A new entrance has opened to the 1 Av L Station’s 8 Av-bound platform at Avenue A on the northwest corner of Avenue A and 14th Street, according to an announcement from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
The 1 Av L station has seen a 60-percent increase in ridership between 2000 and 2018. The expansion and new entrances at the station will significantly benefit the nearly 21,000 weekday customers who currently use the station.
“The L Project is a model for how we deliver benefits to our customers as progress is made,” said MTA Chief Development Officer Janno Lieber. “This milestone is possible because of the new approach to the project and we’re well ahead of schedule on the tunnel work and the station capacity projects, and we’re happy to see customers get the benefits as we go.”
Improvements at 1 Av undertaken as part of the MTA’s broader L Project include:
- Two new platform-to-street ADA elevators, one on either side of 14th Street near Avenue A. They continue to be ahead of the original schedule and are estimated to open summer 2020.
- Two new street entrances, each 7.5 feet wide.
- New fare control area, adding 600-square feet to the station.
- Rebuilt infrastructure of the original entrances on First Avenue.
- New wall tile, energy-efficient lighting and new turnstiles.
- New substation near Avenue B to power more trains along the whole L line, one of three for the project.
The revised construction schedule at 1 Av was designed to open the new entrances to the public as soon as they are ready with temporary finishes, then close the original entrances for reconstruction in a phased schedule. Two entrances will always be open at 1 Av Station. Currently, the First Avenue south entrance is closed for reconstruction and the Avenue A south entrance is opened for Brooklyn-bound travel.
With the opening of the new entrance at Avenue A north, the First Avenue north entrance will close for reconstruction on Feb. 15. The phasing schedule for the entrances at the station is as follows:
- Feb. 10: New permanent Avenue A north entrance opens with temporary finishes.
- Feb. 15: Existing First Avenue north entrance closes for structural reconstruction.
- April/May 2020: First Avenue south entrance completed and reopened; Avenue A south entrance will temporarily close for final finishes. First Avenue north entrance completed and reopened; Avenue A north entrance will temporarily close for final finishes.
While both the First Avenue north and south entrances are closed as of Feb. 15, 1 Av L customers are advised to:
- Weekdays: For 8 Av-bound travel, use the entrance on the north side of Avenue A and 14th.
- Weekdays: For Brooklyn-bound travel, use the entrance on the south side of Avenue A and 14th.
- Weekends and weeknights after approximately 9:45 p.m.: Use the Avenue A north entrance for trains in both directions.
Customer and pedestrian signage will be available on-site ahead of this work.
