Hidden beneath the tracks at the Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue station, a team of MTA craftsmen transformed a tight deadline into one of the most recognizable pieces of the New York Knicks' championship parade.
Inside the Stillwell Maintenance Shop, crews spent just 48 hours building the blue-and-orange subway entrance-inspired K-Rail that rode through Manhattan on the team's parade float.
Justin Schreiber, superintendent of Facilities Station Maintenance for the NYC Transit Authority, said the final push came down to the last minute.
"The evening before the parade, we were actually painting and assembling the corral up until it was dark outside to get ready to go to downtown Manhattan. We were very excited, and we couldn't believe this was happening."
From the basketball-inspired globe to the hand-painted railings, every detail was crafted to resemble the iconic 34th Street subway entrance outside Madison Square Garden. But officials say the parade centerpiece is just one example of the work happening every day inside the Stillwell Shop.
"We do everything here in the shop - from lighting to structure to carpentry work, from the benches to the concrete that you're standing on, everything goes on here at the Stillwell Maintenance shop for Department of Subways," said David Soliman, senior vice president of Facilities for the Department of Subways at the NYC Transit Authority, describing the wide range of projects completed by the shop's craftsmen.
The Stillwell facility is one of 23 MTA maintenance shops across four boroughs where crews fabricate, restore and assemble the specialized infrastructure that keeps New York City's subway system running. Soliman said every project has the same goal - improving the rider experience.
"We want to make sure that New Yorkers are having the greatest customer experience. They're feeling safe, they're feeling that their system that they're riding in is well maintained and that they're enjoying their ride when they're riding with New York City Transit,” Soliman said.
While the Knicks K-Rail is headed to the New York Transit Museum, crews at the Stillwell Shop are already focused on what's next, including platform barriers and station upgrades across the system.
"We're working on platform barriers. We're working on Station Revive, giving you 50 new refresh stations every single year. We're working to give you the system that you deserve every single day. We got you, New York," Soliman said.
For the craftsmen who built a piece of Knicks' history in just two days, the parade may have been a memorable moment, but their lasting legacy is the work they continue to do behind the scenes to keep millions of New Yorkers moving every day.