Gounardes pushes MTA to make subways wheelchair-friendly
Fewer than 25 percent of the 472 subway stations in the New York City Transit system have elevators, ramps or other accommodations for the physically disabled, according to state Sen. Andrew Gounardes, who said he is introducing legislation to force the MTA to increase accessibility for riders.
Gounardes said his constituents are adversely impacted by the lack of accessibility. “Currently, none of the stations in my district have an accessible entrance,” said the senator, who represents a sprawling district that covers a wide swath of Southwest Brooklyn.
Gounardes is the Senate sponsor of a bill written by Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz that is working its way through the State Assembly that would establish clear targets for the MTA toward making the subway system fully accessible to people with disabilities and other mobility limitations.