Federal stimulus money will be pouring into Brooklyn for work along the D and M subway lines.
A whopping $242 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is being directed to stations along the West End Line, according to Rep. Michael McMahon. In total, $1.2 billion is being directed to improving New York City mass transit, according to McMahon.
“Residents of south Brooklyn already have some of the longest commutes in the country,” noted McMahon. “In addition, New York City is the most mass transit-dependent city in the country.
“For far too long, lack of investment from the federal government has meant that much-needed maintenance and rehabilitation has taken a back seat,” he went on. “With this funding, tangible improvements will be made which will improve the quality of service for residents of south Brooklyn.”
McMahon said the construction work that the station rehabs will set in motion will be a source of new jobs, a key purpose of the stimulus package.
In all, 12 stations along the West End line will be renovated. These are 50th Street ($6.6 million), 55th Street ($6.6 million), 62nd Street ($19.7 million), 71st Street ($9.1 million), 79th Street ($9.1 million), Ninth Avenue ($27.9 million), 18th Avenue ($8.5 million), 20th Avenue ($8.5 million), 25th Avenue ($8.5 million), Bay 50th Street ($9.1 million), Bay Parkway ($21.9 million, plus $14.6 million to make the station ADA compliant) and Fort Hamilton Parkway ($27.6 million).
The line structure will be rehabilitated along two stretches — from 63rd Street to Bay 50th Street, at a cost of $42.7 million, and between Ninth Avenue and 63rd Street, at a cost of $22.3 million.
In all, the stimulus package has dedicated $8 billion to mass transit across the country. According to McMahon, New York got the largest piece of the pie of any city in the U.S.
