N Train to see major repairs in 2016

N train riders making daily commutes from Southwest Brooklyn to Manhattan and back are going to need to make some travel adjustments as the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) gives nine stations an overhaul beginning this winter.

According to Community Board 11, while there is no exact date scheduled for the start of the renovations, work is slated to begin in January and last 14 months on the Coney Island-bound side, and then will flip to the Manhattan-bound side for an additional 14 months.

“There will be station closures and back-riding in order for them to make repairs to the platforms,” said CB 11 District Manager Marnee Elias-Pavia. “There will be significant inconveniences [for those] that use the N line. However, it will be an investment for upgrades in those stations which is terribly needed.”

Stations in line for the makeover are Eighth Avenue, Fort Hamilton Parkway, New Utrecht Avenue, 18th Avenue, 20th Avenue, Bay Parkway, Kings Highway, Avenue U and 86th Street.

Since truck access is necessary to put this service plan into effect, according to the community board, the MTA will  build temporary platforms at Eighth Avenue and Bay Parkway. The Coney Island-bound train will only stop at these two stations, forcing customers who need the stations in between—Fort Hamilton Parkway to 20th Avenue—to back-ride on a Manhattan-bound train.

“It’s overdue,” said Laurie Windsor, first vice chairperson of CB 11. “Unfortunately it’s going to be a huge inconvenience, but the work is definitely needed.”

According to Windsor, the N line stations were built in 1914 and show serious signs of deterioration and corrosion.

“It’s a safety issue,” Windsor added. “Once [renovations] are done and over with, it will be 100 times better.”

 

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