MTA announces 70 NYC Transit stations to receive $5.5 billion in accessibility improvements under proposed 2020-2024 Capital Plan

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced 48 New York City Transit (NYC) stations that will be made fully ADA accessible under the proposed 2020-2024 Capital Plan, which will significantly expand accessibility across the subway stem.  

Recommendations for the additional 22 stations to receive accessibility improvements under the next capital plan 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. 

“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.” 

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 further than two stops from an accessible station by end of the next capital plan. That standard set the parameter in prioritizing the initial 48 stations identified under the 2020-2024 Capital Plan. 

“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.”   

Other factors that were taken into consideration included major transfer stations and station complexes, ridership, demographics, and technical and geographic issues that would affect costs and constructability. The selection process was driven by extensive community input, including public engagement events, outreach to advocates and community groups, as well as feedback from thousands of elected officials, advocates and customers with disabilities. Similar outreach will be conducted to identify the next 22 stations, which will be announced prior to the MTA Capital Program Review Board vote on the entire Capital Plan proposal. 

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 48 stations are listed below. Four of the 48 stations will be fast-tracked for completion by being accelerated into the current 2015-2019 Capital Plan so that project development and construction can begin as soon as possible. The asterisk* denotes stations that are being accelerated into the 2015-2019 Capital Plan. 

Manhattan: 

Essex St. J, M, Z 

Delancey St. F 

42 St-Bryant Park B, D, F, M/5 Av 7 

6 Av L* 

14 St. F, M* 

14 St. 1, 2, 3* 

96 St. B, C 

81 St-Museum of Natural History B, C 

Dyckman St. 1 

168 St. 1 

137 St. 1 

86 St. 4, 5, 6 

Brooklyn: 

Broadway Junction J, Z 

Broadway Junction L 

Lorimer St. L 

Metropolitan Av G 

36 St. D, N, R 

Church Av B, Q 

Avenue H Q 

Sheepshead Bay B, Q 

Kings Hwy N 

Norwood Av J, Z 

Myrtle Av J, M, Z 

Grand St. L 

Hoyt-Schermerhorn St. A, C, G 

7 Av F, G 

Avenue I F 

Kings Hwy F 

Neptune Av F 

Classon Av G 

Junius St 3 

New Lots Av 3 

Borough Hall 4, 5 

The Bronx: 

Van Cortlandt Park-242 St. 1 

Tremont Av B, D* 

Parkchester 6 

E 149 St. 6 

Brook Av 6 

Mosholu Pkwy 4 

Queens: 

Beach 67 St. A 

Briarwood E, F 

Broadway N, W 

Woodhaven Blvd M, R 

Steinway St. M, R 

Rockaway Blvd A 

Staten Island Railway: 

Clifton 

New Dorp 

Hugenot 

On Sept. 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 to institutionalize and build on the progress of the Subway Action Plan and create a faster, more accessible and more reliable public transportation system. This historic plan – which represents the largest amount of investment in MTA history – includes more than $40 billion in New York City Transit’s subways and buses including crucial signal upgrades on six line segments and expanding accessibility in the subway and Staten Island Railway systems. 

In addition to $5.5 billion to make 70 subway stations ADA accessible, it also includes $7.1 billion to modernize signals, $6.1 billion on 1,900 new subway cars, $4.1 billion for repairs at 175 stations, replace 78 elevators and 65 escalators. These goals were made with input from elected officials throughout the service region.  

The proposed plan will be reviewed by the MTA Board at its meeting on Sept. 25 and, if approved, would be submitted by Oct. 1 to the MTA Capital Program Review Board for consideration and approval. The review board is composed of representatives from the Governor, the New York State Senate and Assembly, and the mayor of New York City.