What keeps trains running in the Big Apple?
The strappers in Queens are praying it’s not a plastic zip tie.
Dozens of zip ties have been wrapped around the tracks at the Rockaway Boulevard A station in Ozone Park, raising eyebrows and some nausea among subway riders.
“Should I be worried?” asked nursing student Kayle Persaud. “If I cut one zip tie, will it start falling?”
First, the problematic situation AM New York reportedshows a long row of plastic sleepers along the center track of an elevated subway station. “It doesn’t look good,” one strap attendant said.
“When I first saw it, I was like, ‘Hmm, is this what holds the tracks in place?'” said subway rider Eliana Rodriguez. “The screws don’t even seem to be fully secured.”
Another subway user, who gave his name only as Ibrahim M, agreed he was a bit worried.
“Even if it wasn’t actually holding up the tracks, it looks awful,” he told The Post on Thursday. “They could have cut it out or painted it the same color. Hopefully, the money we pay to ride the subway means it’s not holding up the tracks.”
Adding to the concerns is the MTA’s announcement this week that the railroad is canceling planned capital projects following Gov. Kathy Hockle’s decision to delay the implementation of controversial congestion pricing.
The MTA expected to raise about $1 billion from congestion pricing — a $15 fee for drivers who drive into Midtown below 60th Street — to fund $15 billion in improvements and repairs.
Still, New York rail riders need not worry: The cable ties at the Queens station are not a cause for concern, a rail authority spokesperson told The Post.
“When inspectors find specific issues, they use sleepers to provide temporary protection and identify where subsequent repair teams can make more permanent repairs,” MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan explained.
But some people who hang from the straps think it looks “silly”.
“I hope it’s just a sign of laziness,” said New York resident Rose Mohammed. “We’re supposed to be the greatest city in the world, and we’re putting zip ties around train tracks?”
