MTA unveils major station and accessibility improvements for Penn Station
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) unveiled a set of station and accessibility improvements at New York Penn Station, part of its long-running effort to create a more accessible and comfortable station experience for the thousands of daily Penn Station customers. The project’s new, fully accessible street entrance and fare control area at 7 Ave. and 33 St. increases accessibility and reliability for all subway customers. The MTA also recently completed the full modernization of four existing elevators, three of which serve the subways and one of which serves the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) at 34 St. Penn Station. The project, which was completed on time and under budget, will significantly improve elevator reliability, provide redundant options for customers who need elevators and create a more seamless travel experience for LIRR and subway riders.
The new elevators feature an Emergency Elevator Two-Way Communications System that facilitates better communication in case of emergency between rescue workers and all passengers, including those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing or have speech disabilities. The new Fare Control Area provides customers with better access to subway service from 7 Ave. and 33 St. and features information screens, which will display service alerts and customer communications. The project also includes the replacement or repair of five platform stairs serving LIRR customers and improvements to station circulation, lighting and wayfinding.
“Accessibility is such an integral part of mass transit, and these improvements will increase reliability for thousands of riders,” said New York City Transit President Richard Davey. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to inclusive public transit and expanding accessibility throughout the region.”
"Thousands of customers will benefit from these new and modernized elevators, which create redundant accessible options to get in and out of Penn Station and provide accessibility between the subways and Long Island Rail Road,” said MTA Chief Accessibility Officer Quemuel Arroyo. “Riders with disabilities, caregivers with strollers, visitors with luggage and many others rely on elevators, and need an accessible option at all times, especially at our busiest stations. This work reinforces our commitment to achieving a fully accessible system."
“MTA Construction and Development is laser focused on delivering this capital plan’s unprecedented investments in accessibility and ensuring we’re doing it better, faster, and cheaper,” said MTA Construction and Development President Jamie Torres-Springer. “New technologically advanced elevators, coupled with dramatic improvements to the station’s entrance, mark significant progress toward Penn Station’s transformation into a welcoming and accessible transit hub for all New Yorkers.”
The MTA is deploying every innovative tool at its disposal in creative ways to achieve accessibility improvements. Since 2020, 16 subway stations have been made accessible in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the MTA’s historic 2020-2024 Capital Plan includes $5.2 billion to make additional stations accessible. In June 2022, the MTA committed to bringing ADA-accessibility to at least 95 percent of subway stations by 2055. In addition, the MTA partnered with the city of New York on Zoning for Accessibility in 2021, which created a framework for developers to make accessibility upgrades to stations without requiring MTA capital dollars. Four stations are already slated for upgrades through this program.
