Five more Queens subway stations will become ADA accessible
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The 33rd Street subway station on the No. 7 line is one of the Queens stations recently slated for accessibility improvements. Eagle file photo by Jonathan Sperling.
By Jonathan Sperling
The MTA has added five Queens subway stations to the list of transit sites set to receive accessibility upgrades in the proposed 2020-2024 Capital Plan. The station improvements are part of the MTA’s plan to ensure that riders are no more than two stops from an accessible station.
Court Square on the E/M line, Northern Boulevard on the M/R line, 33rd Street on the No. 7 line, 46th Street on the No. 7 line and Parsons Boulevard on the F line are the latest Queens stations to be targeted for accessibility improvements.
The stations join six other Queens subway stations slated for accessibility improvements under the 2020-2024 Capital Plan. Those stations are Beach 67th Street on the A line, Briarwood on the E/F line, Broadway on the N/W line, Woodhaven Boulevard on the M/R line, Steinway Street on the M/R line and Rockaway Boulevard on the A line.
NYC Transit’s Senior Advisor for Systemwide Accessibility Alex Elegudin said in a statement that the MTA is “going beyond our commitment to put customers no more than two stations away from an accessible station within five years, filling coverage gaps and increasing access to key transfer points, terminals, and high-ridership stations.”
As it currently stands, entire Queens neighborhoods lack ADA-accessible subway stations. Lack of ADA-compliance along Astoria’s N/W line was the subject of a lawsuit filed by the nonprofit group Disability Rights Advocates on behalf of a Long Island City woman who uses a walker.
That’s set to change as part of the Capital Plan, with subway stations located in Queens neighborhoods like Sunnyside and Briarwood slated for accessibility improvements.
“We will continue to work closely with advocates and communities to prioritize future accessibility investments, and work internally to accelerate these projects while endeavoring to limit any disruption to service,” Elegudin continued.
State Sen. Michael Gianaris praised the planned accessibility improvements are coming to the three additional Western Queens stations.
“After years of pushing for accessibility improvements, the MTA listened to western Queens residents, activists, and elected leaders advocating for better subway access. These improvements will go a long way to making our subway more accessible to all,” said Gianaris said. “While there is still a long way to go in making the entire subway system 100% accessible, these elevators represent a critical step forward.”
