MTA Installed Elevators at 137 St-City College Station
The 137 St-City College station in West Harlem is now fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Updated on Oct. 14, 2026 in Financial Aid
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The MTA has officially unveiled two new elevators at the 137 St-City College 1 train station in West Harlem. These upgrades ensure the 1904-era station meets modern accessibility standards.
Why it matters
The project ensures the station, which serves 7,000 daily riders, is accessible to all passengers under the Americans with Disabilities Act. It marks part of a broader, multibillion-dollar effort to modernize the aging transit network.
The MTA has installed elevators at 49 stations over the past six years and has 34 additional locations currently under construction. The agency aims to serve 75% of total subway ridership with accessible stations by the end of its 2025-2029 capital plan.
The players
MTA
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is a public-benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the New York City metropolitan area.
The details
Crews installed new elevators on both the northbound and southbound platforms of the 137 St-City College station. Workers also updated stairways and installed new fare arrays as part of the federally funded accessibility overhaul.
Timeline
The 137 St-City College station opened as part of the original subway in 1904.
The Americans with Disabilities Act became law in 1990.
The MTA held a news conference unveiling the upgrades on October 14, 2026.
The MTA Five-Year Capital Plan spans the years 2025-2029.
Culture Shift
These upgrades represent a broader societal shift toward inclusive urban infrastructure and the retrofitting of century-old transit hubs for modern standards. This project follows the requirements set by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Commuters with limited mobility can now navigate the 137 St-City College station using the new elevator access. These improvements eliminate the need for riders to travel to different stations to find accessible entry points.
The takeaway
Reliable elevator access is essential for maintaining equitable public transit for all neighborhood residents. Transit agencies must balance the high costs of infrastructure updates with the long-term goal of total network accessibility.
Further reading
Find more resources regarding subway transit support on the New York City Financial Aid page.
Live Poll
Do you believe your local transit agency does enough to provide accessibility for disabled commuters?
