Manhattan officials renew push for new Hell’s Kitchen subway station
The plan to extend the 7 train to the far west side of Manhattan announced more than a decade ago included building a subway station in Hell’s Kitchen. But because of budget cuts, the station was never built. New York City officials this week renewed calls for a subway station at 10th Avenue and 41st Street, claiming the neighborhood’s growing population needs better access to public transportation. The 7 line currently runs straight from Times Square to Hudson Yards, without stopping in Hell’s Kitchen.
The call to revive the plan has gained traction in recent weeks as the project was listed in the MTA’s 20-Year Needs Assessment. It could be one of the projects the transit agency adds to its five-year capital plan for 2025. Other plans within the MTA’s assessment include the Interborough Express train line which would connect Brooklyn and Queens.
Proponents for the new station have cited a 30 percent growth in population in the Hell’s Kitchen area, according to Thrillist. As more residential buildings are constructed, the need for a new station will only grow, city officials say.
At a rally on Tuesday, Rep. Jerry Nadler, NYC Council Member Erik Bottcher, and State Sen. Brad Holyman led a press conference calling on the MTA to resume its plans. During the conference, Nadler called the city’s decision to scrap the original plans a “monumental failure.”
In an interview with Thrillist, Bottcher spoke about the necessity of the subway system’s expansion: “We should be ashamed that Paris and London are building multiple trains station in a short amount of time and we’re standing in front of an unbuilt train station that should have been built a decade ago.”
Bottcher continued: “Even if they started this station today, it wouldn’t be done for many years. The costs of construction relate to many issues. As I understand it, we have many more regulations and red tape involved. A real effort needs to happen to reform the process, cut out the red tape, break through the barriers, and bring down the costs. If we don’t do it we’re going to fall behind the rest of the world.”
The plan to create the new station was scrapped in 2008 by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg due to a lack of funding and because city officials didn’t think it was a vital addition to the area, according to amNY. Instead, city officials approved the construction of a stop at 34th Street and 11th Avenue.
RELATED:
