The MTA Tough Love Brigade has just announced that nine N train stations will be partially closed until at least March of 2017, starting Monday, January 18th. This latest inconvenient subway truth is in addition to the 30 stations Cuomo recently announced will completely close in intervals through 2020, and in addition to the looming suspension of L train service between Brooklyn and Manhattan to complete Sandy repairs.
The closures will impact commuters from Sunset Park to Bensonhurst and beyond. The stations at 8th Avenue, Fort Hamilton Parkway, New Utrecht Avenue, 18th Avenue, 20th Avenue, Bay Parkway, Kings Highway, Avenue U, and 86th Street will close their Manhattan-bound platforms for 14 months starting Monday. Once work on those platforms is complete, the Coney Island-bound platforms will close, though temporary platforms will open at 8th Avenue and Bay Parkway.
(MTA)
These closures should cause less misery than the potential shutdown on the L line: on average, 5,861 riders access these 9 N stations on weekdays, and the stations are all relatively close to the R, D, and F trains. The MTA is also encouraging impacted commuters to take Coney Island-bound N trains to Stillwell Avenue and transfer to Manhattan-bound trains during the first phase of closures, which will likely add to commuters' travel time.
According to the MTA, these station closures had been planned prior to Cuomo's announcement, as the $395.7 million needed for their renovation was funded under the 2010-2014 Capital Program. The renovations will include repairs and improvements to platforms, stairways, and entrances; additionally, the 8th Avenue and New Utrecht Avenue stations will be made ADA accessible, with ramps and elevators installed in the stations, respectively.
