On the evening of Friday, Jan. 20, the entrance to the center elevator at the Clark St. station was barricaded by a yellow folding gate, and a nearby sign informed riders that the elevator would be out of service for the next several days.

If you’re feeling a little déjà vû all over again…you’re not alone.

Less than a year after having reopened following six months of repair, the elevators at the station continue to malfunction, often stranding straphangers who need to be rescued by firefighters.

The veteran transit report José Martinez published a story at The City NYC on Jan. 19 in which he reported that on Wednesday, Jan. 18, the elevator trapped 21 people and one Shih Tzu for half an hour.

According to the story, those entrapped tried unsuccessfully to report their plight via the call buttons in the elevator, with no success. Fortunately, some cell service remained available so that they could call 911. They were eventually freed after climbing a ladder out of the top of the cab.

Since re-opening last May, the MTA has reported “35 non-scheduled service outages and 11 “entrapments” through the end of 2022.

Ride at your own risk…

Support local journalism and read the full, original story at The City–it’s worth your time.

Photo credit: Teresa Genaro

All the hemming and hawing over when and how to repair the Clark St. station’s three elevators is over. The February 2020 decision to close the station for eight months to replace all three elevators at once, rather than one at a time, was derailed by the pandemic. Now, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reports that the station will close starting Nov. 2nd “until Spring 2022″ to replace all three elevators. Riders will be asked to take the B25 bus on Cadman Plaza West or walk to the Borough Hall 2/3 station as an alternative.

According to the Eagle, the work will be done from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays. For the first 8-10 weeks, there may be noise coming from generators inside the station, although not constantly. The main staging area, including a trailer with offices, will be on the west side of Henry Street from Clark Street to Pineapple Street. A second, smaller staging area will be at the north corner of Clark Street between Henry Street and Hicks Street.

The effects of this closure on the small businesses in and around the station can’t be overstated. We’ve seen that just the threat of the closure was part of the reason Heights Prime Meats shut down for good. According to the BHA, “The MTA will work with the businesses in and around the station to understand their needs and concerns for the duration of the project, and it will be up to us as neighborhood consumers to be sure we continue to patronize and support them during this time.” Read about a few of those businesses here and let’s support them all as a community.