Report: 1 out of 3 New York City subway stations have 'serious structural deficiencies'
NEW YORK (WABC) -- One-third of New York City subways stations have serious structural deficiencies, according to a report released by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
Every five years, officials rate the conditions of all 472 stations by looking at structural components, like stairs, platforms, and ventilators, and architectural components, like tiles, lighting, walls, and ceilings.
One of the most significant concerns is the state of subway platform edges, two-thirds of which were worn or damaged.
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The report stated that 158, or around one-third, of all stations had serious structural deficiencies. This is an improvement from the last survey, which reported 188.
Out of all the stations, only 31 had no deficiencies.
This report comes months after debris falling from subway platforms in Queens nearly caused serious injuries.
"The rising number of potentially hazardous worn or damaged platform edges is particularly troubling," DiNapoli said in a statement.
Over the past 37 years, 287 stations have been renovated and countless others have had components repaired, at a cost of more than $6 billion.
Click here to read the full report.
In response, the MTA released a statement:
"As the comptroller notes in his report, NYC Transit has made significant strides at station repairs systemwide thanks to a station maintenance program that focuses on addressing individual components with serious defects. This is in lieu of performing major structural work throughout a station - work that often requires closures or bypasses that inconveniences customers. The comptroller's conclusion about the number of stations in fully repaired condition is flawed in that many more stations contain only minor issues, affecting neither safety nor the customer experience. Those stations are understandably not prioritized for immediate repair. By focusing on high-priority defects separately, we are able to respond to serious issues quickly making the most of our limited resources efficiently and cost-effectively. The Fast Forward Plan to modernize NYC Transit, the comprehensive MTA reorganization to focus resources on customer-facing improvements, and the historic passage of central business district tolling will all help to maintain and enhance stations throughout the system."
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