The Metropolitan Transit Authority completed a new terminal at the Canarsie–Rockaway Parkway station that allows seamless transfers between bus and subway service, and is the only station of its kind in eastern Brooklyn, according to the city’s chief transit honcho.
“The Rockaway Parkway station is the only link between the subway and buses in this part of eastern Brooklyn, which is why it’s so important that this station be accessible to anyone using public transit here,” said NYC Transit President Andy Byford in May. “With this expansive improvement project, we’re making sure that whether you’re a subway or a bus customer — or very likely both — you will have seamless access to every part of the station and that you have the amenities for a comfortable and clean commute.”
The new improvements to the 113-year-old transit hub — which began construction in May — allows passengers to board the B6, B42, B82, B82 SBS and the B6 LTD buses from inside the terminal, instead of waiting outside in the cold, according to the Transit Authority.
Over the course of the seven-month construction, the subway station remained in service, but buses were redirected to stop outside of the terminal.
The Canarsie L-station — located between Smiths Lane and E. 98th Street — is one of only a few street-level stations in the city’s subway system, making the integration of bus stops within the station’s property possible, and leading the MTA to also prioritize the improvement of the station’s existing accessibility features, according to the MTA.
Along with the easier transfers, the renovated intermodal terminal also features accessibility improvements to the station’s platform edges, sidewalk curbs and station ramps.
The completion of the bus terminal marks the beginning of the project’s second phase which will close the existing station house to conduct a slew of improvements including constructing a new unisex bathroom, upgrading the station’s agent booth with wheelchair-height amenities and replacing doors, windows and roofs. Travelers will be directed to pay their fares using MetroCard vending machines outside of the station until the project’s completion slated for the spring.
The MTA declined to comment on the project’s cost.
