The Cost of Convenience - 2nd Avenue Subway

 The Second Avenue Subway has been in the pipeline since the 1920s. Now, the residents and business owners of the Upper East Side are seeing this dream become a reality. How great it would be to have a subway so nearby, especially for the York and East End Avenue inhabitants. Such news would surely put a smile on anyone’s face. Yet, everything comes at a price.

The MTA estimates that this will be a multi-billion dollar project. However, this undertaking comes at a much higher cost than expected. Noise, pollution, traffic congestion and closure of local businesses have all added to the cost of this venture. Since the beginning of Phase One – tunnels from East 105^th street to East 63^rd street with various stations along the way – local businesses have suffered and no one

 seems to be smiling anymore.

Local restaurants, shops, delis and bars have not only had their streets bulldozed but their business has also taken quite a hit. Children no longer run freely through the sidewalks nor are patrons enjoying the comforts of outdoor restaurants. Instead, they encounter a clutter of construction equipment, materials and machinery.  A brisk walk is no longer met by the fresh night air, but with thick clouds of dust and debris.

Store-owners have placed signs in their windows as a means of protest as more and more businesses find themselves on the verge of closing.

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Lauren S.]

Hi Shannon. I like your BC Navigators jacket.