Long requested upgrades coming to Bay Ridge subway station
MTA will install an elevator at the 95th Street stop in Bay Ridge starting July 2023.
Photo courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority will begin installing accessibility upgrades to the 95th Street subway station in Bay Ridge this year, according to Council Member Justin Brannan.
The underground station — which serves as the final stop on the R line — is only accessible from the street via staircases and is not compliant with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.
Residents, including Brannan, began asking the transportation agency for accessibility upgrades in 2018 – namely an elevator since the station is difficult for wheelchair users to navigate.
The 95th Street Station in Bay Ridge is currently only accessible through stairs, making it harder for wheelchair users to navigate.Photo courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA
After years of conversations and waiting, the MTA announced it will begin implementing ADA improvements at the station.
“Way back in 2018 we pushed the MTA to include these local investments in their capital plan so we are thankful to see everything finally coming to fruition. First the 86th Street elevator and now the 95th Street elevator,” Brannan said in a statement.
The renovation will include two elevators — one from the street to the mezzanine and another from the mezzanine to the platform — accessible staircases with railings, platforms with detectable warning panels and sidewalk ramps at the station entrance.
“New Yorkers want a safe, reliable, and accessible public transportation system. Frankly, we don’t care about the tile in our subway stations – we just wanna get to work safely and on time. So we appreciate investments like this rather than superficial cosmetic changes that have been made in other stations,” Brannan said.
According to the MTA, the upgrades will begin in July 2023, and are expected to take 12 months to complete. Locals can expect four full station closures, occasional weekend and weeknight service reduction, staircase closures and barricades at various times throughout the year-long construction.
“It is important to remember that the Americans with Disabilities Act is not a mere suggestion but a civil right statute and therefore having a subway system accessible to people with disabilities is not only a moral necessity but a legal one,” the Council Member said.
The upgrade is a part of a larger accessibility project approved by the MTA Board at the 2022 December Board meeting.
The upgrade is a part of MTA’s goal to make 95% of their stations more accessible by 2055.Photo courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA
City dwellers have been pushing the MTA for more accessible stations for years, and the agency is currently installing elevators and other accessibility measures at multiple locations citywide as part of their goal to make 95% of subway stations ADA accessible by 2055.
“This station is one of 34 currently under construction, and the MTA has completed ADA upgrades at 17 stations since the start of the pandemic,” John J. McCarthy, MTA Chief of external relations, said in a statement. “With more than $5 billion in the current capital plan for ADA work, we are advancing our commitment to achieve system wide accessibility that serves all New Yorkers.”