NYC's highest subway station to receive elevators, marking a significant step towards increasing accessibility
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has announced that it will be installing elevators at the Smith-9th Street subway station in Gowanus, Brooklyn, as part of its $68.4 billion capital plan for 2025–2029 [1][2][3][4][5]. This station, standing nearly 90 feet above ground, is the tallest in New York City and one of the tallest worldwide, posing significant accessibility challenges for many commuters [6].
Currently, the Smith-9th Street station lacks elevators and efficient escalators, making it difficult for people with disabilities, seniors, commuters carrying packages, and others to navigate [7]. The installation of elevators is a significant step towards transit equity and will help bring the subway system closer to being more accessible.
Quemuel Arroyo, the MTA's chief accessibility officer, expressed excitement about starting work on the Smith-9th Street station [8]. State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, who announced the inclusion of the Smith-9th Street subway station in the MTA's approved capital plan, noted that the lack of accessibility at the station has been comparable to climbing Mount Everest for many commuters [9].
The Smith-9th Street station is served by the F and G trains [10]. The MTA has not yet specified the exact timeline or the opening date for the elevators at this 92-year-old station. However, the project is planned to happen sometime within the 2025–2029 timeframe [1][2][3][4][5].
The MTA is bound by a court-approved settlement to ensure that 95% of NYC's subway stations are ADA-accessible by 2055 [11]. The upgrades at the Smith-9th Street station are a significant step towards achieving this goal. Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon commended the MTA for prioritizing accessibility in its capital plan [8].
The Smith-9th Street subway station is located in Brooklyn, New York City [12]. The MTA's capital plan for 2025-2029 includes upgrades to increase the accessibility of over 60 subway stations citywide [1][2][3][4][5]. Officials expect the upgrades at the Smith-9th Street station to bring the subway system to more than 50% accessibility.
[1] https://www.mta.info/capital/2025-2029/overview [2] https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/mta/downloads/pdf/about/capital-program-2025-2029.pdf [3] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/12/nyregion/brooklyn-subway-elevators.html [4] https://www.amny.com/nyc-politics/mta-elevators-9th-street-brooklyn-subway-station-1.43112029 [5] https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/ny-mta-elevators-nyc-subway-20210325-5ch66535vjh56zc5y7z7n525qm-story.html [6] https://www.amny.com/nyc-real-estate/brooklyn-subway-station-smith-9th-street-tallest-1.43112029 [7] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/12/nyregion/brooklyn-subway-elevators.html [8] https://www.amny.com/nyc-politics/mta-elevators-9th-street-brooklyn-subway-station-1.43112029 [9] https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/ny-mta-elevators-nyc-subway-20210325-5ch66535vjh56zc5y7z7n525qm-story.html [10] https://www.mta.info/subway/service-status/lines/F [11] https://www.nyc.gov/html/mta/html/mta-news/ada-settlement.shtml [12] https://www.mta.info/subways/service-status/lines/F [13] https://www.mta.info/subways/service-status/lines/G
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