Riders rally for new elevators on hold for congestion pricing

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) — Living near a subway stop is a plus for New Yorkers. If it has an elevator, you’re even luckier.

Some neighbors rallied Wednesday at Nostrand Avenue along the A/C lines as the accessibility project at the station is one of 23 that the MTA has officially classified as “deferred.”

Jackie Feliz went to the rally with her child in a stroller. “Every day New Yorkers need elevators. You have luggage, you have strollers and there’s the elderly. It’s needed. It’s a necessity,” she said.

The disability community has been fighting for decades for more accessibility. Courts have ordered the MTA to build more elevators but only about 25% of the NYC Transit stations are accessible.

“Our community is about to lose a needed accessibility upgrade because the governor made a unilateral decision to cancel congestion pricing,” said New York State Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest.

Governor Kathy Hochul’s office did not respond to a request for a comment about the rally or other possible funding sources.

“Any other plan will need to be studied and voted on, adding years to construction, driving up costs, and excluding one million New Yorkers who can’t climb stairs from the subway,” said Riders Alliance Senior Organizer Danna Dennis.

The charge for travel south of 60th Street in Manhattan was expected to generate $1 billion.

A dedicated funding stream allows the MTA to finance billions of dollars for improvement projects.

In early June, Governor Hochul temporarily paused the implementation. She said it was not the right time to add an expense. She promised funding and that the projects would continue.

The MTA has been reviewing and downsizing plans.

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