2nd Avenue Subway Construction Has Left Upper East Side Street in the Dark

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Ongoing 2nd Ave Subway construction on the corner of East 72nd Street has left residents of the block in the dark, and in fear of crossing the street.

Streetlights that normally illuminate the busy crossing have been shut off for nearly three weeks, causing pedestrians to walk in "complete darkness" through the crossing, Valerie Mason from the East 72nd Street Neighborhood Association said at a Tuesday night meeting of Community Board 8's 2nd Ave Subway task force.

MTA officials at the meeting blamed the contractor for the problem, an explanation which did not satisfy Mason or members of the Community Board. Mason said that residents of the block have already taken their complaints to the contractor, which has proved fruitless.

"Explanations from the contractors have changed every other day as to why we have no light. I don't really care why we have any light, we should just have light," Mason said. "I don't understand it."

The only corner of the intersection that is lit is the Northwest corner (pictured above) because of a floodlight that shines into the construction taking place there, Mason said. But that floodlight is turned off when construction work isn't going on, and it does not spread to the other corners of the intersection, Mason said.

MTA officials toured the site with the contractor Tuesday, who told them the lights would come back on this week, said senior director of public affairs at MTA Capital Construction Richard Mulieri said at the meeting. The contractor's pay has also been withheld until the problem is fixed, Mulieri said.

"Everything that can be done to press the contractor to fixing the issue is being done and lets just see tomorrow if the light's come on," Mulieri said Tuesday night.

But when pressed, Mulieri said that the MTA has not yet devised a plan to get emergency lighting in place should the contractor not restore light to all corners of the intersection.

With Mayor Bill de Blasio's announcement that "Vision Zero" enforcement will increase with the coming darkness of the winter season, Mason asked why the city wasn't prepared to install emergency lighting.

"I would like the DOT to get a temporary light with a generator and put one on every corner," Mason said.

"If this administration is committed to vision zero then it is of the utmost importance for people to be able to walk with light."

Photo: Patch