Report: NYC Transit Falling Behind on Accessibility

A report from New York City’s Public Advocate reveals that “New York City’s public transit system is falling far behind other major cities both on timeline and technology needed to be truly, fully accessible,” according to a BK Reader article.

The report finds that under one-third of subway stations are accessible via elevator, with elevator outages common. “The MTA has invested significantly in aesthetic improvements that make stations less accessible, such as by removing benches and replacing them with leaning benches or that are underutilized for accessibility purposes, like using new LED screens to display advertisements instead of closed captioning for announcements.”

At the current rate of improvements, the report adds, New York City’s subway won’t be fully accessible until 2100. The report recommends immediate actions that include: implement efforts started by a 2019 pilot program, “Improve train boarding so that doors align properly with designated boarding areas, and raised infrastructure closes any large gaps between the train and platform,” and “Install wayfinding infrastructure including tactile guideways and boarding areas.” The report also provides near-term and long-term recommendations for making the city’s transit system truly fully accessible.