By Forum Staff
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Friday announced the completion of two new elevators, making the Woodhaven Boulevard J, Z station fully accessible.
In addition to the new elevators and two new staircases, crews upgraded platforms and installed new fare control areas.
The Woodhaven Boulevard station, which serves 3,500 daily riders, is the second subway station to be made accessible in 2025.
The project includes two new street-to-platform elevators, two new stairways, and four replaced stairways to enhance passenger circulation, and new Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant boarding areas with platform edges and tactile warning strips. A number of safety enhancements were made in the station, including a new fire alarm system, CCTV cameras, upgraded communications systems and digital information screens. Crews also installed six new turnstiles, upgraded mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, and performed extensive state of good repair work including replacing platforms and windscreens, and made steel and concrete repairs.
The Woodhaven station is the first MTA accessibility project built to bypass an existing mezzanine using direct to platform elevators. This design allows customers to reach the platform with only one elevator, simplifying and speeding up the trip. It also allows the MTA to build one fewer elevator compared with past station designs, saving time and cost, while improving the customer experience. As part of this improved accessible design, the project created two new entrances on the east side of Woodhaven Boulevard with new fare control areas and new staircases. The new entrances allow customers to access the station without crossing the many lanes of traffic on Woodhaven Boulevard.
“It is not just new elevators, but a completely new customer experience,” said MTA Chief Accessibility Officer Quemuel Arroyo.
MTA officials noted that the project showcased innovative approach to authority construction planning. The two direct-to-platform-elevators approach saved approximately $40 million from the project budget before construction even began by avoiding the need to construct a third elevator and perform extensive structural reconstruction of the existing mezzanine. Once the project entered construction, efficient project management delivered another $8 million in construction savings, bringing the accessibility project and station renewal in for a total $140 million.
The project was made possible by support from the Federal Transit Administration in the form of a $177 million grant. The surplus funding from that grant will be redirected to support other vital capital projects across the MTA.
“Today marks a significant milestone for our community as we celebrate the completion of Woodhaven Boulevard station’s accessibility upgrades,” said State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Woodhaven). “Ensuring that our transit system is accessible to everyone is not just a legal obligation, but a moral one. This project reflects our commitment to creating a more inclusive New York, where all residents can navigate our city’s transportation network with ease and dignity.”
City Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) said, “It is wonderful to see MTA investments that make New York City accessible for all New Yorkers. With these new elevators and faregates in the station, people with mobility devices and strollers will have easier access when traveling on the subway.”
