MTA To Install Elevators At 86th Street R Train Station

BAY RIDGE, BROOKLYN — Elevator access is a necessity for some of New York City’s subterranean travelers, but it isn’t always a guarantee. For those traveling to Bay Ridge, however, that’s all about to change.

This month, the MTA is set to begin installing new elevators at the 86th Street R station as part of a NYC Transit program to modernize public transportation throughout the city.

MTA estimates say the elevators should be fully functional by 2020 if current projections are correct, making the station fully accessible to the disabled at this southwestern Brooklyn station that services more than 12,000 daily customers.

"Bay Ridge has been waiting a long time for full accessibility to come to the 86th Street R station, and that time is finally close at hand,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.

These two elevators will connect the platform to the mezzanine and the mezzanine to the street, providing full station access for those with wheelchairs or strollers who cannot climb the stairs. Other renovations will be made on handrails, turnstiles and powered gates. Braille signage and platform panels will also be added.

Regular weekday service will continue during the construction with occasional closures on some weekends and weeknights. The MTA will make announcements, conduct community outreach and post signage to notify riders in advance of these upcoming closures. Substitute bus service will be provided during these times.

Wheelchair accessibility on the Brooklyn side of the R line is poor to say the least. Not one station between Atlantic Avenue/Barclays Center and 95th Street—about a five-mile stretch—has any kind of ramps, elevators or other features that would help those who are physically, visually or hearing impaired gain access to the R line in Park Slope, Sunset Park and Bay Ridge.3

“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 Sen. Marty Golden. “The project is an important step towards reducing the barriers to our subways for all New Yorkers.”

Only 25 percent of the city's 472 subway stations are wheelchair accessible. This Bay Ridge station is one of at least 20 others that will receive or are currently undergoing renovations under NYC Transit’s modernization plan to increase ADA accessibility throughout the city’s public transportation system.

“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 R train stop system has elevator access and I will continue to advocate for more accessible stations throughout the system.”

Photo courtesy of Spencer Platt / Getty Images News / Getty Images