Six weekends of 7 line closures into Queensboro Plaza

7 line suspended between 34th St.-Hudson Yards and Queensboro Plaza on select weekends beginning in February

By Alicia Venter

aventer@queensledger.com

Queensboro Plaza South Side Rendering. Photo: MTA

Seven train line service will be suspended between 34th St.-Hudson Yards and Queensboro Plaza for six weeks, with the first of these closures beginning Saturday, Feb. 4.

During these weekends, the MTA will be constructing two elevators at Queensboro Plaza in an effort to make the station fully accessible.

The service change for the first weekend is scheduled to be in effect from 12:15 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4 until 5:00 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 6.

The following weekends will have service changes beginning at 3:45 a.m. on Saturday to 10:00 p.m. on Sunday:

  • Feb. 11 – Feb. 12
  • Feb. 25 – Feb. 26
  • Mar. 11 – Mar. 12
  • Mar. 25 – Mar. 26
  • Apr. 22 – Apr. 23

Free shuttle buses will be provided between Queensboro Plaza and Vernon Blvd – Jackson Av, as well as between Times Square and 34 St-Hudson Yards.

Construction at Queensboro Plaza includes an elevator at the southern entrance of the station and an elevator between the mezzanine and the two platforms.

The mezzanine is expected to receive new lighting and be expanded by approximately 50 square feet. There will also be updates to the pedestrian bridge.

To make the station fully accessible, the project will consist of new boarding areas compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with new platform edges and upgrades to existing street and station stairs to current ADA standards.

“The improvements coming to Queensboro Plaza will greatly benefit tens of thousands of riders,” said NYC Transit President Richard Davey in a statement. “Accessibility is such an integral part of mass transit, especially for a city like New York where mass transit is essential for many. When complete, the project will provide critical accessibility upgrades, security updates, and customer experience improvements throughout the station.”

The MTA describes the planned work on Queensboro Plaza as a “complex construction project” in a press release due to the rapidly growing, densely populated neighborhood.

According to the MTA, Queensboro Plaza served approximately 70,000 rides on average every weekday in November 2022, and work will be required over the 11-lane wide approach to the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, including two bike lanes.

“Building in dense urban environments, with infrastructure that dates back more than 100 years, is complex and challenging,” said MTA Construction and Development President Jamie Torres-Springer in the press release. “But making our system accessible is essential and so we are finding creative ways to meet that challenge. Queensboro Plaza is a perfect example, taking advantage of private investment to maximize the benefit for riders while minimizing cost to the MTA.”

The project for building an accessible entrance on the south side of Queensboro Plaza is expected to be completed by mid-2024, and is budgeted for $74 million. There will also be upgrades made to the fire alarm system, installation of a new security camera system, a new public address system and digital information screens.

The north side’s entrance is also set to become an accessible entrance, done so through the Zoning for Accessibility (ZFA) program. This entrance is anticipated to be completed by 2025, and will be financed by the developer of 25-01 Queens Plaza North under the ZFA transit improvement bonus program. This is expected to save the MTA millions of dollars in construction and maintenance costs.

ZFA enables developers, in exchange for an increase in their building’s density, to improve access to public transit in the busiest areas of the city.  To learn more about the program, visit https://new.mta.info/accessibility/zoning-for-accessibility.

The MTA also announced that there will be weekend service changes on the N line in May.

Additional weekend service changes are expected throughout the year and in 2024.

Construction underway at Flushing-Main Street Station

One of the most overcrowded subway stations in the borough is getting a $61 million facelift, which the MTA says will improve the passenger experience.

Work is currently underway on eight new staircases at the Flushing-Main Street Station which aims to address congestion on the 7 train platforms and at street levels during peak travel hours.

“Flushing-Main-St Station is one of the top ten busiest stations in our entire subway system, and it is time its infrastructure supported that reality,” MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber said in a press release. “Soon our passengers will be able to travel through this station more easily and comfortably.”

The project includes four new street-to-mezzanine stairs, in addition to four new mezzanine-to-platform stairs.

The new street-to-mezzanine stairs will be installed on the north and south corners of Main Street and to the west of Main Street along both the north and south sides of Roosevelt Avenue.

Four existing street stairs will also be rehabilitated for ADA compliance and four existing platform stairs will be reoriented.

The project will also expand the mezzanine and install two new fare control areas with six new turnstiles that will be constructed. Existing CCTV cameras and signage will also be upgraded and improved.

Councilwoman Sandra Ung said that now that Con Edison has finished relocating the existing utilities, the cost of which was included in the estimated $61 million expense, contractors are ready to start the work to improve pedestrian flow and reduce congestion in earnest.

“This is a big project for Flushing, and my office will keep you updated on the work hours and progress, but if you are a regular user of the Main Street station, be advised there could be some disruptions to your daily commute for the foreseeable future,” Ung said in a newsletter. “But in the end, hopefully, we will have smooth-flowing entrances to the busy station.”

Construction will only occur within the station during off-peak hours between the hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

However, the contractor is permitted to work during off-peak hours during the day (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and in the evening (8 p.m. to 5 a.m.). Additionally, the contractor is permitted to work during the day on weekends.

In the meantime, Q48 and Q50 bus stops will be temporarily relocated to the intersection of Main Street and 39th Avenue in front of the GNC until approximately March 1, 2023.

“These improvements will greatly enhance the customer experience traveling in one of New York’s most vibrant neighborhoods,” MTA Construction & Development President Jamie Torres-Springer said in a statement. “These eight new staircases will alleviate overcrowding on the platform and street level and ensure passengers can better move through the station.”

A substantial portion of the project is expected to be completed by October 2023.

Full access to a minimum of four street-level stairwells will be maintained in the mezzanine areas during the construction. Access to the four stairs that serve the northbound and southbound platforms from mezzanine areas will also be maintained at all times.

MTA indicated that it is working closely with City agencies and local stakeholders to mitigate impacts on the local community. Signs reminding pedestrians that businesses remain open will be posted.

Members of the public wishing to express concerns and raise issues will be able to contact at 24/7 construction hotline, 844-508-2636 for the duration of the project.

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