You Told Us is a regular feature in which we highlight comments from users in the communities DNAinfo covers.
QUEENS — The planned closure of the 67th Avenue subway station in Forest Hills has sparked a heated debate among readers.
The station, along with the Parsons Boulevard stop in Jamaica and several stations in Astoria, will be among 30 citywide slated to be temporarily shut down in order to "be completely renewed," Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced last Friday.
The MTA said Monday that it was too early to say when specifically the 67th Avenue station on the M and R lines will be closed, but the rehab, which will make the stop "cleaner, brighter" and easier to navigate, will take six months to a year and is expected to be finished by 2020.
Numerous readers expressed concerns about the project. Many said it will turn their commute into a nightmare:
► "Closing the 67th Avenue station, for any period of time, is a horrible idea. It's bad for both straphangers and local businesses. An overcrowded platform at 63rd drive is not a viable solution. The neighborhood must organize against this proposal!"
— Neighborhood Square user steve-kleinberg
Some suggested that the MTA should conduct the renovations in a more efficient and less disruptive way.
► "I don't understand how they couldn't come up with a plan that just close down one side at a time at 67 Ave. It would marginally affect your commute because you could transfer at 71 Av-Forest Hills or at 63rd Drive or Roosevelt for whatever trains you need. This is also the only subway stop that serves Forest Hills High School."
— Neighborhood Square user justin-theodore
► "If they close the 67th Avenue station in Rego, then Mr. Cuomo better have his driver pick me up to and from work. It will be an outrageous mistake to close this station completely for six months to a YEAR???? Like, really? You can build a 100 story building in that time..."
— Neighborhood Square user LoisLane
► "WHY CAN'T THEY CLOSE ONE HALF OF THE STATION AT A TIME? This would give passengers the ability to at least get a train. Parsons Blvd has another train station about 4 blocks away t Jamaica Center we do not! I think members of the community should fight for this option!"
— Neighborhood Square user ari-silverstein
Several readers said the agency should direct their resources towards more urgent issues:
► "I use the 67th Ave station everyday. Sure, like a lot of the IND stations, it's pretty utilitarian and lacking the ornamentation of the older IRT and BMT lines, but I wouldn't say it's in desperate need of renovation, either. Except for multiple homeless persons who have taken up residence, the station is kept fairly clean, and it's hard to imagine people have trouble 'navigating' it since its layout is pretty straightforward. What would be cool, if the MTA is looking to spend a bunch of money in the neighborhood, is to create a new entrance/exit on the south side of Queens Blvd near 70th Ave/MacDonald Park, since there's only an exit on the north side of the boulevard at that end."
— Neighborhood Square user paparinemo
"... How about fixing the actual trains and the train tracks before making the train stations look "pretty." Literally almost every week there are major signal problems at Queensboro plaza and express and local trains (E,F,M,R) are always affected by the signal issues. Also, the 67th train stop doesn't really need any fixing up. There are so many people that live in this area and shutting down any form of transportation is absolutely ridiculous and will affect the neighborhood drastically."
— Neighborhood Square user lisa-christine-marino
But some defended the project, advising other straphangers to be patient:
► "All good things come with time"
— Neighborhood Square user Bori59
► "I know that there is a major inconvenience on these stations to be renovated because there are no other public transportation options out there. However, by the end the day, in a subway system the runs 24/7/365 a year and maintaining these stations to the state of good repair is a major challenge, the MTA have to take necessary and drastic measures, as ordered by the governor, that could be beneficial in the long run. In terms of saving money, gaining convedience, as well as improving reliability, what choice do we have right now, in terms of closing these subway stations: 1) Weekend maintainence; 2) Fastrack; or 3) A 6 to 12 month shutdown?"
— Neighborhood Square user pvaldezriverajr
