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Community October 5, 2007
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Elevated Subway A Disaster Waiting To Happen
By Miriam Rosenberg

These photos show the decaying staircases leading up to the platforms at the Beach 90 Street Station. Rusted stairs, although not as bad as these, are common along the Rockaway line. Photos by Miriam Rosenberg
After the fatal bridge collapse in Minneapolis, The Wave ran an editorial about the decaying elevated subway or "El" that runs down the peninsula from Mott Avenue in Far Rockaway to Beach 116 Street in Rockaway Park. The August 10 editorial called the "El" a disaster waiting to happen with "exposed, rusting metal…and large portions of the concrete missing."

If the old saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" is true, then the photos on this page speak thousands of words about the problems along the Rockaway line. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) must address the deficiencies on the line, before people fall through rotted stairs or worse - with the number of people who use the elevated line or ride in vehicles beneath it every day - become victims in a horrible tragedy
A walk under the "El" between Beach 35 and Beach 44 Streets revealed many rusted through pipes. The one pictured here is one of the worst The Wave found.
Missing chunks of concrete were seen on the platforms leading into the Beach 35 and Beach 44 (pictured) Street stations.
This photo shows the roof over the westbound platform at the Beach 105 Station to be in desperate need of repair. The roof over the eastbound platform is in similar condition.
The crossing on Beach 59 Street is just one example of missing concrete and exposed rusted metal on the pillars that support the "El".
At Beach 98 Street, the old Rockaway Playland stop, there is no roof over part of the westbound platform.
Although this staircase is closed to riders on the westbound Beach 98 Street platform, only wood and orange plastic gating protect passengers from a missing railing.

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