86 St R Station and Bedford Av L Station Set to Become ADA Accessible By Early August

BAY RIDGE/WILLIAMSBURG – The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced two Brooklyn stations will be ADA accessible: 86 St

station in Bay Ridge is set to become ADA accessible this week and the Bedford Av

station in Williamsburg in early August.86 St Station The 86 St

station at Fourth Avenue in Bay Ridge is getting two ADA compliant elevators between the street and the mezzanine and from the mezzanine to the platform level, as well as a completely upgraded of the station communications system. There are new mosaic bands and artwork, a new ADA-compliant employee locker room, and restroom, and upgrades to the booth to include an ADA compliant deal tray.The east side of Fourth Avenue was rebuilt to include a sidewalk bulb-out, easing transfer for those connecting by bus, and eliminating the need for buses to pull out of and into traffic.Bedford Av

StationBedford Av Station in Williamsburg is getting four new entrances and four existing stairs have been repaired. There will be a new street to mezzanine elevator at the northeast corner of Bedford Avenue and N. 7th Street, and the existing mezzanine has been expanded to accommodate a new mezzanine to platform elevator, all part of the Canarsie Tunnel Rehabilitation and

Train Core Capacity Improvement project.“I came to New York City Transit for days like this,” said Alex Elegudin, Senior Advisor for Systemwide Accessibility. “Making stations accessible can be challenging for a range of reasons, but it’s always worth it and I’m hopeful that federal legislators will take notice of this essential work and help us fund more of it. New Yorkers with disabilities deserve a transit system that serves them and I’m eager to celebrate more events like today in the years to come.”In all MTA announced four ADA accessible stations ahead of the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act at an event at the newly upgraded Astoria Blvd subway station in Queens. The also announced that 1 Av

station in Manhattan will become ADA accessible in early August. These stations are part of the MTA’s 2020-2024 Capital Plan, which includes a massive $5.2 billion commitment to makings subway stations more accessible and making sure that no one would be more than two stations away from an accessible station. Given the pandemic and related funding shortfalls, the plan is on hold.