Here is a question I picked up from a Weight Watcher's web site forum. I thought I would pass it on here on the chance someone could help me give the poster an answer. JT, Russ, or anyone else in New York, can you comment on this? I will relay your answer. [ 28. February 2004, 13:59: Message edited by: Peirce ]
Hi Pierce here is a link to give your friend cause being handicapped i know how hard it is to get around some buildings and transportation entities. Here you go: http://www.ada.gov/
Gee, I am almost ashamed to admit I am a New Yorker when it comes to this subject. I have NO idea how we get away with this, but from a novice point of view I can relate what I already do know. Yes, the Disabilities Act requires elevators in the stations, but with 450 (?) stations the MTA does not have the money to build them all. Elevators cost at least one million dollars per elevator. It takes at least a year to install one, maybe more. So if we live another 400 years we may see it done. There are "some" elevators at major stops, but alas not as many as one would hope. I just pulled out a subway map and it wouldn't take me very long to check all the stations and count the ones that exist right now. One may need a magnifying glass to see the symbol on the map too. With the symbols printed in black, they are not exactly easy to see either let alone the size of them. Some express stations and major transfer stations do have elevators, but not in my lifetime will I ever see them at all the stations including the least used ones. Not to trash the MTA all the way here, one must realize many of these stations were built 100 years ago, and many would be impossible to even place an elevator in one. One station on the F line in Brooklyn, is 80 feet above street level! Many stops such as ones in Upper Manhattan are way way below street level and would require actual blasting of the bedrock to build them. I do believe one stop on the A line is 600 feet below the street? Many platforms are dangerously narrow too. It's possible even that homes along the right-of-way could be condemed just to build an elevator because there is just no place to construct one. Some headways the MTA have made in recent years are that almost all NYC buses have wheelchair lifts. They have also come a long way in design because the older ones required the driver to get up, go to the back of the bus, open the compartment to operate the lift. and it would take at least 2-3 minutes to get someone situated on the bus. Wheelchairs are given priority but that also leaves the healthy, sickly, elderly, small kids, etc., standing out in the cold and rain or sun and heat waiting. There is a row of seats on each bus that will fold up and make room for wheelchairs. Safety belts, although somewhat icky sticky because they just dangle and lie all over the floor, are included. The newer buses require the driver only to operate the lift at the front door now, from his seat. He will still secure the person, but it takes just a moment now to do it. The drawback to the bus is.........who wants to spend 3 hours taking the bus when some trip could be made in a half hour or less by train......Of course with free transfer between buses and subways, it does make things a little better. Someone attempting to roll themselves downstairs, or even someone trying to help someone downstairs in a wheelchair are taking a very dangerous risk! The newset subway cars have fold down seats in the corners that are wheelchair priority spots. The ends of the cars are more spacious and the doors about one foot wider than the old ones. I guess it's a start. Oh, and since we are talking about NYC here, remember that an elevator can be a very isolated and dangerous place for anyone at any time of day. A security camera inside one isn't much of a deterrent to a criminal. That's if the camera works!!!!!!!! [ 27. February 2004, 01:13: Message edited by: Johnny Trains ]
JT, Thanks for the detailed answer. I relayed it on to the thread on the Weight Watcher's forum where the question originated. This is good information which probably applies to almost any city that has a subway system, unless it is quite new and had elevators built into their stations at the time of initial construction.
Perice, you must come into the City and we can do a fan trip on the new AirTrain! It's state-of-the-art with plenty of elevators!
