Velasquez Challenger Jeff Kurzon Has An Interesting Idea About the Clark Street Subway Station in Brooklyn Heights

By on June 19, 2014 8:05 am in Brooklyn Heights, Election 14

Jeff Kurzon, who is challenging Rep. Nydia Velasquez in next week’s (6/24) Democratic primary for the 7th District, tweeted about Brooklyn Heights on Tuesday. One of his revelations about the neighborhood — the Clark Street subway station elevators should have an attendant.

RELATED VIDEO: Adventures in the Clark Street Station Stairwell

We exchanged tweets with him on the matter (are those really airplane parts in the elevators…more like aircraft carrier right?*):

Kurzon was recently quick to point out that he is the only Democrat in the June 24 primary who lives in the 7th District. Velasquez lives in Red Hook, just outside of its borders.

(*Note: in 2007 we wrote: An odd and interesting fact, gleaned from former City Councilman Ken Fisher, is that the original elevators at Clark Street came from an aircraft carrier. These were replaced in 2000, when the station was closed for four months. )

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  • http://gloverparkgroup.com jonathankopp

    I’d take new elevators over an attendant any day.

  • AEB

    Dreadful idea–or, rather, a pointless one. What would an attendant add, besides delay, as s/he made sure that all riders heading toward an available elevator from whatever distance had time to get in.

    Needed: new, higher-speed elevators. I can’t be the only one whose life flashes before his eyes waiting for the elevator doors to open on the street landing. If using the stairs weren’t such a walk on the wild side, I’d use them every time.

  • Reggie

    “Jeff Kurzon, who is running against Rep. Nydia Velasquez in next week’s (6/24) Democratic primary for the 7th District….” “Challenging” is more than a bit of an overstatement.

  • Daddyo

    Dumb idea. Has Kurzon ever been in an “attended” MTA elevator? Does he enjoy watching workers read the NY Post or Daily News?

  • Fritz

    Try the DC Metro elevators (and escalators) before you complain about MTA. I’ve rarely made a trip in DC when all of them were working, and most trips require several ups and downs.

  • Ann B Chapin

    Someone correct me if I am wrong but–didn’t we have attendents years ago??

  • ujh

    If this “solution” is what Kurzon is throwing out to voters, how does he expect to challenge the experienced Velazquez?

  • elemengee

    You’re right, Ann. There were attendants on the elevators many years ago, but only during certain times of the day, usually rush hours, morning and night. I don’t think attendants are the answer to the problem-ridden elevators at Clark Street.

  • Martin L Schneider

    Wow, does he not know our station and its real problems. The crumby arcade with its broken pavements, non-working doors, ugly and decrepit ceiling, broken down signage needs a complete renovation.
    The MTA—which says that it is not their property and points to the St. George owners— needs to take charge of this major tourist and super-busy station.
    The owners of the St. George evidently don’t care what it looks like and has never responded significantly to urging by the community to fix things up. Either they should go to work on this or the community needs to pressure the MTA into fixing it up, from top to bottom.

  • Andrew Porter

    The equipment in the elevators were originally based on aircraft carrier elevators, which raised and lowered airplanes to the flight deck—they were *never* based on “airplane parts”. As pointed out, the guts were replaced years ago. I believe the temporary attendants who pushed the buttons during rush hours were likely eliminated in one of the usual cutbacks.

  • Andrew Porter

    The big problem is that the area around the turnstiles is owned by the MTA, but the passages from Clark Street and Henry Street to that area are owned by the St. George. There is no financial incentive for them to clean it, fix the ceiling and upgrade the doors.