“You’re going to have to wait to cross over. They need to move the crane,” the construction worker addressed the small crowd of people trying to cross 93rd street on Second Avenue. A collective reply of grumbles could barely be heard over the clanking sound of the crane moving as we all waited for the construction worker to lower his hand and give us the go-ahead to continue on our way.
“Roadwork Ahead,” the orange sign that was erected on 83rd street and Second Avenue proclaimed. That is an understatement. The street between First and Second Avenue is completely torn up and cars are not allowed through. Bright orange traffic cones and looming trailers that litter many blocks on the Upper East Side mark off the street where construction workers stand idly on corners smoking cigarettes and laughing.
The construction for the Second Avenue subway line has received both praise and lots of hate. Phase I began in 2012, with the construction of three stations and a two mile tunnel all underneath Second Avenue in Manhattan. The constant noise and debris has disrupted the residents of the Upper East Side, where all the construction is taking place.
“They work until nine at night sometimes, and the drilling can be heard all day long,” said Alisa Burfeindt, who lives on East 93rd street where a station is currently being built. “The noise is ridiculously loud and annoying.”
Besides all the noise, the construction has torn apart streets and blocked off pedestrian walkways. “It’s become a huge maze to walk to my own front door since they closed off my sidewalk,” Burfeindt said. Huge scaffolding blocks off her front door and she has to walk on the adjacent sidewalk just to get off her block.
While many who live on Second Avenue are losing patience with the construction, others who live on the Upper East Side are excited with the idea of a finished Second Avenue subway line. “My commute to the 6 Subway Line takes me about 15-20 minutes every morning,” Peter Lam explained. “The 6 train is so packed in the morning, it’s like we are all crammed in there like sardines. Sometimes I even have to wait for a couple trains to pass before I can even get onto one.”
According to a study done by the MTA, the Lexington Avenue Line, which is comprised of the 4,5 and 6 trains are the most congested subway lines in the country at an average 1.3 million daily riders. When the Second Avenue Subway line is completed it will greatly decrease the congestion and further facilitate travel from the East side of Manhattan.
Not only has construction affected residents of the Upper East Side, but drivers have been complaining about the increased traffic down Second Avenue over the past year. The construction has immobilized parts of Second Avenue with their “muckhouses,” such as the largest one, which stands on 72nd street and Second Avenue. These “muckhouses” which are large metal trailers that stand five stories tall and occupy more than half of Second Avenue, are used to contain all the dirt and debris that has collected and minimize the dust that has been kicked up from the construction.
“Riding my motorcycle down Second Avenue has become quite an adventure. There are potholes and signs everywhere that I have to dodge and the traffic has become ridiculous,” Lam said.
Many New Yorkers have been buying into the lower floor apartments on Second Avenue in the hopes that they will be able to buy low and sell high after the construction is completed. For others who already rent on the Upper East Side, such is not the case.
“My landlord has increased our rent despite the fact that our building is inaccessible due to construction and all the noise and debris that we have to deal with on a daily basis. We tried arguing it, but we lost,” Burfeindt said.
Many Upper East Siders have been upset with the increased rent during these times of construction, but are sticking it out in hopes that the new Subway line will be a great advantage of living in the neighborhood once it is completed.
For many who live on the East side but far from Lexington Avenue, the new subway line will be a blessing. “I’m really excited for the Second Avenue subway line to be finished. The wait and all the construction sucks right now though,” Meghan Straw, a resident of East 83rd street said. “I can’t wait for it to be over and done with.”