advocacy via newsletter —
Erik Bottcher New York State Senator 47th District
Update on ADA Accessibility Improvements at 23rd Street Stations
August 4, 2026
Honorable Jerrold Nadler
201 Varick Street, Suite 669
New York, NY 10014
Honorable Erik Bottcher
322 8 Avenue, Suite 1700
New York, NY 10001
Honorable Tony Simone
214 West 29t Street, Suite 1401
New York, NY 10001
Honorable Brad Hoylman-Sigal
1 Centre Street, 19th Floor
New York, NY 10007 Dear Congress Member Nadler, Senator Bottcher, Assembly Member Simone, and Borough President
Hoylman-Sigal:
I am writing in response to your letter about accessibility upgrades at 23 Street and 23 Street GO subway stations. Design is underway at both stations, with construction award anticipated in 2027 for the
• station and 2028 for the © station. Upon the approval of the 2025-2029 Capital Plan, we initiated design on these projects, a critical first step. Because each station layout is unique, the scoping process can take time to ensure every detail is taken into consideration. This requires careful and meticulous planning to account for the complex network of underground utility lines, street fixtures, and station infrastructure that must be relocated to
make room for accessibility improvements. The MTA is always exploring strategies to deliver projects better, faster, and cheaper. We are pursuing initiatives with our City agency partners to address utility relocation upfront and streamline the permit approval process. Internally, we are implementing innovative procurement tools like station bundling and design-build contracting, which has been an effective means of spurring innovation and rebalancing project accountability with contractors. These reforms have allowed us to build accessible stations at an unprecedented rate, with 34 subway stations currently under construction and six newly accessible
stations opened this year alone. Accessibility is one of the TA's core values, and our current capital plan reflects that. We've earmarked funding to make another 60 subway stations accessible, and upon completion of the 2025-2029 Capital Program, approximately 70% of all subway rides will take place to or from accessible stations, all while staying on target to make 95% of currently inaccessible stations ADA-accessible by 2055. We've also been finding great success in innovative procurement methods, which have allowed us to open newly
accessible stations at record pace.
MTA New York City Transit is an agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, State of New York.
We share your commitment to improving accessibility across our transit system, and we thank you foryour continued advocacy and partnership. ou have any further questions, please feel free to reach out to your Government and Community
lations borough representative Alberto Roldan by email at
[email protected] or by phone at (646) 252-2654.
Last year, after sustained advocacy from our offices, Community Board 4, local residents, and disability advocates, the MTA included both stations in its 2025–2029 Capital Plan for accessibility upgrades, including the installation of elevators. This was a major victory for our community that will make transit more accessible for seniors, people with disabilities, parents with strollers, and everyone who relies on our subway system.
We recently requested an update, and the MTA informed us that design work is now underway following approval of the Capital Plan. Construction is currently expected to begin in 2027 at the 23rd St 1 station and in 2028 at the 23rd St C/E station.
This is encouraging progress, but our work isn’t finished. We will continue pushing the MTA to accelerate these projects, keep the public informed, and deliver the accessible transit system New Yorkers need.
Thank you to everyone who has advocated alongside us. We’ll keep fighting until these stations are fully accessible.
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