What to Know
- Among the updated projects that were unveiled is a new elevator that opened at Court Street station on the G train on July 17. That was followed by the completion of elevator projects at Dyckman Street station and Eighth Avenue station.
- Back in February, the MTA announced that it would award contracts for 17 station stops to become accessible.
- The MTA reached an agreement with disability rights advocates to continue their goal of ensuring that 95% of currently inaccessible station stops be made fully accessible by 2055.
In an effort to make as many of its stations as accessible as possible, the MTA recently unveiled a number of new locations made fully accessible last month during Disability Pride Month.
Among the updated projects that were unveiled is a new elevator that opened at Court Street station (G line) in Queens on July 17. That was followed by the completion of elevator projects at Dyckman Street station (1 line) and 8th Avenue (N line) station.
These new elevators include the latest technology to support safety and communications, including an emergency two-way communication system which gives riders the ability to communicate with dispatchers in an emergency via standard voice communications or visually by answering on-screen questions, allowing for improved communication for deaf and hard-of-hearing riders.
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Back in February, the MTA announced that it would award contracts for 17 station stops to become accessible.
“Accessibility is of course essential for customers with disabilities, and it’s also about parents traveling with strollers, visitors navigating our system for the first time with luggage, and essential workers moving around by bike or with large objects," MTA Chief Accessibility Officer and Senior Advisor Quemuel Arroyo said in a statement.
Additionally, on July 24, the MTA announced a six-month pilot to test an automated wheelchair securement device, the Quantum Self Securement Station, on ten buses along the M7 route.
News
Thirty-two years ago, President George H.W. Bush penned his signature onto the Americans with Disabilities Act guaranteeing those with disabilities equal rights, including access to publicly funded transportation infrastructure.
For years of backlash, advocates demanded that subways become more accessible for those with disabilities. The new demands for elevator access came in the wake of a woman with medical problems dying while going down the subway stairs in 2020.
The MTA reached an agreement with disability rights advocates to continue their goal of ensuring that 95% of currently inaccessible station stops be made fully accessible by 2055.
