When he walked through the doors of New York City’s newest subway entrance, located at 135 William Street, on Monday, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was all smiles. More than 50 percent complete and scheduled to fully open in June 2014, Silver said the Fulton Street Transit Center would serve as “Lower Manhattan’s Grand Central Station.”
The new entrance will give straphangers better access to the myriad train lines that crisscross Lower Manhattan, including the 2, 3, 4 and 5, and the A, C, J and Z lines.
But more importantly it marks progress on one of the major facets of the rebuilding of Lower Manhattan following 9/11.
“As we continue our efforts to rebuild Lower Manhattan as a vibrant 24/7 community, it is absolutely essential that we improve access to public transportation,” said Silver.
When completed, the transit center will connect 11 subway lines and five subway stations and serve more than 300,000 daily MTA customers.
The William Street entrance will give commuters access to the transit center’s A/C mezzanine that is being completely reconfigured and is set to open in 2013.
Also, the entrance is already decked out with artwork. A restored gate and mural from the McAlpin Hotel, which was moved to the Fulton Street A/C station in 2000 and then placed in storage in 2009, is now in its permanent home. Five more restored murals will grace the walls of the transit hub by the time it is completed.
— John Bayles
