MTA New York City Transit today announced that a project to bring full wheelchair and stroller accessibility to the 86 St station in Bay Ridge will begin this month.

“I have said from Day One of my tenure that improving accessibility is one of my four top priorities, and I’m pleased to see this station moving us ahead on that goal,” said NYC Transit President Andy Byford. “We will continue to review the entire system and study how we can bring greater accessibility to the New York City Subway.”

The 86 St project will add elevators and reconfigure station infrastructure – such as handrails, turnstiles and powered gates, Braille signage and platform panels – for full accessibility. Two new elevators, one connecting the street to the mezzanine and the other from the mezzanine to the platform, will provide access to the entire station. In addition, the station agent booth will be modified to a wheelchair-friendly height and new sidewalk pedestrian ramps will be installed. The project also involves building and reconfiguring existing crew and equipment rooms to accommodate new electrical and mechanical infrastructure required for the elevators. More than 12,000 weekday customers use the station.

Work on this project will begin this month, and the elevators will become operational in 2020. The station will remain open for regular weekday service during the construction, with occasional closures on some weekends and weeknights to accommodate work that requires platform or track access. Announcements, signage and outreach to customers detailing all service changes will be disseminated in advance of any changes as they are scheduled. Sidewalk access to local businesses will be maintained at all times, and substitute bus service will be provided as needed to ensure that customers can continue to make their trips.

The MTA awarded the $17.9 million contract, which includes incentives for early completion, to El Sol Contracting in December 2017.

“The 86th Street project will make it easier for our seniors, people with disabilities and families with carriages, to use our subway system,” said State Senator Marty Golden. “As the State Senate's Representative on the MTA Capital Program Review Board, it has been my goal to make our mass transit system more accessible to all. The project is an important step towards reducing the barriers to our subways for all New Yorkers. I look forward to its completion which will change the landscape of transportation in Bay Ridge.”

"This elevator will provide sorely needed accessibility for Bay Ridge residents,” said Congressman Daniel Donovan. “I'm glad the project is moving forward and will continue working with the MTA to improve transportation options for South Brooklyn.”

"Bay Ridge has been waiting a long time for full accessibility to come to the 86th Street station, and that time is finally close at hand,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. “I thank NYCT President Byford for understanding the importance of a subway system that serves all of its riders, and I hope to work in partnership with him to expeditiously expand accessibility to subway stations that have yet to be made wheelchair accessible."

“The Americans with Disabilities Act is not a suggestion but a civil right statute,” said Council Member Justin Brannan. “It's not about convenience, or cost, it’s about human rights. I look forward to the day when the 86th Street train stop system has elevator access and I will continue to advocate for more accessible stations throughout the system.”

Currently, 118 stations are wheelchair accessible, and 25 more are currently in progress to become so. Nearly $5 billion has been invested to make subway stations accessible, including $1.4 billion in the 2015-19 MTA capital program. The 2015-19 capital program also includes $479 million to replace 42 existing elevators and 27 escalators. Future capital programs will include funding for additional stations.

On May 23, NYC Transit President Byford unveiled “Fast Forward: The Plan to Modernize New York City Transit” – which among other initiatives, proposes to add in the span of five years enough new elevators to ensure that all subway riders will not be more than two stops away from an accessible station. The plan proposes the addition of 180 elevators over the course of 10 years. The plan also proposes modernizing the subway’s signal system on a significantly accelerated timeline, redesigning the entire city’s bus network, and improving customer service and communications.