Second Avenue Subway Work to Blame for UES Rat Problem?

Residents of the Upper East Side are starting to feel a little crowded thanks to the infestation of rats, which many believe is being caused by the construction of the Second Avenue Subway. Residents complained to the MTA but the project’s contractor, S3 Tunnel Constructors, determined that an abandoned building on Second Avenue, not the construction, was to blame.

According to the Wall Street Journal the contractor told the MTA that the blasting “may be exacerbating a pre-existing condition” and suggested that the abandoned building be cleaned, baited, and sealed.

Excavation of an underground cavern between 91st and 95th Streets in preparation for a tunnel-boring machine seems to be a major concern at the moment, though the MTA claims that the current work zone has no rodent problems and their spokesman, Jeremy Soffin pointed out that a rodent-control program that includes bait and traps within the construction zone is in place.

It is hard to say what exact cause of the rodent infestation is, but LeRoy Washington, who has lived in the Upper East Side since 1970 notes that while there have always been some rats in the area, “But it’s never been like this.”

The Second Avenue Subway project consists of a two-track line running from 125th Street to the Financial District along Second Avenue and is meant as a relief for the overcrowded Lexington Avenue line. The first phase of construction began in 2007 and is expected to finish in 2016, though there is speculation that it may last until 2018.

This isn’t the first time the Second Avenue subway construction has been noted for creating a residential problem. In December of 2009, residents were having respiratory problems and were claiming that the dust from the construction site was to blame.

Bjm_jb commented on the story at abclocal.com saying, “What do you expect when the city is run by a rat? Welcome to Bloombergland!” Secondavenuesagas.com commenter Valerie pointed out that the abandoned building the MTA is blaming for the rodent problem “is only abandoned because it was condemned due to unstable foundation, coincidentally, at the same time the MTA was blasting right in front of it.”

Whatever the cause, 93rd Street Resident Tara Reddi seems to feel somewhat helpless in the situation, stating, “We are, until 2018, in a living hell.”