Res. No. 168
Title
Resolution urging the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to timely post and publicly announce information regarding all elevator service interruptions along with suggested alternatives.
Body
By Council Member Koslowitz
Whereas, The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed into law by President George H.W. Bush in 1990, was an attempt to provide a comprehensive solution to discrimination against people with disabilities; and
Whereas, The ADA is intended, among other things, to provide access to public and private premises, such as a city's transportation system; and
Whereas, According to numerous disability advocates, as a result of broken elevators and escalators (E&E), the New York City subway system fails to support members of the disability community; and
Whereas, The Mayor's Office for People With Disabilities report "Accessible NYC" informs that out of the 469 subway stations in NYC, there are currently just 84 key stations, i.e. stations with high ridership, serving major activity centers and transfer hubs that are accessible to individuals with mobility disabilities and compliant with ADA Accessibility Standards; and
Whereas, Accessible NYC further informs that "although the MTA continues to improve accessibility, the number of accessible stations anticipated equals less than a quarter of all stations:" and
Whereas, A New York Times Opinion page article from March 2017 entitled "New York Has a Great Subway, if You're Not in a Wheelchair" informed that "New York's subway is by far the least wheelchair-friendly public transit system of any major American city, with only 92 of the system's 425 stations accessible, and further advised that "on average, 25 elevators a day stop working, and these breakdowns are not quickly resolved;" and
Whereas, The Center for the Independence of the Disabled New York (CID-NY) reports that 81% of New York City subway stations are inaccessible to people wh...
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