MTA reopens Bedford Ave. entrances of Nostrand Ave. A/C station

February 5, 2021 Raanan Geberer

MTA Chief Customer Service Officer Sarah Meyer (left) and NYPD Transit Bureau Chief Kathleen O’Reilly presided over the reopening of long-closed subway entrances at Bedford Avenue and Fulton Street. Photo courtesy of MTA

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Several entrances to a Brooklyn subway station, which were closed more than 30 years ago during the city’s high-crime era, were reopened on Thursday.

In a brief news conference, MTA brass officially reopened the Bedford Avenue entrances to the A and C line’s Nostrand Avenue station. Among other things, this makes the commute easier for subway riders at Bedford Avenue and Fulton Street who now no longer have to walk almost a quarter-mile to the open entrance at Nostrand in rain, snow and other inclement weather.

Inside the station, workers scraped and repainted surfaces, repaired and replaced tile, rehabilitated stairways and installed new LED lighting, OMNY-enabled turnstiles and security features such as Help Point intercoms and cameras. On the sidewalk level, workers installed sidewalk entrances in accordance with current New York City Transit design standard, according to the MTA.

Taking center stage at the brief ceremony were Sarah Meyer, MTA chief customer service officer, and NYPD Transit Bureau Chief Kathleen O’Reilly. Meyer said that in addition to protecting transit riders from the weather, the reopening of the entrances will provide subway riders with a direct connection to the B44 bus and a connection between the eastbound and westbound platforms.

“This is a new day for the subway system, a new day for New York City,” said Meyer, who added that the MTA is in the process of closing more long-shuttered entrances and exits.

A renovated underground passageway between the reopened entrance at Bedford Avenue and the main mezzanine area of the A and C trains’ Nostrand Avenue station. Photo courtesy of MTA

Several questioners asked about current-day safety concerns, referencing recent slashing and shoving incidents underground. Chief O’Reilly answered, “We are deploying more officers in the mezzanines, more on the platforms and more on the trains.” She added that in some cases, plainclothes officers have been replaced by uniformed officers to deter crime.

Another questioner asked whether the entrance would become disabled-accessible. Meyer answered that she was “thrilled” that an elevator for the station was in the 2020 capital plan. “We have really ambitious plans to install hundreds of elevators throughout the system,” providing that federal funding is available, she added.

“I am excited about the reopening of the Bedford Avenue entrances to the Nostrand A and C Subway Lines,” said Assemblymember Stefani L. Zinerman (D-Crown Heights-Bed-Stuy). “This additional access point to the trains in my District will help to alleviate congestion, support social distancing and offer a more timely and comfortable commute. I want to thank my predecessor, Tremaine Wright, for her hard work and forethought in ensuring the needs of the community were addressed by supporting the opening of this station.”

Councilmember Robert E. Cornegy offered a somewhat unusual comment. “[Jazz trumpeter] Freddie Hubbard recorded ‘Nostrand and Fulton’ in 1962. Now the subway station there not only has its own jazz tune, it also has a new entrance,” he said.

The project cost approximately $2 million. Of that total, approximately $1 million came from MTA New York City Transit, $750,000 was provided by former Assemblymember Wright and $250,000 was provided by former State Sen. Velmanette Montgomery.