Second Subway Station to Become Fully Accessible This Year
See Video of Today’s News Conference
See Photos from Today’s News Conference
See B-Roll Footage of New Elevators at Tremont Av B D Station
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced that the Tremont Av subway station in the Bronx is now fully accessible to all in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The project included the installation of three new elevators, with one taking customers from the street to the mezzanine, and two taking customers from the mezzanine to the platform, as well as two reconstructed and relocated staircases and new ADA platform edges.
The installed elevators include a new fire alarm system, smoke and heat detectors and cameras inside the elevator cabs, all to enhance customer safety. Each elevator is also equipped with an emergency two-way communication system which gives riders the ability to communicate with dispatchers in the event of an emergency via standard voice communications or visually by answering on-screen questions, which greatly improves communication for riders with hearing or speech disabilities.
“With these upgrades at Tremont Av there are now 149 fully accessible stations across the subway system,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “That means tangible quality-of-life improvements for customers with disabilities, parents with strollers, and all kinds of other folks. Across the MTA we’ve already opened five newly accessible stations this year, and we intend to continue pushing the pace throughout 2024.”
“The speed at which we’re upgrading stations like Tremont Av is a testament to how dedicated transit crews are to creating a fully accessible subway system,” said New York City Transit President Richard Davey. “We’re only just getting started – there are 12 more stations set to receive accessibility upgrades by the end of this year.”
“Public transportation is equity,” said MTA Chief Customer Officer Shanifah Rieara. “In Tremont, a community that is often overlooked and underserved, it is amazing to bring these new accessibility resources to this neighborhood. Thank you to all the hardworking crews for making this possible for Bronxites today and beyond.”
“Newly accessible stations like Tremont Av are the fruits of our efforts to execute projects more efficiently through innovative delivery methods like project bundling,” said MTA Construction & Development President Jamie Torres-Springer. “We are completing ADA upgrades in record time, which will greatly improve accessibility not just in the Bronx but throughout our transit system.”
“Our top priority is creating a transit system that’s accessible for everyone,” said MTA Chief Accessibility Officer Quemuel Arroyo. “The new elevators at Tremont Av , along with the other accessibility upgrades installed, will increase transit access for thousands of Tremont residents. I’m excited to see even more stations become accessible in 2024.”
The Tremont Av station ADA upgrades are part of an ADA improvement package of three subway stations, which also includes 149 St–Grand Concourse . This package is one of several that MTA C&D is delivering better, faster, and cheaper through innovative contracting tools such as design-build and project bundling.
Delivering Accessibility Projects Better, Faster, and Cheaper
The pace in which the MTA is awarding contracts for accessible projects is five times what it was before 2020. The MTA has awarded contracts for 13 stations in 2020, 10 stations in 2021, 13 stations in 2022, and previously announced its plan to award contracts for 16 stations by the end of 2023. There are accessibility upgrades funded by private developers at the 57 St station in Manhattan, and the Queensboro Plaza station in Queens.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when ridership significantly decreased, the MTA prioritized expanding accessibility improvements in the subway by completing 15 accessibility projects. Following today's announcement, there are 149 ADA accessible stations and 26 stations in construction for accessibility upgrades.
The 2020-2024 MTA Capital Plan includes a historic investment of $5.2 billion to make 67 subway stations ADA accessible, more than any capital plan in the MTA’s history and more than the last three capital plans combined. In addition, the Authority is delivering accessibility projects at an unprecedented pace, completing 26 ADA stations since 2020, double the number of ADA stations completed in the previous six years.
“Five years ago, I wrote to the MTA, joined by the Bronx Senate Delegation, urging them to meet the acute need for accessible subway stations in our borough, which has a higher proportion of elderly and physically disabled residents,” said State Senator Gustavo Rivera. “I am thrilled that the MTA has listened to us and prioritized our needs by opening another elevator on the line at Tremont Av. I am proud of the progress we're making for public transit riders and community members that depend on accessible transportation.”
“The new elevator, along with other accessibility upgrades, at the Tremont Av station will expand transit access for individuals with disabilities in my district,” said State Assembly Member Yudelka Tapia. “Expanding elevator access is critical in establishing a fully accessible subway system. I look forward to seeing even more accessibility upgrades in the Bronx and throughout New York City as the MTA works to expand transit access for all New Yorkers.”
“I am heartened that ADA remains a priority for the MTA,” said New York City Council Member Pierina Sanchez. “With Tremont Av subway stop now fully accessible, the Bronx is closer to catching up on full ADA accessibility. I commend the MTA for prioritizing the Bronx in their forthcoming ADA improvement package.”
“Millions of New Yorkers rely on our subway system to get to their destination and with today’s announcement, MTA has made it easier and more accessible for commuters to utilize the Tremont Av station,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson. “I want to thank the MTA for their commitment to transit equity and for prioritizing the safety of our subway riders.”