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| MTA delays reopening of Smith-9th Sts subway station until fall---riders & merchants fuming (1145958) | |||
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MTA delays reopening of Smith-9th Sts subway station until fall---riders & merchants fuming |
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Posted by gold_12th on Thu Mar 22 14:18:58 2012 The MTA has delayed the reopening of the Smith-9th St. subway station - leaving straphangers fuming and local businesses fearing it could deal their bottom lines a fatal blow.The Carroll Gardens F and G train station - also the closest stop for many in transit-starved Red Hook - has been closed for a major renovation project since last June, and was slated to reopen this month - but now MTA officials say it won’t be open until fall due to construction complications. “I really might have to close my whole business down because of this,” said Abdul Zaokari, owner of 9th Street Luncheonette below the subway station, who has already scaled his opening hours back four hours. "I've asked MTA to give me a break since I pay them for my rent, but they don't listen. And even worse, they don't realize how many customers used to come here in the morning, for lunch and even for a quick dinner. I've lost 80 percent of those customers. "I really don't know how my business can survive until November when they say the subway will be finished,” he said. MTA spokesman Charles Seaton said the opening was pushed back because of “especially challenging conditions” due to the age of the 78-year-old station, which has never been fixed up before, and its height, the tallest in the subway system. “We regret the inconvenience,” he said. Abdul Ali, 38, who works at 9th Street Deli, said business is down 75% since the station closed. "The postponement of the subway station is killing our business,” he said. "Our deli is barely surviving, but at least it's still alive. Shops all around here are closing since we don't have the kind of rushes we had in the past." Many riders are forced to take longer walks or wait for the notoriously slow B61 bus. "It's just ridiculous how this whole thing has gone down and how we continue to suffer and deal with this annoyance,” said William Maneggio; 45, of Carroll Gardens. “Now we’re paying for extra rides on any of the bus routes toward Smith St., all because they keep pushing the subway construction back.” The $32 million renovations are part of the Culver Viaduct Rehabilitation Project, and will include new lights, a public address system, and fixed up platforms and stairs. --- http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/mta-delays-reopening-smith-9th-st-subway-station-fall-article-1.1048468#ixzz1ps45yD9q |
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