The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced the opening of three new modernized elevators at the Queens Plaza E/M/R subway station in Long Island City earlier this month as part of a larger accessibility and safety upgrades throughout the transit system.
The work included a full replacement of the cab and equipment within the cab, shaft and pit, along with two new elevator head houses located at street level. Crews also made modifications to the shaft and pit as needed to allow for new equipment. The elevator machine room and electrical and mechanical equipment received replacements and other modernization efforts for reliability.
“We’re proud to complete another on-budget project to deliver more modern, reliable elevator service at Queens Plaza,” MTS Construction and Development President Jamie Torres-Springer said. “We’re moving at an unprecedented pace toward our goal of making public transit accessible for all New Yorkers.”
The Queens Plaza project was made possible by support from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).
Nearly 10,000 riders use the Queens Plaza station on an average weekday, and modernized elevators provide them with reliable access to our entire system,” MTA Chief Accessibility Officer Quemel Arroyo said.
The new elevators provide better access for individuals with disabilities, elderly passengers, people with small children in strollers and anyone traveling with bulky items.
“Every New Yorker deserves accessible public transportation,” Council Member Julie Won said. “With the opening of these three new elevators at the Queens Plaza station, we’re making our transit system more reliable and safer for the nearly 10,000 riders who use this station every day. These upgrades are an important step toward a fully accessible transit system.”
Elevator replacement at the Jackson Heights-Roosevelt transit hub, Main Street-Flushing and the F train station at 179th Street-Jamaica are currently in progress or planned for the near future.
