This past week, the MTA decided to fix a staircase leading down to the train platform on the west end entrance/exit at 1st Avenue on the eastbound side. When you get off a train, you walk up to the staircase with one side completely barricaded and mobs of people trying to file into two lines to exit. Commuters trying to come down the stairs are stuck waiting for the congestion to clear up, because there is no room on the one side of the stairwell. Unfortunately, this is the only entrance/exit for the station. Commuters have no choice but to exit the west end side of the station.

If an incident occurs on the train platform and everyone is required to exit the station immediately, we would be subject to a horrible mob scene where someone could get hurt. Can the MTA – who constantly cries it lacks money – afford a lawsuit if someone is injured or killed because it neglects safety issues?

So what can be done to increase safety and make this station more commuter-friendly? It’s time for the MTA to consider knocking down some walls and build an east end stairwell. Many stations throughout the subway system have two or more exits for a station platform. Since the 1st Avenue stop on the L train has seen an increase in foot traffic, it needs a second exit.

I’ve been told there were "exit-only" stairwells on the east end of the platforms. If that is the case, it shouldn’t be hard to put them back in, since the area was probably just barricaded and an unused stairwell exists behind a wall. But if that isn’t the case, the 1st Avenue station needs a second exit, for liability and safety reasons.

The MTA must consider reviewing all subway stations throughout the boroughs and study the foot traffic at each one. If there has been an increase in station use and the stations only have one entrance/exit, then it’s time to look into adding another exit.