Upper East Side Subway Station To Get Accessibility Upgrades: MTA

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — The Lexington Avenue subway line is about to get another elevator.

The MTA announced late last week that the 86th Street 4/5/6 subway station would be among the 17 stations slated to receive new accessibility updates over the next few years.

While details were sparse in the announcement, including any sort of projected timeline, the MTA said that elevators would be part of the ADA-compliant upgrades.

“We are determined to make the NYC Transit system fully accessible, not just for persons with disabilities, but also for seniors, for parents with children who are in strollers and travelers with luggage,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber, who added that the station accessibility projects are being done at "four times the pace of previous MTA Capital Programs."

The station was first listed in 2019 as part of 70 stations to receive accessibility upgrades as part of a $5.5 billion capital plan.

Many, including transit experts, advocates and good-government groups, have long criticized the MTA for failing to control what they deem out of control costs associated with elevator projects.

Out of all of the city's nearly 500 stations, about a quarter — or 126 — of all subway stations currently are considered accessible, according to the agency.

To make the network nearly fully accessible would take 33 years, according to the New York Times.