Project Includes $140 Million in Federal Funding with Three New Elevators for ADA Accessibility, Six New Stairways, and State of Good Repair Work
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced the completion of three new elevators, making the 68 St-Hunter College station fully accessible. In addition to the new elevators, crews upgraded platforms and extended the mezzanine, improved passenger circulation with new entrances, and reconstructed stairs and installed better wayfinding signage. 68 St-Hunter College, which serves 20,000 daily riders, is the ninth subway station to be made accessible in 2024.
The project includes one new street-to-mezzanine elevator and two new mezzanine-to-platform elevators, six new stairways, and nine refurbished stairways. Crews created an enlarged mezzanine and new concession stand, installed new lighting and tiles, repaired concrete, steel and paint defects, and refinished platforms featuring ADA boarding areas for an improved customer experience.
A number of safety enhancements were made in the station, including a new fire alarm system, CCTV cameras and upgraded communications systems, lighting, signs, and customer information.
“As demonstrated by the recent pace of projects opening, today’s MTA is on a mission to make our subway system much more accessible,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “The newly accessible 68 St-Hunter College station will provide connections for 20,000 daily riders -- including of course students, but also many thousands of seniors, parents with strollers and people with disabilities. These improvements wouldn’t be possible without the support of the Biden Administration, which contributed $140 million towards this project through USDOT and our congressional delegation, including Senate Majority Leader Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.”
“These ADA improvements will make the train more accessible for generations of New Yorkers who live, work, and learn on the Upper East Side," said MTA Construction & Development President Jamie Torres-Springer. "The MTA’s historic investment in projects like these will forge a safer and more reliable transit system, and we're proud to deliver them better, faster, and cheaper than ever."
“Making 68 St-Hunter College accessible is a major win for customers travelling to and from Manhattan, who will benefit from new elevators, entrances and a brighter and cleaner station,” said New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow. “We’re committed to providing the best customer experience possible by expanding accessibility for ease of travel across the transit system.”
"Everyone benefits from improved accessibility, and I'm excited to bring these benefits to all the students, older adults, and people with disabilities who use this station everyday," said MTA Chief Accessibility Officer Quemuel Arroyo. "With this station opening we finish the 100-station commitment from the Key Station Program and look ahead towards a brighter future with subway accessibility systemwide."
The $177 million project includes $140 million in federal funds. Approximately 22.6% of the project budget has been awarded to DBE firms. The project’s contractor is Forte-Citnalta Joint Venture, and the elevator manufacturer and installer is Mid-American Elevator Co.
The 68 St-Hunter College station also features new artwork in mosaic by artist Lisa Corinne Davis, who is a graduate and professor of art at Hunter College. Commissioned by MTA Arts & Design, the artwork abstractly charts the congregation of the racial, cultural, and economic diversity in this flourishing Upper East Side neighborhood. Comprising approximately 364 square feet, the artwork is prominently located on an expansive wall in the new mezzanine accessible by new stairs and elevators, as well as two walls flanking the seating areas in the paid side of the station. The intricately webbed lines interspersing with patches of colors suggest map, geographic mobility, or the intersections of personal narratives that occur within the station. The artwork conveys the experience of these fleeting, densely networked and oblique human narratives as the riders move through this crossroad community.
"Today marks a significant milestone as 68 St–Hunter College station becomes a fully ADA accessible station through MTA’s key station program,” said Michael Culotta, Regional Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration. “With a federal investment of $140 million, this achievement is a testament to our ongoing commitment to ensure that everyone can access and fully participate in our transit system."
“The completion of accessibility upgrades at the 68 St-Hunter College Station is welcome news to the neighboring community and Hunter’s over 24,000 students that rely on transit to attend this key institution,” said Representative Jerrold Nadler. “I’m proud to have fought for federal funding to make this project possible and look forward to the implementation of congestion pricing, which will raise the revenue necessary to make even more stations accessible in 2025.”
"I am delighted that the 68 St-Hunter College station is now fully ADA accessible,” said State Senator Liz Kreuger. “Accessibility at this stop is one more step toward system-wide ADA compliance for public transit, which is an essential part of keeping our city a thriving, just, and affordable place to live for all New Yorkers."
"A transit system that serves all New Yorkers is one that is accessible to all New Yorkers," said Council Member Keith Powers. "The new elevators at the 68 St-Hunter College Station are a step forward in increasing accessibility for the entire system, and all transit riders will benefit from the upgrades inside the station as well. I am excited for the public to enjoy the experience of the new and improved station!"
“For Hunter—with 23,000 students, most of whom commute to this campus, plus thousands of faculty and staff members—the 68 St-Hunter College station is a vital organ through which our lifeblood courses every day,” said Hunter College President Nancy Cantor. “So, the spectacular upgrades to this station could not be more deeply appreciated, from the unprecedented accessibility features to the inspirational mural by Hunter’s own Professor Lisa Corinne Davis that evokes the ebb and flow of our amazingly diverse community. We’re profoundly grateful to the MTA and all of its partners who have so thoughtfully reimagined this vibrant portal to Hunter and the neighborhood.”