Advocates come together for Citywide Day-Of-Action For Subway Accessibility

Advocates came together Wednesday for a Citywide Day-Of-Action For Subway Accessibility, calling on Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the MTA to make the city's subways accessible to everyone.

News 12 Staff

Mar 12, 2020, 2:27 AM

Updated 1,499 days ago

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Advocates came together Wednesday for a Citywide Day-Of-Action For Subway Accessibility, calling on Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the MTA to make the city's subways accessible to everyone.
"I'm not handicapped per say and I did have back surgery and for me to access that subway right now is impossible," says commuter Jose Rosario.
Rosario would normally take the Burnside Avenue station in the Bronx, but because it doesn't have an elevator, he has to take a bus or an Uber.
Rosario isn't alone. According to the New York Public Research Group, only 24% of all city subways are fully accessible to commuters with disabilities.
It's what brought advocates across the city to come together to call for change.
"With this day of action, we want to make sure our representatives know and are aware of how high the need is for accessibility all across the city," says Khrizya Gastelum, NYPIRG Project Coordinator.
They are calling on Cuomo to fund the MTA's $51.5 billion capital plan that would include funding to make 70 stations ADA accessible, which would increase access to riders across the five boroughs from Burnside Avenue in the Bronx to Borough Hall in Brooklyn.
"People who can't access the subway people with wheelchairs or elderly have to resort to an Uber or a taxi, and if that's not available how are they supposed to get to a job or an appointment, if they don't have access?" says Gastelum.
According to the MTA, its capital plan would expand mobility to millions of customers across the city.
News 12 reached out to the MTA who said, "The MTA is fully committed to systemwide accessibility as evidenced by our unprecedented $5.5 billion investment in 70 new accessible stations, exceeding our goal of ensuring our customers are never more than two stops away from an ADA station."
 


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