Congressman Fossella And Senator Golden Announce Agreement For Full Renovation Of The 86th Street Subway Station

Fulfilling a pledge to the people of Bay Ridge, Congressman Vito Fossella (R-NY13) and Senator Marty Golden today announced that they have reached agreement with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to perform a comprehensive renovation of the 86th Street subway station.

Under the agreement, Fossella will provide $6.68 million in federal funding towards the project and Golden will provide $2 million in State funding. The MTA will also contribute to the improvement of the antiquated station, which was built in 1916.

Fossella said, “I am proud to have made good on my promise to give the people of Bay Ridge a modern subway station that is clean, welcoming and convenient. This agreement will allow us to modernize the station and make much-needed repairs and enhancements to improve commuting for residents. The station is one of the most heavily-used in Brooklyn, and age has taken its toll on the infrastructure. The renovation of this station has been one of the top priorities of commuters, and I am pleased that we have achieved this goal for them. I want to thank Senator Golden and the MTA for their commitment to this project and to improving the daily commute for thousands of Brooklyn residents.”

Golden said, “I am grateful that the partnership of Congressman Vito Fossella, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and myself has yielded such a grand resolution. Bay Ridge will soon be home to one of the newest and most modern train stations in New York. The straphangers today are the winners and improvements are on the way. For too long, the many subway riders who use the 86th Street train station on a daily basis have had to endure dilapidated conditions that required improvements. Good transportation is required to keep a neighborhood strong. Today, we solidify our commitment to the transportation needs of this community.”

MTA Executive Director & CEO Elliot Sander said, “The MTA is committed to the improvement of its stations through both continuous upkeep and its recurring Capital Programs. We are grateful for Representative Fossella and Senator Golden's efforts to secure the funding which allows us to proceed with these improvements at the 86^th Street R Station now.”

The renovation calls for the following:

• Installation of New Street Staircase

The construction of a new staircase at the southwest corner of 4th Avenue at 86th Street.

• Repairs to Existing Street Staircases

Replacement of the treads, fixing broken wall tiles and replacement of handrails on the
three existing street staircases at the southwest corner of 4th Avenue at 86th Street,
the southeast corner of 4th Avenue at 86th Street and the part-time entrance on 85th Street at 4th Avenue.

• Mezzanine Improvements

Installing new wall tiles, new flooring tiles and repairing the ceiling, cleaning the mosaic bands on the walls and repairing the floor at the full-time and part-time mezzanines booths.

• Platform Stairs

Replacement of the treads and paint the risers on the stairs; install new wall tiles over the concrete track wall; make improvements to the platform edge with ADA warning strip and rubbing board edge, install new floor tiles and provide new scrubber room.

The MTA said the preliminary design phase has started. The job is expected to go out for bid in Spring 2008 and be completed within two years.

The station received an upgrade in the early 1990s, including painting, removal of clutter and abandoned electrical conduit, stair and minor lighting improvements and a general spruce-up.

The federal funding secured by Fossella was included in the Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy For Users (H.R. 3), which was signed into law in 2005. The six-year bill provides $284 billion for the federal highway, transit and highway safety programs.

The 86th Street station is one of the busiest, handling about 9,600 daily commuters. It ranks in the top one-third for average weekday ridership of all stations in New York City and is the 24^th most heavily used station in Brooklyn out of 139 stations. The station is located near the 86th Street Business Improvement District, which draws large crowds of shoppers from across Brooklyn and Staten Island.

In December 2005, Fossella and then-Community Board 10 Chairman Craig Eaton hosted a public meeting to solicit ideas from commuters on ways to enhance and improve the station.