Feb. 21, 2023 By Carlotta Mohamed
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced that renovations on the 75th Street-Elderts Lane station platform in Woodhaven will begin on Sunday, Feb. 26.
Danielle Verdecchia, a project manager for the contractor Gramercy PJS JV, joined by Lucille Songhai from the MTA, made the announcement of the upcoming station renewal project at the Community Board 9 meeting held on Monday, Feb. 13, at the Helen Marshall Cultural Center at Queens Borough Hall.
Queens-bound trains will bypass 75 St-Elderts Lane beginning on Monday, Feb. 27. Customers will still be able to utilize the station, but will have to transfer at the next station and ride back on the J train to 75th Street. Renovations will begin on the Manhattan-bound platform in late summer, the MTA announced. Following the completion of the 75th Street station, work will begin at the 85 St-Forest Parkway station on the Queens-bound side in the late winter of 2024, and in the summer of 2024 on the Manhattan-bound platform.
(Photo by Carlotta Mohamed)
The project will be coinciding with the ongoing ADA installation work being done at Woodhaven Boulevard bypasses, according to Verdecchia.
“The work being conducted is in a state of good repair work,” Verdecchia said. “This includes new structural improvements such as upgraded architectural components, installation of MTA Arts and Designs, upgraded communications systems, improved lighting conditions and upgraded plumbing systems.”
Verdecchia added that the construction project is being conducted to not only “strengthen and extend the lifespan of the stations in the next 25 years,” but to also rehabilitate the platform components including placing detectable warning strips at platform edges, minimizing gaps between trains and platforms, replacing stairs from the mezzanine to the platform level, and upgrading lighting and replacing existing fixtures.
(Photo by Carlotta Mohamed)
In response to the renewal project, a Community Board 9 member raised the question of where the MTA’s equipment will be stored, as the area along Jamaica Avenue is plagued by traffic congestion, double parked cars and illegal parking on the street.
Songhai reassured the board that the station renewal projects will be implemented in phases, and that they have already spoken with business owners on 75th Street about the process.
“We have let them know where there will be barricades and where folks will be able to park,” Songhai said.
Access to deliveries and essential services will be maintained throughout the duration of the project. Multilingual signage will be posted around barricades and the work site informing pedestrians and customers that stores are open for business.
When asked about constructing elevators at the station, Songhai said the MTA will work on installing elevators in the future as the agency has “been diligent about trying to install elevators around the system, bringing accessibility to customers.”
To ensure community safety during the renovation process at the above-ground stations, protective shielding will be constructed while work is performed. Additionally, the MTA has environmental mitigation plans to address public and safety concerns.
Typical work hours for the project will be Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The MTA and contractors will work with local businesses and street vendors to ensure pedestrian safety and mitigate any impact to business during the renovation process.