Good Grades for 2nd Ave. Subway But Room for Improvement

By [Dan Rivoli] Progress on the construction of the Second Avenue Subway got mixed reviews in a second annual report card from Upper East Side elected officials. The subway received a â??B for completing construction goals, such as finishing the launch box and starting the tunnel boring machine. But the report from Rep. Carolyn Maloney also warns the MTA that better planning would avoid delays and cost overruns. â??In this project, we can"t afford that, Maloney said. â??The federal government made it clear they will not exceed the $1.3 billion for this project. That"s why we need to get this completed by 2016. Maloney, along with Assembly Member Micah Kellner and Council Member Jessica Lappin, presented a $275 million check from the federal government to the MTA for continued construction. The project"s merit and economic benefits received much praise in the report card. East Side elected officials have repeatedly emphasized the necessity of the new subway and the jobs it will generate despite the construction"s toll on small businesses and the neighborhood. Aaron Donovan, an MTA spokesperson, said the MTA will continue to work with elected officials to advance the Second Avenue Subway. â??We"re thankful that Congresswoman Maloney"s report acknowledges the significant progress we"ve made as we continue to work toward a December 2016 completion date, Donovan said in a statement. Kellner, however, personally gave the MTA low marks for mitigating the construction"s impact on small businesses in the area. â??Businesses lose loading zones and find themselves cut off from pedestrian traffic behind mountainous construction equipment, shrunken sidewalks, and mazes of fence, Kellner said. Barry Schneider, the head of a neighborhood association and co-chair of Community Board 8"s subway task force, wants the MTA make the streetscape more visually appealing near construction zones. â??I"d like to see someone at MTA step up to the plate and say, we can make [the] construction site look better than it does, Schneider said. Most aspects of the construction that received a low grade in 2009 remain unchanged this year. The report suggests that the MTA still needs to plan better and stay on budget. For example, the report cites the several-month construction delay that was due to problems locating and moving utilities. â??The MTA has been less good at anticipating the unexpected, said Maloney, giving the MTA a B- for planning. Maloney believes designs for cooling towers and ancillary facilities should have been made available for public comment earlier in the process. Despite the Federal Transit Authority pushing the Phase I completion date to 2018, the MTA believes the project will be completed in 2016. Maloney gave the MTA a C+ this year's a bump from a C- in 2009's for keeping the project on track in 2010. â??Now that"s a good sign and I hope that"s [the] start of a trend, Maloney said. â??But any more delays and this C+ would slip to an F.