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AccessibALL NYC

Making Subways Accessible for All

AccessibALL NYC is a project dedicated to improving subway accessibility in New York City. This initiative is spearheaded by a research team at New York University. As urban transportation is a vital part of daily life, ensuring that all residents and visitors can navigate the city efficiently and safely is crucial.

Our focus is on identifying and addressing accessibility challenges within the NYC subway system. We aim to provide data-driven insights to support infrastructure improvements. Together, we can create a more inclusive and accessible transportation network for everyone.

M.T.A. Vows to Make Subways 95% Accessible. It Will Take 33 Years. (Published 2022)The M.T.A. will spend billions to add elevators and ramps to stations over the next several decades, settling lawsuits accusing it of violating the rights of people with disabilities.

As of 2024, out of 472 total stations in the New York City Subway system, only 1117 or only 27 percent of the system’s 472 stations are considered accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act(New York Times, 2023). The MTA vowed to make the city fully accessible in the next 33 years!

And this was when congestion pricing was supposed to fun some ADA stations. In May 2024, Governor Kathy Hochul took back the plan to implement congestion pricing, indefinitely. This meant more stations have lost their hope for becoming accessible(Disability Visibility Project, 2024)

In New York, Approximately 13% of the city's population, roughly 1,049,494 individuals, live with disabilities that may hinder their transit usage. These disabilities span various categories identified in the American Community Survey:

Ambulatory (7.9%)
Living Independently (6.8%)
Cognitive Function (5.3%)
Self-Care (3.4%)
Vision (2.6%)

These figures exclude those with temporary or short-term disabilities, constituting potentially up to 5% of the working population, as well as those with developmental and mental illness.

While New York’s subway remains the most expansive in the country, roughly half of the neighborhoods served by the system – 62 out of 122 – are “ADA Transit Deserts,” meaning they lack a single accessible station according to the 2022 release by Comptroller Scott M Stringer.

In light of these challenges and looking at the present status of Subway inaccessibility in New York City, our project takes on critical importance. Our team set out on a mission to meticulously document the inaccessibility of NYC subway stations, with the goal of shining a spotlight on the barriers faced by individuals with disabilities. By gathering detailed data and creating a comprehensive, user-friendly Shiny web application, we aim to provide valuable insights and tools for those who navigate the city's transit system every day, as well as for advocates and policymakers working to make New York's subway truly accessible for all. This project is not just about data; it's about amplifying the voices of those who have been marginalized in the conversation about public transit and pushing for the necessary changes to ensure that everyone, regardless of ability, can move freely and safely throughout the city.

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