Report: Brooklyn's Most Decrepit Subway Stations

Greek mythology’s cursed Sisyphus figures prominently in a new report about the New York City subway system by nonprofit civic organization Citizens Budget Commission of New York. Like Sisyphus’ perpetual struggle to push a rock to the top of the hill, only to have it roll back down, the constant wear and tear and lack of funds make it seemingly impossible to keep all 467 stations in what the commission deems a “state of good repair,” otherwise known as SGR.

A station is rated by counting up the number of its structural elements (i.e. stairs, platform edges, ventilators, etc.) and noting how many of them and what percentage are in good condition.

CBCNY’s report lists 33 stations in the entire system found to be in the most dire straights, having less than half of their structural components in a state of good repair. Ten of these are in Brooklyn — and none on the F line! The 10 Brooklyn stations in most desperate need of structural repairs are as follows, in order of bad to worse:

The Winthrop Street 5 station has 15 of its 29 structural components (52 percent) not in SGR.

The Prospect Avenue R station has 10 of its 19 structural components (52 percent) not in SGR.

The 59th Street R station has 20 of its 37 (54 percent) not in SGR.

The Borough Hall 4/5 has 19 of its 33 structural components (58 percent) not in SGR. Meanwhile, the Borough Hall 2/3 station is even worse, with 25 of 27 structural components(68 percent) not in SGR.

The Graham Avenue L station has 15 of its 25 structural components (60 percent) not in SGR.

The President Street 2 station has 16 of its 26 structural components (62 percent) not in SGR.

The Nostrand Avenue 3 station has 15 of its 23 structural components (65 percent) not in SGR.

The 7th Avenue B/Q station has 14 of its 21 structural components (67 percent) not in SGR.

The Cypress Hills J station has 16 of 24 structural components (67 percent) not in SGR.

Sisyphus and Subway Stations [CBCNY]
Photos by Jim Henderson for Wikipedia