Fulton Transit Center plan draws public comment

New Yorkers reacted favorably Tuesday night to a proposal that would reconfigure the snarl of underground passages that currently link four existing subway tunnels at downtown's Fulton Street and Broadway-Nassau stations. The plan would improve access to and between the nine lines that currently use the sprawling complex while creating new connections with the E, N and R lines further to the west.

The feedback came at a public hearing at which Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) officials presented the environmental impact statement prepared for the $750 million project, known as the Fulton Street Transit Center. While there was little disputing that the proposed facility would represent a welcome makeover, attendees also expressed affection for the area's historic architecture and asked officials to preserve it as much as possible in the course of planning and construction.

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Wheeler highlighted how the future station would be more easily navigable and accessible from street level. He also noted that the ultimate goal of the improved station would be to reduce crowding, improve connections between the station's nine existing subway lines, and comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

More than a dozen speakers offered their impressions of the plan, most of them lauding the MTA for its efforts to revamp the often-confusing station. "I'd like to thank you for trying to fix the Fulton station," said Edward Kirkland, one the meeting's first speakers. "I use it every day as part of my commute, and I still remember how happy I was the first time I was able to get from one platform to another without making a wrong turn."

Richard Gualtieri, a long-time Fulton station user, asked that the center be extended east to Gold or Water Street to help drive foot traffic to South Street Seaport. Another commuter emphasized that the station should be built to accommodate a future Second Avenue subway line.

Other speakers suggested that the 6 train be extended to the new PATH station at the World Trade Center, and that an underground arcade be created to connect the Winter Garden to South Street Seaport.

John Jurayj of Historic Districts Council speaks

"While I support an improved subway station, I would hate to see the character of the Fulton Street area destroyed," said Lucy Aceto, a downtown realtor. "I hope the MTA is extremely careful not to change the charm or sensibility of the district, and uses the greatest caution when working beneath century-old buildings that may not be able to withstand heavy underground construction."

Roger Byron, the chair of Community Board 1's landmarks committee, added, "I hope the MTA and its contractors use 21st-century technology, and apply the same 21st-century technology to preserve the neighborhood's historic buildings during this project."

Downtown residents also called for attention to the construction process. "It's critical that dust be kept to a minimum, in particular because of the 9/11 debris fallout and ongoing construction at Ground Zero," said Kathy Hughes. "I would also like to implore the MTA to be mindful of how the station looks from street level, taking into account residents and their children who walk by station entrances but who often don't use them."

The MTA will now respond to comments from the public meeting, and will draft a final environmental impact statement for completion by June 2004. Construction for the new Fulton Street Transit Center is slated to begin by late 2004 and will continue until late 2007.

For more information about the Fulton Street Transit Center click here, or visit the MTA at http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/planning/fstc/index.html.