MENDING FENCES

straphangers, take heart-the city has not forgotten the 10-foot section of fence outside the no. 1, 2 and 3 lines at west 72nd street that was damaged after a taxi crashed there last summer.

a temporary barricade has been erected outside the south section of the subway entrance, between west 71st and 72nd streets along amsterdam avenue, and the parks department is "actively seeking" a contract to fabricate a permanent replacement, according to a feb. 22 letter from parks commissioner adrian benepe to council member gale brewer.

the fence actually falls under the parks department's purview, rather than the mta's, because it is on the broadway mall. brewer initially wrote to the mta in november 2009 after a constituent complained that despite several calls to 311, there had been no progress on the fence, which was damaged aug. 18, 2009.

but the project may be complicated by questions of who's going to foot the bill. according to parks spokesperson cristina deluca, before moving forward with repairs, the department wants to collect money from the company that owned the wayward taxi.