COLUMBUS CIRCLE STOP NEARS COMPLETION

construction on the columbus circle subway station may be behind schedule, but the project is nearing completion. after an inquiry over the status of the station by council member gale brewer, mta president howard roberts said the renovation project is 72 percent complete. in a letter to brewer, roberts acknowledged that the project is five months behind schedule, however, the project is expected to be finished by november. in january, brewer sent a letter to mta executive director and ceo elliot sander about passengers' safety during construction, which has reduced walkway space between the shed and the tracks. "[my constituents] report that the construction site encroaches on the pedestrian areas of the station, creating an unsafe environment for subway riders," brewer wrote. roberts responded, saying that, "safety of our customers is a primary focus of mta nyc transit." he explained that the barricades were necessary to protect the public from large equipment.