HIKIND CRITICIZES MTA FOR HAZARDOUS SUBWAY CONDITIONS IN BORO PARK, MIDWOOD

NEWS FROM
ASSEMBLYMAN DOV HIKIND

August 21, 2012

Contact: Yehudah Meth                                                       For Immediate Release

718-853-9616 (office)

REPORT SHOWS CRACKS ON LEDGES ENDANGER COMMUTERS

“IMPERIL RIDERS FOR THE WANT OF A NAIL? WHO IS MONITORING THESE CONDITIONS?”

Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) today criticized the MTA for ignoring dangerous subway conditions in his district. The Assemblyman’s office recently concluded a new study of the conditions on the various subway lines that run through Boro Park and Midwood, where egregious conditions were documented on both the Manhattan- and Brooklyn-bound sides of the 18th Avenue, Bay Parkway, and Avenue N stations. Wooden ledges along the F line platforms were found to be completely run down in some areas, with multiple cracks and holes creating the potential for a serious calamity.

“This is outrageous,” said Assemblyman Hikind. “Will it take a tragedy for the MTA to get serious about monitoring the state of the system?”

The Assemblyman has maintained the issue of subway safety for years, since his constituent, a 14-year old boy, was nearly killed as he boarded a northbound Q train; the platform edge crumbled beneath the boy, plunging him onto the tracks.

Over the years, studies conducted by the Assemblyman’s office have revealed similar shoddy circumstances to that of the Kings Highway station throughout the transit system.

“If my staff can lead a discovery mission in our own district, I would certainly hope there are MTA employees directly responsible for fact-finding and fact-reporting with regard to hazardous conditions on transit lines,” said Assemblyman Hikind. “I would like to know who these transit employees report to and how frequently these procedures occur. More importantly, I demand that the hazardous conditions which we’ve discovered are immediately addressed. Endangering riders for the want of a nail is outrageous.”