New York metro accessibility to be improved
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced the first 48 New York City Transit stations will be made fully accessible that will significantly expand accessibility across the subway system and provide access to all customers.
“These 48 stations are a terrific first step and help get us closer than ever to achieving systemwide accessibility that all New Yorkers deserve,” said MTA NYC Transit President Andy Byford. “We look forward to hearing from our customers and the community as we work to identify the additional 22 stations.”
Recommendations for the additional 22 stations that will also receive accessibility improvements will be subject to objective criteria, including which stations can be modified in the most efficient manner on the shortest timeline with minimal disruption to service, and public engagement with local stakeholders.
“We are committed to expanding accessibility and the proposed investment in the next capital plan is a massive boost to our efforts,” said Alex Elegudin, NYC Transit’s Senior Advisor for Systemwide Accessibility. “We worked collaboratively with communities across the city to identify these stations where our resources can be put to use to benefit the largest number of customers.”
Accelerating accessibility is one of NYC Transit’s top priorities, which established the goal of making 50 subway stations fully accessible so that customers would be no farther than two stops from an accessible station.
New York City subway stations, many of which were built nearly a century ago and predate the Americans with Disabilities Act, were built in densely populated areas that have since been further developed. Technical and geographic issues included evaluations of the area immediately surrounding each station under consideration, such as any need to move utilities, access provided by third parties, acquisition or real estate needs, sidewalk clearances, sidewalk curb depths, clearance within each station on platforms and for machinery or equipment required for the accessibility.
The MTA also announced that seven Long Island Rail Road stations and four Metro-North Railroad stations will be made accessible.
Long Island Rail Road will make the following seven stations wheelchair accessible, bringing accessibility to 93% of stations, that serve 97% of ridership.
They are the following:
- Hollis Station in Hollis, Queens
- Hunterspoint Avenue Station in Long Island City, Queens
- Locust Manor Station in Locust Manor, Queens
- Forest Hills Station in Forest Hills, Queens
- Copiague Station in Copiague, Suffolk County
- St. Albans Station in St. Albans, Queens
- New Mets - Willets Pt Station in Flushing, Queens
Metro-North Railroad will make the Ludlow station on the Hudson Line as well as three stations on the Harlem Line in the Bronx. Four new stations that will be built in the Bronx as part of Metro-North Railroad's Penn Station Acccess Project will be fully accessible. These are Parkchester, Morris Park, Hunts Point and Co-Op City.
and railroads over the next five years and create a faster, more accessible, and more reliable public transportation system
ADA accessibility has been a priority at the commuter railroads, which has focused first – as required by the law when it was passed in 1990 - on providing access at its busiest stations. Of the LIRR’s 124 stations, 105 are currently accessible under the American with Disabilities Act. An additional three stations, at Nostrand Avenue, Murray Hill, and Floral Park are undergoing construction that will make them ADA accessible. Of Metro-North Railroad’s 85 stations in New York State (which includes Grand Central Terminal), 60 are currently accessible. 78% of Metro-North stations serving 93% of customers will be accessible.
“Metro-North is committed to making the railroad as accessible as possible to all of our customers,” said Catherine Rinaldi, President of Metro-North. “We’ve made great strides forward in improving station access for customers who use mobility aids, and thanks to funding from the 2020-2024 Capital Plan, we’ll be bringing these improvements to 93% of our riders.”
On September 16, the MTA released the proposed 2020-2024 Capital Plan to invest $51.5 billion into the region’s subways, buses, and railroads over the next five years.
“Fast-tracking accessibility in subway stations is the surest way to elevate the socioeconomic status of New Yorkers with disabilities,” said James Weisman, President & CEO, United Spinal Association. “The ability to use mass transit in our city is fundamental to work, recreation and education. More stations made accessible as quickly as possible is a new, welcome and insightful approach. This is a historic investment in that direction, so we applaud the MTA for taking this step.”