Station paint jobs on track for spring

BY MATTHEW LYSIAK and PETE DONOHUE
DAILY NEWS WRITERS

Though it's not on NYC Transit's schedule for paint job, 14th St. stop on 1,2,3 line certainly could use one.
A stalled program to give subway stations across the city fresh coats of paint will be launched this spring, the Daily News has learned.

The $50 million stations painting program will begin in April with six stations getting brushwork, officials said. Another five stations will be spruced up later in the year, NYC Transit spokesman Charles Seaton said.

"It's vital from our customers' point of view that we make our stations as attractive as we possibly can," Seaton said. "A well-done paint job goes a long way towards accomplishing that goal."

The News recently reported that NYC Transit's policy for the most part was to not paint a station until it had a total overhaul.

Only a limited number of stations are subject to major rehabilitation annually because of budget constraints, officials have said.

Top transit officials in 2006 announced plans for a decade-long program, initially funded with $50 million in surplus money, to paint every station in the system. That would equal about 46 stations a year, including some being done as part of larger station rehabilitation projects.

Seaton said that schedule has gone "out the window" because the paint jobs are more involved and costly than planners of the program estimated.

The early estimates didn't fully calculate such problems as the extra requirements of removing and disposing of lead paint, Seaton said.

NYC Transit will paint about 12 stations a year under the new program. An additional six or so will get the work each year after total overhauls.

"This station needs new paint," agreed Andrew Snyder, 32, a food co-op manager transferring at the Utica Ave., Brooklyn, station on the A and C lines Monday.

The Utica Ave. station is in the second batch of stations getting painted this year.

Eric Hause, 30, of Bushwick, said "paint would be nice" but he had a higher priority for the Utica Ave. stop. "Getting rid of the urine smell would be even better."

Stations scheduled for painting beginning in April are 77th St. (R line), Brooklyn; Grand Army Plaza (2,3), Brooklyn; Canal St. (J,M,Z), Manhattan; Spring St. (C,E), Manhattan; 135th St. (A,C), Manhattan, and 163rd St. (A,C) Manhattan.