A Stairway to Heaven Returned

Quite quietly escalator ES416 returned to service this week at the Roosevelt Island subway station connecting the lower mezzanine to the upper mezzanine. It was slated to reopen September 19th a date that came and was gone with no fan fare or explanation as to why service had not been restored. The escalator had been taken out of service I believe in early to mid July from what I recall.

No big fuss was made by this blog as generally ES415 right next to it was up and running most days allowing riders to make their way up towards street level (or at least half way there).

All I can say is we generally take the escalators for granted until that time or two when they are out and you are carrying more bags than you would want to climbing the steps out after a long day.

Does this post have any real point other than to thank the MTA for finally finishing this project? Not really.

For Subway Stairs - We're Counted Third !

Apparently a runner from the Prospect Park Track Club who likes climbing subway stairs has counted the Roosevelt Island subway station's steps and placed us third in total stairs among comparable stations:

>209 steps - Lex/63rd Street

>175 steps - Smith Street

>159 steps - Roosevelt Island

So do staircases step up onto little staircases to accept their gold, silver, and bronze medals?

For a video of what it is like to walk down the Roosevelt Island stairs here you are. Note this video was shot before the current restoration was completed of the half the escalators and once completed the stairs no longer felt so closed by the construction walls . Also the lighting is much much better than the light in the video.

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Subway Stairwell Glass Panel Replacement?

Now that the escalators at the Roosevelt Island subway station have been replaced and for the most part are working normally it is time to submit our requests for general maintenance of this subway station.

For the past few weeks the stairwell down to the Manhattan bound platform has needed the glass / plexi panel at the base of the stair to be replaced. It has seen its caution tape slip and tear and as such tape disappears I worry that my kids and others will not notice the missing panel and perhaps fall through.

Ms. Deirdre Parker, spokewoman for NYC Transit, upon my request has notified the Station Department of the need to speed up this panel's replacement. If there are other requests I suggest calls be made into 311 or ket me know and I will pass the issues along accordingly.

The Stairs Down Roosevelt Island's Subway Station

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For those of you wondering how bad the stairs at the Roosevelt Island subway station could possibly be I have prepared the above video.

If the elevators go out this is what our residents have to deal with as long as the lone pair escalators from the Street to the Lower Mezzanine are locked as "up only".

Now don't get me wrong, I'd rather walk down this never ending stairway than up it and I just putting this video out there so people can see how deep the stairs and escalators have to go.