76th Street Staircase gets facelift

One small step for DOT, one large step for the 76^th Street Staircase.

“It is extremely important that we keep our neighborhood in good condition,” said Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis, lauding the hard work of the Department of Transportation (DOT) in swiftly repairing the set of stairs that connects Ridge Boulevard and Colonial Road at 76^th Street, better known as the 76^th Street Staircase and an accident waiting to happen, according to residents.

“These repairs are necessary to ensure that community members can travel safely on a daily basis,” continued Malliotakis who, alongside State Senator Marty Golden and Councilmember Vincent Gentile, penned a letter to outgoing Brooklyn Borough Commissioner for the NYC DOT Joseph Palmieri and his replacement, Acting Commissioner Keith Bray, in early June, asking for what many Ridgeites agreed were necessary repairs.

“I went by there the other day and it looks great,” said Community Board (CB) 10 District Manager Josephine Beckmann who told this paper in July that the repairs had long been in the “top 10” on the board’s capital list. “DOT certainly made the area safe and the immediate repairs were much needed.”

The local pols’ formal request called for crack-fills as well as increased lighting and a new railing.

At the request of not only elected officials but also of local residents and the community board, DOT complied, almost immediately taking action to fix the cracks in the damaged concrete once the request was approved in mid-July.

“We’re delighted at the DOT’s response to this issue,” said Beckmann, echoing local residents like Mary Maguire of 76^th Street between Colonial Road and Narrows Avenue, who can see the steps from her front porch.

“It’s about time,” said the mother of three. “This is great news.”

According to Malliotakis’ office, the final repairs will be completed once the fallen railing has been replaced.