Res 0216-2024

Whereas, The subway system is the backbone of New York City's transportation network, serving as an essential mode of transportation that millions of New Yorkers rely on every day; and Whereas, For most people, the subway system is an extensive network serving neighborhoods throughout the city, but the ability of people with disabilities, particularly those with mobility impairments, to access the system is extremely limited; and Whereas, Only 117 out of a total of 493 stations in the City's subway system, which is operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority ("MTA"), are fully accessible to people with disabilities; and Whereas, In 2016, the MTA began the Enhanced Station Initiative ("ESI"), a more than $900 million program to make physical improvements at 32 stations including enhanced lighting, improved signage and new station finishes such as canopies, fare control area barriers and seating using design-build contracting and station closures to allow for compressed construction timelines; and Whereas, The ESI program attracted criticism for not including accessibility upgrades such as elevators and was ultimately terminated in April 2018 after its funding was exhausted with only 20 stations receiving upgrades; and Whereas, In 2019, a United States District Court found that the MTA violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to put in an elevator when it renovated a Bronx subway station, and federal officials subsequently stated that the MTA must install elevators in any subway station that undergoes renovation; and Whereas, When work is being performed at a station, especially when service is interrupted, the MTA should use that opportunity to add elevators instead of delaying such work, potentially necessitating further disruption in the future; and Whereas, All New Yorkers fundamentally deserve equal access to a public good as important as the subway system, regardless of their physical abilities; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, legislation calling upon the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to make any subway stations undergoing enhancement or renovation fully accessible to people with disabilities. Session 13 LS # 1280 2/29/24 Session 12 NLB LS # 1280 12/30/21