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August 17, 2009

Carroll Gardens Up in Arms Over MTA Doings

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The Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association's listserv lit up this weekend with angry messages about the MTA's plans for the neighborhood. First off, the transportation authority announced last week that the Carroll Street station entrance (update: at 2nd Place) will be closed beginning on September 14th for 10-12 months to make way for the construction at 360 Smith Street. More upsetting to residents, it seems, is the MTA's plan to phase out the station agent at the stop's President Street entrance during the period. (The station is one of dozens that are slated to see the removal of attendants in coming months as a belt-tightening measure.) An online petition has been established to protest the change.
Keep the Station Agents at Carroll Street! [iPetitions] GMAP




Posted by Gabby at 10:15 AM | Comments (25)
Categories: Carroll Gardens, Transportation

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Comments

If they phase out the station attendant wouldn't that just mean more people jumping the turnstyle?? Why do you need an attendant anyway???

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at August 17, 2009 10:19 AM

Brownstoner I assume your headline and article is not INTENTIONALLY misleading, in order to stir the pot against the development of a building here.....I cam only guess that you are not aware that the only thing that is closing IS THE ENTRANCE - the Station itself will remain OPEN.

Posted by: fsrg at August 17, 2009 10:29 AM

For one, I think attendants are there for safety and assistance reasons.

Posted by: crimsonson at August 17, 2009 10:29 AM

when no station agent at entrance - they use the other turnstiles that look like big cages.

Posted by: Petebklyn at August 17, 2009 10:35 AM

The Carroll Street stop has entrances at President Street and 2nd Place. Are they closing the 2nd Place entrance? There are toll boths at both ends, so are they just going to close the 2nd Place toll both and keep the one at President Street?

Posted by: CG_ups at August 17, 2009 10:37 AM

The F/G Carroll Station has 2 entrances about 2 blocks from each other. 1 side closes for 10-12 months. THIS IS NOT A STATION CLOSING!

From this morning's Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association email:

"Hi All,

We have been notified thru State Assemblymember Joan Millman's office that the Carroll Street train station will close beginning on Monday, Sept. 14, 2009. We understand that the station will remain closed for 10 to 12 months until the construction of 360 Smith is completed. Please note that the station agent at the President Street entrance will be removed, as a cost cutting measure, as well.

We will follow up on this announcement when we learn more from the MTA.

Maria
"


Posted by: Prodigal_Son at August 17, 2009 10:38 AM

"when no station agent at entrance - they use the other turnstiles that look like big cages."

I hated those things before I ever had a kid. Now I loathe them.

I just use the service exit and put up with the alarm.

Posted by: northsloperenter at August 17, 2009 10:43 AM

i hate those big gates too!!! i always feel like im going to be crushed in one like falling into a grain silo or something. also how do "extra large" people even fit through those?

*rob*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at August 17, 2009 10:46 AM

You can't fit through those things with either luggage or a stroller... Are they really suggesting that's feasible?

Posted by: feral at August 17, 2009 10:48 AM

I don't live near here... but I have an opinion! If they take away the station agent AND only have the "cage" style entrances, that will SUCK. What if you have a piece of luggage that's just a *little* to big and you're going to the airport... or, god forbid, a stroller.

Yeah, exiting you can use the crash bar door. But that's locked from the inside. I guess you can just stand and wait until someone walks by and beg them to open the door? Dumb.

Posted by: tybur6 at August 17, 2009 10:52 AM

ah-- so you are one of those self-absorbed idiots that set off the alarms using emergency exits.

I believe both ends of station will be open and an agent will be at 2nd St...just the entrance on west side of Smith on the plaza will be closed during constrction.

Posted by: Petebklyn at August 17, 2009 10:53 AM

If I recall correctly - the last time this closing was looming - it only included the 2nd PLACE entrance and not the entrance at 2nd STREET and Smith - just across the street. I think we need more clarification.

Posted by: urbandweller at August 17, 2009 10:57 AM

"ah-- so you are one of those self-absorbed idiots that set off the alarms using emergency exits."

If the alternative is abandoning a stroller on the subway platform and buying a new one because the MTA are a bunch of damn idiots, then, yes.

Posted by: northsloperenter at August 17, 2009 11:02 AM

I would love for them to keep something open on both ends since it is a loooooooong station and it's going to be rough during rush hour to get everyone in and out of one tiny exit (the southbound only has 3 of those cage things to exit and enter). I don't see how they only partially close the 2nd place side though, aren't 2nd St and 2nd Pl connected underground? It's just one entrance, isn't it?

