Since New York Gov. Kathy Hochul put a temporary hold on congestion pricing, the MTA has been forced to shelve its plans to put elevators in more than 20 subway stops. This includes the Midtown station where a mother died five years ago while pushing her baby stroller.

MTA New York.Photo byAdelin PredaonUnsplash

In January 2019, 22-year-old Malaysia Goodson died at the Seventh Avenue station on the B, D, and E lines. This made people demand that the subway system make more stations accessible since more than 300 stops do not have elevators. She fell down the third of three stairs she had to climb to get to the platform. Her 1-year-old daughter Rhylee was in a stroller with her.

The city's medical examiner stated Goodson died from thyroid and heart problems, but her baby survived. Her family believes an elevator could have saved her.

The MTA Has Not Done Enough

The tragedy was a sign that the MTA hasn't done enough to make the subway available for people with disabilities and parents who have to carry their young children up and down stairs while they commute. People really wanted more subway lifts after Goodson's death, so the MTA made the biggest accessibility plan it has ever had.

In April 2019, state lawmakers approved congestion pricing, which brought $15 billion in funding for transit improvements. In May 2019, MTA officials accepted a $5.2 billion plan to add elevators to 72 subway stations as part of its 2020–2024 capital program.

Last month, Gov. Hochul announced that the tolls will not go live on June 30. The MTA had to cancel projects immediately. The government halted 23 subway access projects, including Seventh Avenue.