86th Street 6 Subway Station Now Wheelchair Accessible, MTA Says

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — The New York City subway system isn't known for its accessibility, but one Upper East Side station has taken a step forward thanks to a new elevator that has made it wheelchair accessible.

The northbound 6 Train platform at the 86th Street station has been officially designated as accessible following the construction of an elevator on the northeast corner of 86th and Lexington Avenue, the MTA announced Wednesday.

The change will be reflected in the MTA's newest subway map, currently being rolled out to stations and subway cars around the city.

The southbound 6 platform, as well as the 4 and 5 train platform one level down, remain inaccessible for wheelchairs.

Other wheelchair accessible stations nearby include the 72nd, 86th and 96th Street Q stations along the 2nd Avenue line. More newly accessible stations will open by the end of 2020, the MTA said Wednesday.

The agency said last year that 70 stations would get new elevators between 2020-2024 as part of its $51.5 billion capital plan, but the agency has since put the plan on hold due to a financial shortfall from the coronavirus pandemic.

The new subway map will also update the names of several stations, including the Franklin Avenue and President Street stations in Brooklyn, which now both bear the name of nearby Medgar Evers College.

A full list of wheelchair accessible subway stations is available on the MTA website.