Stickers have replaced what was once a series of controversial tile mosaics that looked similar to the Confederate flag in a Times Square subway station.
The tile work, which bordered the upper part of a wall at the 40th Street-Seventh Avenue entrance to the 1, 2 and 3 trains, originally depicted a mostly blue X bordered by white over a red background.
The MTA would not confirm it was behind the stickers that now cover the tiles or when they were modified, but PIX 11 reported it was done over the weekend by MTA workers.
Although the MTA insisted the tile mosaics were not Confederate flags and actually a nod to Times Square’s nickname, the Crossroads of the World, the agency said last week that it would change the tiles in order to avoid any future misunderstandings.
“These are not Confederate flags, it is a design based on geometric forms that represent the ‘Crossroads of the World’ and to avoid absolutely any confusion we will modify them to make that absolutely crystal clear,” MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz said in an emailed statement on Aug. 18.
The decision to change the tiles was announced just days after violence broke out at the white supremacist rally held in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Aug. 12.
Backlash over the rally led to the removal of several Confederate memorials in New York City and around the country. Mayor Bill de Blasio also announced a 90-day review of all controversial statues and memorials on city property.
