Newly Announced Station Joins Parsons Blvd and Briarwood in Accessibility Bundle Advancing Thanks to Congestion Pricing
Project Will Install Two Elevators, Rebuild Four Staircases, and Replace Tactile Strip Along Platform
Request For Qualifications to Be Issued by End of Year
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced that Gates Avstation in Bushwick, Brooklyn, will receive accessibility upgrades. A new addition to the 2020-2024 Capital Plan, Gates Av will be included in an upcoming procurement for a package of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) upgrades at three stations – MTA’s ADA Package 9, which will also include accessibility upgrades at the Parsons Blvd and Briarwood stations in Queens. The Gates Av project will install two elevators, rebuild four staircases, and replace the yellow tactile strip along each platform.
ADA Package 9 is among the first of the projects made possible by the implementation of Congestion Pricing to move forward into procurement. A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) will be issued by the end of the year to select a contractor. Construction is expected to begin late 2026.
"As this announcement demonstrates, the new MTA keeps commitments, especially when it comes to ADA accessibility,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “The 67 stations included in the 2020–2024 Capital Plan are just the beginning, and we are determined to maintain our breakneck pace -- five times faster than prior administrations-- to finally deliver the fully accessible system New Yorkers deserve."
“Thanks to congestion pricing, Bushwick is getting the safe, accessible transit it deserves,” said MTA Construction & Development President Jamie Torres-Springer. “This is just one early example of how we are delivering for our riders thanks to the funding provided by congestion pricing.”
The Package is the next bundle of accessibility improvements to be undertaken by MTA Construction & Development (C&D). By bundling multiple ADA stations into one package, the MTA saves money and can more successfully manage more projects at the same time. Thanks in large part to this new approach, the pace of accessibility improvements has increased fourfold in the past decade.
This past summer, Gates Av also received station enhancements as part of the agency’s “Re-New-Vation" program, where crews gave the station a fresh coat of paint, repaired broken concrete, replaced broken tiles and switched out every lightbulb with a brighter energy efficient LED bulb for a more illuminated, updated environment.
Critical accessibility projects are supported by congestion pricing funds and with the program set to begin Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, the MTA can advance projects and continue its unprecedented progress to make the transit system more reliable, accessible and equitable for the millions of commuters who rely on public transportation every day.
“Today’s announcement is the latest step in the right direction towards equitable transit access for every New Yorker. Earlier this year, I was proud to have the opportunity to partner with the MTA and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to provide funding for a new, more accessible Classon Avenue train station, and I look forward to the completion of necessary ADA accessibility upgrades at the Gates Ave train station,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. “I am thankful to the MTA for their commitment to ensuring that every single resident—from our senior citizens to members of the disabled community and parents with young children—can access all that our great city has to offer with the dignity they deserve.”
“No one in our city should feel limited when getting around — especially those who need ADA accommodations,” said NYC Council Member Sandy Nurse. “Elevators are for everyone: Pregnant people, older adults, families with young children or anyone who is just exhausted and needs a lift. I commend this being the MTA's final ADA project, not just because accommodations are the law, but because of the immediate impact I know it will have on the residents living alongside the Gates Av station. This project will open up our city to them, giving them the access to public transit they deserve.”
"The accessibility upgrades at the Gates Avenue Station offer a welcome change for local residents, especially older adults, people with disabilities, and families with strollers," said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. "I am glad to see this station named in the 2020-2024 Capital Plan, which thanks to the restoration of congestion pricing, will now be fully funded. Our city and state must continue prioritizing investments in our public transit system to ensure it is an accessible, safer, and overall better commuting choice for New Yorkers than private vehicles. Thank you to the MTA for choosing this station and working toward the accessibility of our transit system."