This Saturday, the Bay Ridge Avenue subway station will close for six months for a complete makeover. As a key member of the MTA Capital Review Board, Senator Marty Golden would have helped move Bay Ridge to the front of the line. Here’s a summary of what to expect when it’s done, according to Golden’s announcement—along with what you actually wanted instead.
Getting:
- New canopies and totems (huh?) at station entrances
- New furniture (a seat for every morning straphanger, I’m sure)
- Technology integration, like WiFi and USB charging ports
- Improved finishes (Huh?)
- Improved wayfinding (because who hasn’t gotten lost there)
- New lighting (c’mon, LEDs are no way to bring back coal)
- Decluttering
- Positive street presence (the street gets a participation trophy)
- Consolidated information zone (because why not put information in one place in a 600-foot long station)
- Clear sight lines
Not getting:
- A working R-train that could be considered “rapid transit”
- Fixes to any of the other trains that cause delays on the R line
- More trains / more capacity
- Prompt alerts when delays are significant
- Honest and forthcoming explanations about what’s causing delays in the first place
- Elevator access
Next time you see Marty, remember to thank him for putting $24 million worth of lipstick on this chronically broken slab of pork.
funny how you bash Marty due to his politics but give “touchy-feely” Vincent Gentile pass on his ignoring of the ramp at the 97th Street park. Oh yeah, and that little place called the Prince hotel.
Is it legal to renovate a subway station and not include elevator access? What about the ADA?