Inside This UES Subway Station's $177 Million Accessibility Upgrade

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — After several years of planning and negotiations, the city's $177 million accessibility renovation at 68th Street-Hunter College subway station is now complete, bringing three new elevators and many other changes to the Upper East Side train station.

The changes, unveiled by the Metropolitan Transit Authority on Friday, also include an enlarged mezzanine, six new stairways, nine refurbished stairways, new signage, new lighting and new tile, MTA officials said.

To enhance accessibility to the station — used by more than 20,000 people daily — one elevator goes from the street to the mezzanine, and two elevators go from the mezzanine to the train platform, officials said.

"The new elevators at the 68 St-Hunter College Station are a step forward in increasing accessibility for the entire system, and all transit riders will benefit from the upgrades inside the station as well," Upper East Side Councilmember Keith Powers said.

The station also includes a new fire alarm system, security cameras, communications systems, and more, MTA officials said.

Since as far back as 2008, the MTA has been trying to build an elevator at the 68th Street-Hunter College station on the 6 line. The $177 million project began construction in 2022, after several years of planning and negotiating with nearby residents and CUNY, which owns Hunter College.

The process was repeatedly delayed, in part due to pushback from residents of the nearby Imperial House apartment complex who said a new station entrance would spoil the "residential and pristine quality of 69th Street."

"Everyone benefits from improved accessibility, and I'm excited to bring these benefits to all the students, older adults, and people with disabilities who use this station everyday," MTA Chief Accessibility Officer Quemuel Arroyo said.

The upgrades were financed with the help of $140 million in federal funding from the president, the MTA said.

The station also features a new mosaic from Hunter College art professor Lisa Corinne Davis, which abstractly celebrates the diversity of the neighborhood.

“For Hunter—with 23,000 students, most of whom commute to this campus, plus thousands of faculty and staff members—the 68 St-Hunter College station is a vital organ through which our lifeblood courses every day,” Hunter College President Nancy Cantor said.

MTA officials said that 68 St-Hunter College is the ninth subway station to be made accessible in 2024.

What do you think of the new station? Email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.