The Metropolitan Transportation Authority needs to get in gear and finally repair a “critical” escalator at a busy Upper East Side subway station that was supposed to be fixed over a month ago, a Manhattan pol is demanding.
Councilwoman Julie Menin (D-Manhattan) fired off a letter Saturday to MTA Chairman Janno Lieber, ripping the agency for failing to make good on a promise to fix a massive escalator connecting the upper and lower levels of the East 72nd Street Q train station on Second Avenue.
“Despite being in the top 10% of all stations in ridership and part of the newest line in the New York City Transit System, the 72nd Street Station has had endemic escalator malfunctions,” Menin wrote Lieber. “It is unacceptable that a critical escalator at this station has been out of service for almost three months and that the MTA has continued to push back the repair date.
The work was supposed to be completed March 31 and her office has been fielding many complaints from irate straphangers over the stalled project, Menin said.
“This escalator continues to serve as a safety hazard, an accessibility issue, and as an impromptu trash receptacle.”
The MTA blamed the delays on the unavailability of needed parts and materials to make repairs and estimates the escalator to be back in service May 8.
“Accessibility within the transit system is a top priority at the MTA, and ensuring that escalators are operating in a safe manner is an essential part of that mission,” said MTA spokesperson Meghan Keegan.