Yet even when the MTA embarks on major capital upgrades, elevators are an afterthought. How can the MTA get away with this, 25 years after the passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act? It clings to the excuse that compliance with the act is required only for "sufficiently large" projects. But hiding behind the letter of the law and allowing that to be the last word — as the MTA is doing — is not only wrong, but shortsighted.