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QUEENS WEEKLY, JUNE 9, 2019
Debris falls off 7 line again; MTA agrees to netting plan
BY MARK HALLUM
The MTA will finally
deploy safety netting under
the 7 line in Queens after yet
another episode of falling
debris from the elevated
tracks on Roosevelt Avenue
in Woodside last week.
Erin Koster says she
was walking below the
tracks on June 3 when two
large pieces of steel came
crashing down near her
head, an experience that
left her not only shaken
but angry.
Koster said she was
crossing Roosevelt Avenue
with another woman near
the 53rd Street entrance
of the 52nd Street station
when 10 to 15 feet away, the
metal fell to the ground.
“It’s a busy area and
people have to walk under
the train all the time,”
Koster told QNS. “I just
remembered that there
had been other incidents,
so I thought, let me tell
somebody about this.”
Koster, who lives just
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north of the train the 52nd
Street Station, took to
Twitter to inform elected
officials and MTA.
Koster’s experience is
unique in that she was not
in a vehicle at the time of
the incident, but falling
debris is far from the
public’s minds.
In late February, the
windshield of a car was
pierced by a wooden beam
that fell on the east side of
the 61st Street – Woodside
Station. The driver was
not injured.
On March 6, a large
chunk of rusted metal
fell on another vehicle,
smashing the windshield
and causing other
body damage.
Later that month,
more debris struck cars
including one in Long
Island City – beneath the 7
train – and another vehicle
in Ozone Park along the
A train.
Councilman Jimmy
Van Bramer responded to
these events with a request
to New York City Transit
President Andy Byford to
deploy netting beneath the
7 train.
In a May 13 letter
to Van Bramer, Byford
explained that the agency
had launched a serious
effort to address the
incidents of debris falling
with an aggressive
inspection effort.
“We have initiated
a close-up inspection of
our structure from the
underside, using lift-trucks
by a combined engineering
and maintenance team,”
Byford said in the letter.
“During these inspections,
the team identifies and
clears imminent issues that
could result in material
falling … We are now in the
midst of two additional blitz
inspections to reinforce
protective measures.”
Byford told Van Bramer
in the letter that protective
netting would impede these
efforts of inspection, but
that the recommendation
was under review. He added
that the installation would
cause traffic disruptions.
After Monday’s incident,
the agency is now taking
this measure.
“This has the attention
of the highest levels of
MTA leadership,” MTA
spokesman Shams Tarek
said Tuesday. “We are
working to quickly put into
place an initial deployment
of netting to understand if
it can be used to contain
debris while also still
providing enough visibility
and access to perform
regular inspections. The 7
line has undergone multiple
inspections of its structure
in recent months, and the
debris that was found today
appears to have broken
clean recently with no
signs of slow deterioration
or stress that would have
been visible earlier. We’re
glad that no one was hurt
and look forward to seeing
the results of a netting pilot
which will be deployed in
limited locations around
the city including the 7
line.”In March, Tarek told
QNS that crews walk the 7
train at least twice a week
on foot, inspecting for
possible hazards.
“After five consecutive
incidents this year of debris
crashing down from the
7 train and nearly hitting
pedestrians and drivers, I
am thankful that the MTA
has finally agreed to start
installing protective netting
under parts of the elevated
7 train in Woodside,” Van
Bramer said. “This is a
hard-earned victory after
months of advocacy, but it is
also just the start. We need
netting under the entire
elevated 7 train structure
to guarantee the safety of
all Queens residents until
this dangerous situation
is under control....We
must keep the pressure
on the MTA to ensure that
all of our city’s elevated
subway structures are safe
and secure.”
A worker inspects the elevated 7 line in Woodside.
Photo: Mark Hallum/QNS
/NHSJ
/WW.NHSJ.ORG
