Broken escalator at Jamaica Station causing problems for travelers heading to JFK Airport
NEW YORK - The AirTrain at Jamaica Station connects New York City to the world. But for some luggage-toting travelers, this part of their journey isn't so smooth.
"This problem goes way back," Manhattanite and world traveler Paul Whalen said. "It's kind of become a family joke."
He says that, for over a year, he and his wife have been unable to use a broken downward escalator in the AirTrain concourse. On their recent trip to Finland a couple of weeks ago, they noticed it was still stuck.
Maintenance has finally begun, but signage indicates it's not set to finish until August. Until then, those with heavy suitcases or mobility issues have to find an alternative, which could pose problems during peak travel times.
Whalen wonders what visitors from abroad must think.
"It's quite embarrassing," he said.
As subway and AirTrain fares continue to go up, riders say that infrastructure in disrepair sends the message that passengers are not the priority.
MTA declined to comment on the matter, saying the escalator is the domain of the Port Authority.
Port Authority said in a statement:
"Completed in the early 2000s as part of the original build out of the Jamaica Station, this escalator was in need of a major overhaul.
"Due to ongoing supply chain issues, the specialty replacement parts have been on backorder since fall of last year and have recently been delivered.
"We are frustrated by the supply chain issues and now that the parts have been delivered, we are prioritizing this repair and expect work to be completed in August. In the meantime, there are two elevators that run from street level to the station and we have reprogrammed the escalator that normally goes down from the station to the street to instead run up from the street to the station."
When he returns from Europe at the end of the summer, Whalen hopes he'll see the descending escalator back in operation.
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