Protest Set After Congestion Pricing Delay Halts Subway Upgrades

NEW YORK CITY – Hundreds of accessibility and transit advocates will gather at subway stations across the city on Sunday, to remind straphangers why their system lacks elevators (and more).

Generally, that's due to chronic Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) underfunding, the groups say, but more recently, upgrades are on hold after Gov. Kathy Hochul's decision to “indefinitely” pause congestion pricing led to dramatic funding uncertainty.

The “Citywide Subway Canvassing Day” begins at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 8 at the Delancey Street-Essex Street J/Z/F/M station on the Lower East Side, before fanning out to 23 stations where accessibility projects are on hold across the city.

Groups behind the action include the Chinese-American Planning Council, Center for the Independence of the Disabled NY, Elevator Action Group, Manny Cantor Center Senior Advocacy Leadership Team (SALT), Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC), New York City Democratic Socialists of America Ecosocialists, Open Plans, Riders Alliance, Transportation Alternatives, UP-STAND, and Comptroller Brad Lander’s office, according to a press release.

Advocates plan to talk with their fellow riders, connecting the funding that congestion pricing would have provided to accessibility issues across the city’s massive system.

In Manhattan, paused projects include upgrades at major express stops like the 59th Street 4/5/6 and N/R/W stations on the edge of the Upper East Side; the 42nd Street-Bryant Park B/D/F/M and 7th Avenue B/D/E stations in Midtown; and the 145th Street A/C/B/D station in Harlem.

Smaller stations where upgrades are delayed include the 168th Street 1 train station in Washington Heights, the 110th Street 6 station in East Harlem, and the 5th Avenue 7 train station in Midtown.

If you think there are a lot of stairs in subway stations, imagine how you might feel if your mobility was impaired. In 2023, only a quarter of the city’s nearly 500 stations complied with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).

Last year, the MTA reached an ADA agreement with advocates, which stipulated that the agency would make 95% of the subway accessible by 2055. Additionally, the MTA agreed to set aside a big chunk – 15% – of future capital plan funding for accessibility improvements.

Is there a subway station in your neighborhood that needs accessibility upgrades? Email michael.mcdowell@patch.com.