Astoria Boulevard station reopens to riders

The Astoria Boulevard station reopened to riders after months of renovation. Photo via State Sen. Michael Gianaris, Twitter.

By Jonathan Sperling

The Astoria Boulevard station reopened to riders on Wednesday, nine months after the MTA closed it down for critical structural renovations.

The 102-year-old station, located along the N/W line in Astoria, was closed down in March 2019 so that the MTA could complete the first phase of its construction plan, which included building a new mezzanine, building four new platform staircases and two new street staircases, installed new LED lighting and built new canopy roofs on the platform.

Riders had full subway service at Astoria Boulevard beginning Wednesday night, despite freezing temperatures and a sudden snow squall. More than 4.2 million passengers utilized the station in 2018, placing it among the most trafficked stations in Queens.

“Our customers were absolutely thrilled to return to this station last night and I’m thrilled for them,” New York City Transit President Andy Byford said in a statement following the station’s reopening. “I’m proud of the team that delivered this complicated phase of the project safely, on time and on budget, and excited for when we finish the job with complete accessibility at the station. Our commitment to upgrading the infrastructure throughout this area of Queens is a huge win for local residents and will vastly improve the customer experience.”

The MTA noted that the reopening of the station only marked the completion of the first phase of construction at Astoria Boulevard. The agency is still working on installing new benches, rebuilding elevated walkways, building a pair of new street-to-mezzanine staircases and — perhaps the most accessible feature of all — four elevators.

All construction at the station is expected to be completed sometime in late 2020, according to the MTA.

In a statement, area Councilmember Costa Constantinides, a borough president candidate, called the construction, “a long few months for a lot of us who use this station,” adding that he was “glad to see the authority kept to its word on finishing this December.”

“Our community will continue to hold them accountable, however, to ensure the elevators are installed on time. Astoria has been an accessibility desert for too long, and we won’t stop fighting until every station in western Queens can be used by everyone,” Constantinides said.