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El upgrades to be done soon at Ozone Pk. stop

El upgrades to be done soon at Ozone Pk. stop
Photo by Bianca Fortis
By Bianca Fortis

Design plans to upgrade the Ozone Park-Lefferts Boulevard train station are about 95 percent complete, representatives from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said this week.

The elevated station is being upgraded so it will be ADA compliant, Joseph Raskin, assistant director of government and community relations for the MTA, told Community Board 10 at its regular meeting Monday night.

Raskin said the project had been delayed by a few months because of design changes, but Richmond Hill residents can expect to see construction beginning in January.

The construction will not require the station to be closed, according to Kevin Ortiz, an MTA spokesman.

Because the project is still being designed, there is no estimated cost yet.

“It’s going to do a lot for the station, and it’s going to do a lot for the people in the area,” Raskin said.

One major component of the project is the addition of two elevators that will operate 24 hours a day. They will be located on the southwest corner of the station and run from the street to the mezzanine level and from the mezzanine to the platform level, said Vinod Patel, a design manager for the MTA.

The initial design had only one elevator and the second was added because of code requirements, Patel said.

Brightly colored raised tile, known as ADA warning strips, will be added along the platform. The platform will also be modified to reduce gaps.

Additional features, such as handrails and Braille signage, will be placed throughout the station.

Other parts of the station will also be renovated. The platform stairs will be replaced, any damaged columns will be repaired and the roof under the tracks will be repaired. The mezzanine and platform will also receive a fresh coat of paint.

The Q112 bus currently stops where the elevator will be placed. The bus stop will be moved further down the street, Patel said.

The project was first announced at the CB 10 meeting in March 2012.

The MTA also plans to renovate five other stations along Liberty Avenue: 111th Street, 104th Street, Rockaway Boulevard, 88th Street and 80th Street. The cost of those upgrades will be $43 million, Ortiz said.

According to the MTA website, there are 16 ADA-compliant subway stations in Queens.

Reach reporter Bianca Fortis by email at bfortis@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.