Retailers On Lafayette Reel From Massive MTA Construction

The MTA's $133 million project to (finally) connect the uptown 6 train at Bleecker Street with the B, D, F and V lines at Broadway-Lafayette is angering local business owners who say their customers are being driven away by all the construction. With the sidewalk gone on the east side of Lafayette between Houston and Bleecker, pedestrians must navigate a maze of fencing and heavy machinery if they wish, for instance, to patronize Mexican restaurant Pinche Taqueria, where manager Yasue Yang tells the Daily News, "It's killing us. We're losing one-quarter of our normal business." To help mitigate the damage, the MTA has at least put up signs listing the shops that are still open on the other side of the labyrinth, but Racked reports that some retailers are encouraging customers to access them through the rear doors on Mulberry Street. The work on Lafayette is expected to continue through at least the end of the year, but the director of the NOHO Business Improvement District says it will all be worth it for retailers once the extension is complete... and people no longer have to go above ground?

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By John Del Signore in News on April 13, 2009 2:22 PM

Comments [rss]

JenChungsBaby

Doesn't it kind of seem like a lot to spend $133 million to connect those two stations like that? I once saw a guy walk across all four tracks from one side of the 6 station to the other. Is it that expensive to just put a 100-foot tunnel under the tracks?

falafelgal

Ditto #4. These are all mom+pop businesses who are solid neighborhood citizens. They rely heavily on foot traffic - Eye Candy, a vintage jewelry store, used to get a ton of business from people who would walk by the window, which is now basically inaccessible.

fugothamist

this will make my commute much shorter

thanks MTA

wobbleSmith

someone thanking the MTA on gothamist without a massive side of sarcasm?

something isn't right in the world...

fugothamist

broken clock , right twice a day , etc etc

jibbly

These are mom & pop small businesses that are losing money due to the heavy construction. They're not filing lawsuits, just worried about staying in business.

Politburo

What is the lego guy in the middle supposed to be doing?

Jen S

He's either falling due to unsafe working conditions, or he's an underwater solderer fixing stability problems at the source.

Jen Chung

NOHO, welcome to what Second Avenue uptown is going through!

wobbleSmith

can someone please explain to me the point of this article? i mean, no shit, access is tough because INFASTRUCTURE needs REPAIRING. there are larger issues at play here than your fucking neighborhood mexican restaurant. but business over progress, right? since that mantra has gotten us so far over the last decade.

but where will we fulfill our boutique shopping needs???

blerg...

GoToHell

I was going to say the same thing. It's the like the fucktards uptown complaining about the construction of the Second Avenue Subway, both businesses and residents. You want the fucking Second Avenue Subway or not? And even if you *don't*, tough shit. Your personal interests don't trump what's best for the city as a whole.