NEW YORK — Work on accessibility improvements to a Long Island Railroad station in Queens has been put on hold due to a pause on the implementation of congestion pricing.
Now, disability advocates say it’s time for the MTA to rethink its priorities.
The MTA considers accessibility a low priority in construction and development.
At a recent board meeting, the MTA announced deferrals for accessibility at 23 subway stations and stop-work orders have been issued at the LIRR Hollis and Forest Hills stations. Accessibility is currently a low priority in MTA construction and development.
“We are heartbroken about the impacts to accessibility, but we will be ready once funding is secured,” MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber said.
In a historic ADA settlement in 2022, the MTA committed to maximum subway compliance with comprehensive elevator access by 2055. But the deal came with a condition: the upgrades would only continue if funding was available.
“A lot of advocates are worried that they’re going to use the fact that there’s a moratorium to not enforce the settlement agreement,” said Dr. Sharon McClennon Weir, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Disability Independence in New York. “I would like to see funding earmarked specifically for accessibility. I would like to see funding earmarked for elevator access, because I think that’s the only way we’re going to solve this problem.”
“It might take you a minute to get there. It takes me five.”
For Delva Summers, getting around town can be a challenge: because of a neurological condition that impairs her balance, stairs at train stations can mean major delays.
“It might take you one minute to get there, but it takes me five minutes to get there, and within those five minutes I’ve missed my train,” she said.
At the Forest Hills station near her office, the slope of the ramp puts strain on her ankles, she said, and an elevator would make a world of difference. The station was scheduled to begin ADA-compliant upgrades when the governor paused congestion pricing.
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