Beach 105th Street, Beach 90th Street Stations back in service

MTA NYC Transit reopened the Rockaway Park-bound platforms at the Beach 105th Street-Seaside and Beach 90th Street-Holland stations. The rehabilitation of these stations is part of a $117-million project encompassing nine stations on the Rockaway Peninsula.

The work on the line
includes new canopies over the stairs and platforms, redesign of the area
around the station booth, renewal of mezzanine and platform floors, replacing
platform edges and ADA tactile warning strips, the installation of
vandal-resistant fluorescent lighting and a new, high-quality public address
system. ADA elevators will be installed at the Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue
station.

In addition, NYC Transit
is replacing track panels on both the Far Rockaway and Rockaway Park branches.

The Manhattan-bound
platforms at the Beach 25th Street-Wavecrest, Beach 44th Street-Frank Avenue
and Beach 67th Street-Gaston Avenue stations are presently closed and are
scheduled to reopen in January 2011. The Manhattan-bound platforms of the
Beach 36th Street-Edgemere and Beach 60th Street station will close in January
2011 for approximately 18 weeks. Work on this branch along with the
installation of ADA elevators at Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue is expected to be
completed by the end of 2011.

Although weekend closures
for the Beach 90th Street-Holland, Beach 98th Street-Playland and Beach 105th
Street-Seaside stations have ended, work will continue on other station
components.  The expected completion date for the Rockaway Park line
stations is the fall of 2011.

The Rockaway line dates
back to 1892 when the route was operated by the Long Island Rail Road. In
1956, the line was rebuilt and opened for subway service from Rockaway Park to
Beach 25th Street. The Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue subway terminal opened
about two years later and the LIRR connection was severed.