Riders demand elevator at Parkchester subway station

Subway riders with disabilities say they are fed up with a Parkchester subway station that does not have an elevator. A number of commuters are calling on to MTA to abide by the Americans with Disabilities

News 12 Staff

Mar 26, 2016, 12:20 AM

Updated 3,141 days ago

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Subway riders with disabilities say they are fed up with a Parkchester subway station that does not have an elevator.
A number of commuters are calling on to MTA to abide by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The legislation, signed into law in 1990, mandates that public transportation be made fully accessible.
"We're not asking for a huge fancy glass elevator with diamonds, we're asking for access," says Dustin Jones, founder of United for Equal Access NY.
Subway riders with disabilities say they cannot believe the city has gone as far as implementing curb ramps to help them get inside the Parkchester station, but won't install elevators to help them actually get to the subway.
An MTA spokesperson released a statement saying the reason the station does not have an elevator is due to the architecture of the station.
"All of our subway stations were evaluated in the early 1990s. At that time it was determined it was not feasible to place elevators at the Parkchester station. Due to the dimensions of the station mezzanine, an elevator cannot be installed without blocking customer flow from the two stairways," says an MTA spokesperson.
The MTA has added elevators and ramps to more than 120 stations citywide and offers reduced fares and auto gates at the Parkchester station for those with disabilities.