GOWANUS — THE SKY-HIGH SMITH AND NINTH STREET subway station in Gowanus will finally be getting an elevator, state Sen. Andrew Gounardes, Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon and the MTA announced Friday. At nearly 90 feet above ground level, the station is not only the tallest in New York City, it is one of the tallest in the world. Serving the F and G lines, the station is one of more than 60 slated for accessibility upgrades in the 2025-2029 MTA Capital Plan approved by the New York State Legislature this year. New elevators are also coming to the Court Street, Hoyt-Schermerhorn, 36th Street and 4th Ave–9th Street stations, among others, bringing the subway system to greater than 50% accessibility, according to MTA. Gounardes and Simon, with advocates and other officials, have long been been pushing for universal accessibility.
“Every day, New Yorkers hike the stairs up this station like they’re climbing Mount Everest, struggling to catch the train on time. And if you use a wheelchair, push your child in a stroller, travel with luggage or simply struggle climbing the stairs, forget about it,” Gounardes said in a statement.
“I remember advocating with my predecessor Assemblywoman Joan Millman for elevators at Smith-9th Street — over a decade ago when it was last rehabbed — instead of relying on escalators which had a long history of breaking down,” Simon said. “At that time, the MTA would not budge.”
✰✰✰