Posted by: CG_ups at August 17, 2009 11:24 AM

"ah-- so you are one of those self-absorbed idiots that set off the alarms using emergency exits."

Yeah, I am. I am terribly sorry to have inconvenienced you. Perhaps the next time you meet someone at the Carroll Street stop who is leaving the station with a young child in a stroller, you may be so kind as to offer to carry their folded stroller for them, while they walk with their child in their arms through the turnstiles and up the steps to the street.

Unless of course you are so self aborbed that you just dont give a F&^%

Posted by: CGman at August 17, 2009 11:29 AM

does anyone know what the hell they are doing with the R station stop on union? one stairway entrance is closed off and has been under construction for two months. originally it was supposed to be done by july 31st, but it's not august 17th and it looks like no progress is made. granted the other exit is on the same side just a few feet further so it's not that big of a deal, was just curious what they are doing. i asked someone in the booth but he looked at me like i had had 6 eyes.

*rob*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at August 17, 2009 11:32 AM

this is what nsr said:"I hated those things before I ever had a kid. Now I loathe them.

I just use the service exit and put up with the alarm."

he didn't say when I have my stroller or anything like that.
Blanketly said he used the service exit. And don't tell me that most people who do that have strollers. it is self-absorbed idiots that don't want to wait for others or push the turnstile. I know that not everything fits thru them and need to use sometimes.
And don't pick on me...I come to the defense of stroller people by all that seem to dislike them on this site. I thank you for raising those who will pay for my future social security.

Posted by: Petebklyn at August 17, 2009 11:55 AM

Pete -- I only use the service exit when my kid is with me or I'm carrying stuff too big for the cages -- and you are correct that I wasn't explicit about that.

But those cages are really awful and force people to use the service exits. There are plenty of busy stations (Rector Street on the R line comes to mind) where people just pop them open every time during rush hour because otherwise everyone is stuck on the platform for 5 minutes (which is 5 hours in commuter time).

I've hated them since I first saw them. I think the first time I was ever in a station where the MTA had blocked off the normal turnstiles and restricted people to the cages, there was a young mother with a baby in the stroller and a 2 year old she was carrying plus some bags and stuff and just remember thinking "what the @#%# is wrong with those @#%@#$% @#%@#$% !$%@#$%@#$ idiots at the MT-@#%$ing-A that they think this is the proper way to run a big city transit system."

Oh, and the cages only stop someone who is traveling alone from getting a free ride. If there are two or more people, one of them can go through and then just open the service exit for the rest of the group.

Absolutely stupid system.

Doesn't do what it is supposed to do as far as stopping fare theft and makes the New York City subway system substantially less convenient for everyone else.

Oh, and then they put superloud, long annoying alarms on the service exits even when they know just about every single trainload of people will have at least 1 person who will need to use it because they can't get through the damn cage.

Did I mention they are idiots?

Posted by: northsloperenter at August 17, 2009 12:15 PM

This will coincide REALLY nicely with the closing of the Smith & 9th street stop. Kudos MTA!!!

Posted by: kramer at August 17, 2009 12:20 PM

I affectionally call the Bird cage - a gerbil wheel.

So after the renovations - and just to be clear both endwill be open - correct? This entrance is the closest to us and it will be a bummer.

I am horrified to think that there will be only one exit this has night club sqaush stampede written all over it.

What also horrifies me is the people who live next door to this mess that smells of urine with their water fountain in the front yard - it must be horrible for them.

Posted by: Ljubitca at August 17, 2009 12:42 PM

"You can't fit through those things with either luggage or a stroller... Are they really suggesting that's feasible?"

Back when my kids were little I was able to fit myself, two kids, and a collapsible stroller through those Iron Maiden turnstiles without much trouble. I don't see what the problem is. And those station attendants have always been uniformly unhelpful and uncivil every time a rider made the mistake of disrupting their slumber.

Posted by: Sparafucile at August 17, 2009 1:29 PM

You must be a small person...

Posted by: northsloperenter at August 17, 2009 1:34 PM

6'0", 175 lbs. Pretty average.

Posted by: Sparafucile at August 17, 2009 2:01 PM

wow you are some fearsome woman!

Posted by: Ljubitca at August 17, 2009 5:00 PM

Where did I say I was a woman?

Posted by: Sparafucile at August 17, 2009 5:07 PM

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