Ahh, fresh air and light! Photo by Juan Barahona.
Councilman Mark Levine wants the MTA to consider reopening some of the closed exits at stations in the city, including several on the Upper West Side.
Levine says that the new exits could also help local businesses by helping them draw customers who are entering or exiting the subway.
“Opening up these access points will provide opportunities for new business and will relieve dangerous congestion that slows down riders from boarding and exiting subway stations in a timely manner. This congestion also delays the subway and bogs down commutes.”
An MTA spokesman told Crain’s that the agency is considering the proposal.
WNYC put together a map of all the closed exits in the system, and found several on the Upper West Side, most of them on the B and C lines. The only station with closed exits on the Broadway line was the 96th street station, where two exits are shuttered.
Here’s Levine’s letter:
If I remember correctly, a number of these exits and entrances were closed for several reasons, years and years ago. There wasn’t enough money in the MTA budget to properly maintain all of them, they were dark and dingy and most smelled of urine. Also because there was a homeless problem along with the closing of many mental health facilities, homeless started sleeping in the stairways. There were many time when people on their way to catch a train had to step over sleeping or drunk people. It became unsafe. The entryways were not lit properly and was a hiding place for muggers. I don’t know that this is some vast untapped way to reduce overcrowding on the platforms. For the Upper West Side – how about we stop the plans for high density buildings and we can stop some of the crowding issues?
There are crowding issues now, stoping further development won’t help the situation as it exists now. Secondly, Manhattan—and specifically the Upper West Side—is actually less dense than it was in the 1960s, so I don’t think it’s too dense as it is.
How about a 21st Century transportation system?
I think the MTA has done an acceptable job of modernizing the system to keep up with increasing demands. The current control systems allow trains to operate much closer together that in the past, significantly increasing capacity. What specifically would you like to see done to the system? Or are you waiting for flying cars?
Lets see…
Unblocking a couple exits.
Sweeping up a couple decades worth of trash.
Getting lighting up to code.
I can see how the MTA can get this done for about $10million per exit.
@ Jezbel, you hit on the nose. I’ve seen the UWS explode in population in the last 25 years. Thousands and thousands of people have moved into new residential buildings, and our infrastructure is never taken into consideration. Packed subways, pedestrian accidents, over crowded schools . . . All resulting from the building and building.
As I replied to her, density has actually decreased since the 1960s due to larger apartments and smaller family sizes. So what you’ve “seen” doesn’t match reality.
Nathan, when you get a chance, checkout the census for the years in question. And forget about the number of residents, which have increased, the number of employees using the subways to commute to the UWS has increased as well. Staples, Gap, Zabars, etc. All these figures count.
Oh, it can be much worse.
Try the #6 at rush hours.
(3:30pm to 9:00PM)
Yes reopen 96 Street & Broadway. Save pedestrian lives! Improve traffic flow!
This will not happen. Lets be realistic in that the MTA invested a lot in the station they built in the middle of broadway at 96th. Those closed entrances were paved over, and the spaces converted into offices and storage. It wont happen. And I dont know that it should. Having wider sidewalks at that intersection is pretty huge.
And yes, the 91st st stop still “exists” as mostly graffiti. Kind of neat, totally irrelevant.
I do agree with the idea of more exits for some of the stations (79th st 1). Those exits get a bit nutty. Dunno if the infrastructure is there.
The problem is, we got subways really early. And they werent future proofed when built or updated. It isnt realistic to think real estate will ever slow down, and it isnt realistic to think that the MTA will suddenly become amazing at being able to maintain and update the oldest and busiest subway system in the US.
Debbie, please xpand on your Comment: ” It wont happen. And I dont know that it should.”
One dead so far. How many are we shooting for?
They should add another exit at the north side of the northbound Broadway/79th st station (at 80th St). The existing exits get insanely crowded at evening rush hour.
How about opening some subway exits where none existed before. On Broadway, W86 Street has an entrance on W87 on the downtown side, but only W86th St one on the northbound side. I know it was a condition for the construction of the new building that a subway exit be included … and that’s why I am livid that a similar deal was not made in exchange for the approval of the new building on W80th Street (is there really that much more corruption in the approval process now than there was in the early 90’s?!)
yes, there is an old subway station in the 90’s (around 90th street I believe.)
Where is the closed entrance on 72nd street B/C? I know of the 2 on 72nd and one on 70th but last I checked those are all open.
I know that there’s a stairway at 71st Street, but I don’t remember if that goes all the way to the surface, or just between platforms.
What about the closed entrances at Harlem-125th St at the Metro North stop? It really irritates me that everyone has to exit through the station to get off the track level.
After a long train ride, I just want to get to street level as fast as possible.
Yes, I would love a way to get in an out and NOT have to deal with Jehovah Witnesses and the annoying as sh*t free newspaper guys. They could always gate these entrances at night to keep them from getting too gross.
More subway stations would just spread the MTA and Police even thinner. This week I turned a corner and stepped in human faeces. More stations and stairwells to monitor means more opportunity for terrorists!
It’s about time to reopen the 96th Street stairs. Building that structure in the middle was a boondoggle, pure and simple. Reopening the entrances is safer. Now I just feel bad for how lonely the station agents in the middle will be.
Maybe terrorism concerns will motivate them to open the stairs. Every day when I’m waiting to exit the 96th street station I wonder what would happen if there were a real emergency.