Queensboro Plaza Revamp Set To Begin, Forcing Subway Suspensions

LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS — A major project that will add elevators and other improvements to the busy-but-inaccessible Queensboro Plaza station is set to begin next month — promising to snarl subway service on weekends.

The MTA will build two elevators at the 7-N-W station, which serves 70,000 daily weekday riders but remains ADA-inaccessible. One elevator will be built on its south side, running from the street at Queens Plaza South, while the second will connect the station's mezzanine to its two platforms.

A third elevator is also being built by a private developer on the station's north side, as part of a separate project. The MTA-led renovations will also expand Queensboro's mezzanine by around 50 feet, add new lighting, construct ADA-compliant boarding areas, and upgrade the station's stairways.

Commuters may welcome the improvements, but there's a more immediate concern: service shutdowns.

Starting on Saturday, Feb. 4, 7 trains will stop running on six weekends between Queensboro Plaza and 34th Street-Hudson Yards in Manhattan. The 7 train shutdowns will be in effect from 12:15 a.m. Saturday to 5 a.m. Monday during the first weekend, and 3:45 a.m. Saturday to 10 p.m. Monday on the following weekends:

• Feb. 11 – Feb. 12
• Feb. 25 – Feb. 26
• Mar. 11 – Mar. 12
• Mar. 25 – Mar. 26
• Apr. 22 – Apr. 23

A free shuttle bus will run from Queensboro Plaza to Vernon Blvd-Jackson Ave. during the closures. For service between Manhattan and Queens, the MTA suggests taking the N-W from Queensboro or the E-F-R trains from 74th Street-Broadway while the 7 is not running.

Similar closures on the N line will begin in May, and more weekend service changes will follow in late 2023 and 2024, the MTA said. Updates on service changes will be posted on the MTA website, the MYmta app, social media, and on station signs.

Work on the $74 million MTA-led project will wrap up by mid-2024, with other enhancements including new fire alarm, public address and security camera systems, as well as digital information screens.

The work will be unusually complicated, since it must be done over an 11-lane approach ramp to the Queensboro Bridge, the agency said.

The non-MTA elevator coming to Queensboro Plaza's north side will be built by the developer Grubb Properties, which is at work building a 26-story apartment tower on the same block. The developer is taking advantage of a city rule approved in 2021 that offers zoning bonuses in exchange for improvements to the subway system.

Grubb's project will be completed by 2025, and will also include replacing the pedestrian bridge on the station's north side. The developer will fully fund and care for the new north entrance, "saving the MTA millions of dollars in construction and maintenance costs," according to the agency.

"The improvements coming to Queensboro Plaza will greatly benefit tens of thousands of riders," NYC Transit President Richard Davey said in a statement.

"Accessibility is such an integral part of mass transit, especially for a city like New York where mass transit is essential for many. When complete, the project will provide critical accessibility upgrades, security updates, and customer experience improvements throughout the station."

Related coverage:

• Queensboro Plaza Getting Revamp With 3 New Elevators, Nicer Platforms
• New LIC Tower Would Make Queensboro Plaza Accessible, Finally