What Color Should They Paint The El Train?

Project Woodhaven · Site Admin Joined: 05 Oct 2008 Posts: 33

Over the last few months we've heard that the Woodhaven Elevated Train will be painted.

Here's what it looks like now:

What color would you like to see it painted? Green? Blue? Orange? Or should we all grab a bucket of paint and go all Partridge Family on it?

Personally, I'd like a nice green -- as we are Woodhaven and known for our trees.... how about you?

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8915 · Guest

I think the EL color should be a combination of dark grey at the base and a lighter grey towards the tracks. Then, back to the darker grey in and around the tracks. Then, when the painting is compete, the Woodhaven merchants should take advantage of their EL's design for their own neighborhood marketing efforts.

Similar to a mall, the EL's over-hang is perfect for business signs. More particularly the cross-bar beams that connect both tracks. Only these beams would be utilized. Well designed signs with bold features can enhance any retail environment. Nothing too gaudy, nothing too hard to read.

Now, I'm not referring to those crappy Newport Cigarette ads we saw in the 70s, just contemporary designs that work. Woodhaven is in New York City, so someone can come up with a great outdoor color-scheme and layout that will blend in and make sense.

In the end, EL Ads, complete with night lights, would separate Woodhaven from the rest of the Jamiaca Ave neighborhoods. Plus, it would allow for future investments like live surveillance cameras to deter crime and hire independent security services. If any community can create new 'non-traditional' revenue from street billboards on municipal backdrops like the Jamaica Avenue EL, then why not do it! Federal, state or city money hardly exists these days, however a co-op of Woodhaven businesses, along with a few 'Cake Drives' and productive politicians might just get it done.

It's not the answer to everything, but well produced overhead signage will take a new EL color, to the next level. The EL isn't going anywhere, so why not make it a revenue opportunity, an option only a hand full of US cities have. Some would say, EL Ads are too much, others just wouldn't get it. All anyone needs to do is point at what's been hanging over Woodhaven's business district for over 9 decades, an iron trestle that needs painting every 10 or 20 years. At best, the money from the billboards can assist in year-to-year maintenance of the trestle itself, summer jobs for Woodhaven residents only.

Just a thought, keep up the awesome work on ProjectWoodhaven.com. [/b]

VanceBarbour · Guest

I go with blue. Not sure how to vote on the site.

Guest · Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2009 2:14 am

How do I vote on this ????

Project Woodhaven · Site Admin Joined: 05 Oct 2008 Posts: 33