DRA Demands Access To Crucial Subway Accessibility Documents

New York City (April 22, 2019)–Today, Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) demands access to the MTA’s frequently referenced, but not produced, accessibility survey documents.  DRA filed an Article 78 petition in New York State Court seeking access to the MTA’s ongoing, multi-million dollar global accessibility survey of the New York City subway system. The MTA has repeatedly withheld this vitally important survey, despite their legal obligation to make it publicly available under relevant freedom of information laws.  The MTA’s concealment is even more devastating given the widespread inaccessibility of the subway system: fewer than 25% of stations provide any level of access for individuals who cannot take stairs. While the MTA has recently pledged to accelerate subway station accessibility, their shrouding of the survey makes any examination of its accessibility claims impossible. DRA therefore seeks this survey in order to hold the MTA accountable on accessibility. 

DRA currently has 3 active cases filed against the MTA challenging their failure to make the system accessible to people with disabilities:

CIDNY v. MTA (Federal): This case challenges the MTA’s failure to maintain the few elevators that exist in New York City’s subway stations.

CIDNY v. MTA (State): This case challenges the MTA’s failure to install elevators at all New York City’s subway stations.

BILS v. MTA: This case challenges the MTA’s failure to install an elevator when they completed a $21.85 million rehabilitation to the Middletown Road station.