By Gabriela Resto-Montero
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
UPPER EAST SIDE — Midterm grades are in for the Second Avenue subway construction project, and despite some public outcry against the MTA's handling of the project so far, a new report gives the overall project a "B" grade.
A host of elected officials, all of whom have some portion of the construction in their districts, released the report grading the MTA project based on factors including the agency's communication with the public, project planning, and whether the construction remains on schedule.
"This is a great project and it's been a vital source of good-paying jobs in the worst economic environment we've seen since the Great Depression," Maloney said in a statement Saturday.
The MTA's project grade got a boost from categories including the long-term "economic benefits" of the new subway, including the jobs created by the construction, which earned the MTA an "A+". They also got high marks for communication with the public, citing the MTA website and their community liason, which earned the agency a "B+."
But the grades for the construction project weren't all rosy, as certain categories fell short of the average.
Elected officials gave the MTA a "C-", for their "mitigation of construction impact," citing the agency's lack of foresight in how severely the project would impact Second Avenue businesses.
"Today, we're serving notice that we're keeping an eye on the MTA, and we're going to keep pushing to make sure this project keeps moving forward, with no further delays," Maloney said.
"The poor economy may have been the final nail in the coffin for some, but Second Avenue businesses are unquestionably feeling the impact of lost sidewalk cafes, narrowed sidewalks, constant construction noise, barricades, poor visibility and reduced pedestrian traffic," the report read.
Although Maloney counted 14 businesses that have closed down on the avenue as a result of the construction, Guiseppe Pecora, 50, president of the Second Avenue Business Association said the number is closer to 18.
Businesses along the corridor have floated various remedies for spurring more traffic, including a bid to advertise on the sides of residential buildings that was rejected by Community Board 8 in May.
The MTA's budget woes also factored into the final grade, with the agency earning only a "C" grade for its problems staying on time and on budget.
Especially damaging was a Federal Transit Authorization report that stated the MTA's projected cost for the subway of $4.45 billion is unrealistic and the true cost of the subway will be $4.87 billion.
"Unless the MTA meets its projections, it will be very hard to find the resources to complete this project," Maloney's report said.
Recent construction milestones, like the progress of the Second Avenue tunnel boring machine after a slow start, and the economic benefits of building the subway and employing construction workers during its completion, both added to the high grade, according to the report.
Meanwhile, throughout the month of September, residents between East 96th Street and East 100th Street were expected to deal with around-the-clock subway construction and street closures.
