MTA invests $500M in Brooklyn Broadway Junction makeover
The Broadway Junction station has always been a functional yet rhythmic chaos of transfers between the A/C, J/Z, and L trains. Mayor Eric Adams, along with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), is sinking $500 million in investments to revitalize the station into an inclusive and accessible space for commuters.
“I fought to bring investments to this community when I was Brooklyn borough president, and as mayor, I am proud to say that we are getting it done,” Adams said in a statement.
The large subway station serves six largely residential, predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhoods: Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brownsville, Bushwick, Cypress Hills, East New York, and Ocean Hill.
As part of the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) plans, the city will create two new public plazas on either side of Van Sinderen Avenue and Fulton Street. The city will invest $95 million into better lighting, signage, benches, and bike infrastructure, and the plan aims to make the junction more Americans with Disabilities Act- (ADA-) friendly with $400 million toward upgraded elevators and escalators. The plan also includes a new entrance with direct access to the L train on the east side of Van Sinderen Avenue.
“At one of Brooklyn’s busiest transit hubs, commuters deserve a fully accessible Broadway Junction complex that is surrounded by welcoming, attractive public spaces and safe infrastructure,” said Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez in a statement. “We’re working closely with the EDC and MTA to support their vision for the neighborhood and look forward to building on the street safety work DOT has done in the area.”
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Deborah Williams, a nine-year Community Board (CB) 16 member, resident of Ocean Hill, and previous transit worker, said that the changes were a long time coming and widely welcomed.
“Today’s historic commitment to Broadway Junction is a victory and a direct result of the years of organizing and advocacy by East New York residents,” said Councilmember Sandy Nurse in a statement. “These investments are decades overdue.”
Nurse said that the process has been led by the people who live nearby, and her administration is completely committed to keeping the community’s residents front and center.
Supposedly “affordable” housing will be constructed near the station, as well as a business district.
The city said more than 433 homes have recently been completed or are under construction, with more than 1,700 additional homes projected or permitted. Nearly all of the 433 homes are meant for families earning less than 80% of area median income (AIM), and nearly 60% will be for families earning less than 50% of AIM.
At least 35% of design and construction contracts for the public space around the junction will be set aside for Minority and Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) businesses. The Department of Small Business Services (SBS) will also partner with NYCEDC, the MTA, and other employers on targeted outreach and marketing through upcoming training and recruitment events at the East New York Workforce 1 Center and throughout the Workforce1 system to meet hiring goals.
Planning and design will kick off this summer with community workshops. Groundbreaking is anticipated in 2027 and completion by 2030. Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member and writes about politics for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.
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