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Want to be ‘friends’ with a subway station? A Brooklyn councilmember seeks volunteers.
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Mar 5, 2023
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John McCarten/NYC Council Media Unit
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Mar 5, 2023
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Five Brooklyn subway stations are in need of “friends” – and a member of the City Council from Brooklyn wants to help.
Councilmember Lincoln Restler has launched a volunteer program to get New Yorkers involved in improvements to their local MTA subway stations. He’s calling the effort the “Friends of MTA Station Group,” likening the effort to volunteer groups for parks and PTAs at schools.
“I hope that by bringing together small business owners and neighbors and folks who believe in our mass transit system, we can actually make a difference in improving their experience,” Restler said. “And together, we'll work through it. We'll identify issues and solutions and meet on a recurring basis to ensure accountability.”
The group will focus on five stations: High Street-Brooklyn Bridge, Borough Hall, Jay Street-MetroTech, Bedford Avenue and Nassau Avenue. Restler, who represents neighborhoods from Boerum Hill to Greenpoint, said those stops are the subject of the most complaints to his office.
Restler confirmed he’s not looking for donations – just people willing to work with the MTA and “support station condition improvements and create a framework for accountability,” according to a Thursday press release.
“Groups will meet with MTA and other agency officials to discuss station conditions, conduct walk-throughs, and learn more about what is currently done under MTA’s operating and capital budgets. The purpose of this engagement model is to provide the community with a better understanding of their stations and have a consistent line of communication with the MTA,” the release states.
MTA spokesperson Michael Cortez said the agency “welcomes” Restler’s plan, which complements other efforts by the agency to improve riders’ experiences.
Jon Orcutt, a transit advocate and transportation policy expert, also endorsed the idea.
"This initiative is a great way to promote accountability with New York City Transit and to enhance subway customers’ experience,” Orcutt wrote in a statement.
Tagged
transportation
brooklyn
Stephen Nessen
Stephen Nessen covers transportation. Since 2008 he has reported on everything from Occupy Wall Street, the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site, Hurricane Sandy, to Trump’s campaign for president. His transportation reporting has taken him everywhere from the MTA’s secret Rail Control Center to the gleaming subways of Seoul. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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