years, no one will ever be more than two stations away from a fully accessible subway station,” said MTA New York City Transit President Andy Byford in a statement. “In the meantime, we’re expanding accessibility where funding allows, and I’m pleased to announce work to install elevators at two stations in Brooklyn in as many months.”
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3 Comments
A good start. I know after the L train shutdown is complete, elevators will be coming to Court Square as well.
I do believe in Andy Byford, I just hope he can get the money… https://twitter.com/2AvSagas/status/1022120617385046017
here on Bedford ave and n 7th street it construction gridlock north 7th completely closed to traffic and Bedford ave between n 6th and n8th id big mess even before the l closure in april 2018
I do not know if there are any elevator type installations ie street to bottom of subway on the G train going south to Church Ave. I don’t know of any, somebody said there may be on Hoyt/Sch. but there are none on the last two stops going North, so what good is it gonna do anybody who is going North in a wheelchair? They will be stranded at Court Square.