MTA and LIRR transit system needs accessibility upgrades

For millions of New Yorkers, public transit is the gateway to nearly every aspect of life. Getting to work, going to school, seeing your doctor, running errands, spending time with friends — all of it hinges on a reliable transit system that can be accessed by anyone who needs it.

But for the 1 in 5 New Yorkers living with a disability, getting from point A to point B is too often a nonstarter. Stations lacking an elevator or ramp are virtually off-limits for wheelchair users, and they make commuting dangerous for seniors, people with baby strollers, and anyone dealing with a temporary injury.

We must raise awareness of the importance of including folks with developmental disabilities in all aspects of community life. In New York, that starts with public transit access.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is working to make 95% of its subway stations accessible by 2055, in line with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. The goal is to make sure that all riders can navigate stations without needing to use stairs.

That means one of our most important prerogatives is the continued installation of elevators at more subway stations. Only a handful of the city’s 472 subway stations were built after the ADA’s 1990 passage, which mandated accommodations, such as elevators or ramps, in transit stations, to ensure equal access to transit facilities.

This is also a major priority for the Long Island Rail Road’s elevated stations. Work is underway to install two new elevators and update four escalators at the Babylon LIRR station, a major accessibility upgrade.

The MTA’s recently approved 2025-29 capital plan for systemwide construction, maintenance and repairs reaffirms that commitment to accessibility, dedicating $6 billion to LIRR improvements. Overall, it calls for the LIRR to achieve 98% accessibility and outlines steps to make the Bellerose, Douglaston and Cold Spring Harbor stations fully accessible.

LIRR riders are getting a boost at both Manhattan terminals. This month, MTA leaders announced a new ADA-accessible entrance to be installed at Grand Central Terminal, located on Madison Avenue and East 44th Street. This follows a similar overhaul at Penn Station, where the new ADA entrance on Seventh Avenue and West 32nd Street opened to much fanfare last November.

In addition to elevators, ADA upgrades typically include the installation of handrails, ramps and widened stairways. This allows for increased maneuverability, especially in conjunction with the use of mobility devices and service animals.

These projects can also install ADA-compliant bathrooms for increased convenience, LED lighting and CCTV cameras for enhanced safety, as well as upgraded “Help Points” which let audio and visually impaired commuters access vital station and route information.

These are important enhancements. New York’s 65-and-older population grew by over 800,000 from 2011 to 2021, according to a 2023 report from the Center for an Urban Future. With that demographic trend expected to accelerate in the coming years, it is urgent that we address access to and mobility via the subway system now.

The MTA’s goals are laudable and will require persistence to achieve. We all should stand up for everyone’s fundamental right to move around the city without undue burden or fear of injury. The only path to a more inclusive future is to make our transit stations accessible.

This guest essay reflects the views of Kristina Ifkovits, marketing director for Islandia-based Forte Construction Corp., a general contractor working on the installation of more than 150 elevators in the MTA system.