MTA backtracks on station closures during platform work

May 17, 2019 Jaime DeJesus

AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams

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The MTA has had a change of heart.

Just days after the Brooklyn Reporter questioned why, as part of an ongoing work project, the agency had simultaneously closed northbound platforms at all local and some express stations along the Q/B line between Sheepshead Bay Road and Prospect Park, the MTA has backtracked.

Going forward, instead of closing the same-side platforms at the Kings Highway and Church Avenue express stops while work is being done at the local stations, as had occurred beginning May 13 during the midday hours on weekdays, the agency will keep them open, Brooklyn Reporter has been told.

Over the weekend, while deep cleaning work at northbound local platforms along the route continues, the northbound platforms at the two express stations will be open, according to the agency, which had earlier explained that doing the work simultaneously at both local and express stations would be more efficient.

Then, next week, when work moves over to the southbound side, the southbound platforms at Kings Highway and Church Avenue will also remain open, a change from the original plan that would have seen both the local and express platforms closed while the work was done.

It was a relatively quick about-face for the MTA. The Brooklyn Reporter reached out to the agency at the beginning of the week after learning that — to facilitate the project — not only were the Manhattan-bound platforms at the Avenue M, Avenue J, Avenue H, Cortelyou Road and Beverley Road stations closed, but Manhattan-bound trains were also skipping Kings Highway and Church Avenue, where riders normally transfer for northbound service, during work hours on weekdays, as well as on weekends, to enable MTA workers to perform deep station cleaning.

The MTA now says it wants to limit disruptions to customers and will continue with the deep cleaning at the stations but will do so in a way that will enable it to keep Kings Highway and Church Avenue platforms open for customers over the weekend and during next week’s midday work and weekend work as well.

Northbound trains will stop at Kings Highway and Church Avenue this weekend, and southbound trains will stop at those stations next week when work closes the southbound local platforms at the affected stations.