Clark Street Elevator Hell

By on October 1, 2018 6:48 pm in Transportation

Thanks to newly-revived Gothamist, we get this bit of NYC nightmare-come-to-true:

I hope that none of you happened to be on the far right Clark Street station elevator around 10 am this morning.

Because, despite what seems like endless repairs and replacements and closures, that elevator stopped and wouldn’t budge for an hour, to the great consternation of the baker’s dozen of subway riders ensconced therein.

Talia Kovacs offered frequent updates, which is more than the NYPD, the NYFD, and the MTA did, leaving those stranded to wonder just what the hell was going on.

No doubt their consternation increased when the sound of crashing came from above. Eventually, the passengers exited via ladder through the roof of the elevator, then ascended the stairs to street level. I took those stairs once or twice; it’s not an experience I’d care to repeat.

As always, head to the original story and support local reporting! 

Photo: “Creepy elevator at Clark Street subway station.” Credit: Alex Lines. Used with permission.  

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  • TeddyNYC

    I’ve avoided using the Clark St. station for years because of the elevators. Additionally, I usually take the escalator instead of the elevators when I use the R.

  • redlola

    Call me crazy but while they had the train station shut for like a year, they couldm’t have fixed the elevators?

  • Heightsman

    Never use the right elevator. The lack of communication is very scary.

  • Boerum Bill

    The elevator repair industry has its ups and downs.

  • Love Laner

    Borough President Eric Adams is calling for the elevators to be replaced by the end of the year. I think it would be worth the station being closed for a bit to have a good job done. I’ve always been terrified this would happen to me, although I’ve always felt more wary of the R station elevator.

  • Andrew Porter

    It was only shut on weekends, not all the time.

  • Andrew Porter

    Isn’t this the same thing as shutting down the Promenade entirely while they repair the cantilever?

    Replacing one elevator at a time seems a much more reasonable solution.

  • redlola

    Um I live at hicks and Clark so I know all about it. You saying they couldn’t have done it on the weekends?

  • Love Laner

    Different I think, in that the BQE project is to prevent potential future injury and collapse, whereas the elevators have already broken. Also three months (which is what it would be to the end of the year) is different from 6 to 8 years (minimum). If they can do it effectively one by one, I would support that too.