Uptown Subway Station To Reopen After Months-Long Renovation
Uptown Subway Station To Reopen After Months-Long Renovation
The West 163rd Street C train station will reopen on Thursday, Sept. 27, the MTA announced.
By Brendan Krisel, Patch National Staff | Sep 25, 2018 1:49 pm ET | Updated Sep 25, 2018 1:49 pm ET
WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — A Washington Heights subway station that was shut down in March is set to reopen with new design features and structural fixes, the Metropolitan Transit Authority announced.
The West 163rd Street C train station will reopen to the public on Thursday, Sept. 27, transit officials announced. Passengers have been forced to catch the train at West 168th Street or West 155th Street since the station was closed in March as part of the MTA's Enhanced Stations Initiative.
The renovated station will feature four new glass mosaic murals designed by New York-based artist Firelei Báez, which are replacing tiled walls that had fallen into disrepair. The murals "feature patterns and symbols of the cultural communities represented in the Washington Heights neighborhood" and are located in the station's mezzanine and on the platforms, transit officials said.
Additional new features include: Improved signage, countdown clocks, digital information displays, illuminated guardrails, new LED lighting and security cameras in select locations throughout the station.
"We're so excited to be returning this station to the neighborhood better than it has ever been, after much-needed repairs and improvements," New York City Transit President Andy Byford said in a statement. "Structural fixes as well as modern touches like more real-time service info, energy-efficient lighting and updated security system mean a safer, easier to use station for our customers."
In addition to aesthetic upgrades, workers conducted structural fixes during the six-month renovation project. The repairs include: Replacing floor slabs and existing tiles on platform and mezzanine walls, repairing slabs and steel columns, waterproofing areas with leakage problems and power washing the station.
Accessibility advocates criticized the MTA's plan for the station when it was closed to the public in March. Members of TransitCenter, advocates and Comptroller Scott Stringer said that the MTA's Enhanced Stations Initiative falls short because it doesn't include plans to build new elevators at stations that aren't accessible to people in wheelchairs or who can't otherwise use stairs.
Photo by Brendan Krisel/Patch