The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced transit crews completed functional and aesthetic upgrades at Whitehall St subway station in the Financial District in Manhattan and at Aqueduct Racetrack station in Ozone Park, Queens. This work is part of New York City Transit (NYCT)’s Re-NEW-vation Program, which utilizes planned service outages to perform repairs, deep cleaning and station upgrades, providing customers with brighter and better station environments when service resumes.
At Whitehall St Station, NYCT workers removed and replaced outdated signage, installed new LED light fixtures brightening the entire station, scraped and repainted station entrances, scrubbed water stains and cleaned station ceilings and tiles. Workers also made extensive repairs to track ceilings and track columns by deep cleaning and repainting large sections.
At Aqueduct Racetrack Station, workers made extensive concrete repairs mitigating tripping hazards. The iconic subway globes located at the station’s entrances were deep cleaned. Workers updated lighting with LED fixtures and installed 80 new LED lights in previously darkened areas. Overgrown vegetation that had been encroaching on the platform was trimmed back. The board protecting the platform from damage as trains pass by was repaired and surfaces throughout the stations were scraped, primed, and repainted totaling over 30,000 square feet.
“The completed Re-NEW-vations at Whitehall St and Aqueduct Racetrack demonstrate our continued momentum delivering the improvements customers want at their stations,” said NYC Transit President Richard Davey. “From brighter and safer lighting, repaired concrete, comprehensive repainting, and the installation of bird deterrents at the elevated Aqueduct Racetrack Station, the work completed at these stations will make the subway faster, cleaner, and safer for customers."
“New Yorkers are entitled to a safe, clean and welcoming trip whenever they use the subway — not just while on the train, but while navigating the stations too. Thank you to the MTA for giving the Aqueduct Racetrack train station a much-needed overhaul, ensuring this station not only looks more inviting, but is safer for our riders to pass through as well,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. "I look forward to additional stations across the borough receiving these maintenance upgrades, as we create inviting spaces for our neighbors while they go about their travels.”
“The MTA worked to revitalize the Aqueduct Racetrack Station which will benefit the residents of Ozone Park, and the surrounding community," said New York State Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato. "This work also adds an enormous benefit for the employees and patrons of Resorts World NYC and the Hyatt Hotel who use that station. The station has new safety improvements, lighting upgrades, and I am thrilled to see the intense cleaning and repairs made to this station. I applaud the re-NEW-vation Program for their success in helping our community with these important and sought after upgrades. Let’s all shout ‘all aboard.’”
“It’s great to see the MTA putting our taxpayer dollars to work to better our communities here in Council District 32,” said Council Member Joann Ariola. “New lighting, repainted surfaces, and other repairs in our subway stations are all key components towards improving the quality of life for New Yorkers, and I would like to thank the MTA for making these incredibly necessary improvements to one of our local stations.”
In October, NYCT announced it had delivered on its promised goal of completing re-NEW-vations at 50 subway stations by the end of the year.