MTA Headquarters, 2 Broadway – Five months after the April announcement that $300 million would be added to the current MTA capital plan (2015-2019), a community coalition is calling upon the MTA Board to allocate a portion of that funding to the Mosholu Parkway 4 Train Station in the Northwest Bronx. The coalition, led by community leaders Jean Hill (Chair, Bronx Community Board 7 & President, Tracey Towers Tenant Association) and Eric Dinowitz (Chair, Bronx Community Board 8 Aging Committee), hand-delivered two thousand petition signatures during the first general MTA Board meeting following the state primaries.

In April 2018, the MTA Board announced  that they would add $300 million to the current 2015-2019 capital budget for accessibility improvements at up to five stations citywide. Shortly thereafter, NYCT President Andy Byford announced “Fast Forward” which included a goal of bringing 50 additional stations into ADA compliance as part of the 2020-2024 capital plan. This capital plan is also expected to include a significant infrastructure investment to promote acceleration of signal upgrades, track replacements, and new subway cars.

The Bronx coalition cited proximity to two major hospitals (Montefiore Health Systems and North Central Bronx Hospital), a growing commercial center, and several of the largest residential buildings in the borough (Tracey Towers and Scott Tower) as logical reasons why Mosholu Parkway should be selected as part of the five stations being added to the current 2015-2019 capital plan.

The decision now rests with the MTA Board and NYCT to make an announcement on which stations will be selected. Perhaps increasing the urgency for MTA Board members is an upcoming approval of the next capital plan, which is expected to include contentious discussion on how to adequately and sustainably fund a twenty-first century transit system in New York City.

Community leaders Eric Dinowitz (Bronx Community Board 8 Aging Chair) and Jean Hill (Bronx Community Board 7 Chair & Tracey Towers Tenant Association President) jointly said: “For six weeks, the Northwest Bronx has made their voice clear: They want an elevator at Mosholu Parkway. From residential neighbors, to local businesses, to both hospitals in our community we stand together in this simple request. Our community has waited long enough for full access to our city.”

“It is so important to have an ADA accessible elevator at the Mosholu Parkway 4 train station,” said Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez. “I have heard plenty of my constituents complain about the lack of accessibility to the platform. The train services people who go to both Montefiore and the North Central Bronx Hospital. It is also the best and most affordable transportation option for the thousands of residents who live nearby. The MTA must acknowledge the needs of the communities in the Bronx and accommodate appropriately. We have been ignored long enough.”

State Senator Jamaal Bailey said: “The Mosholu Parkway 4 train station is located in a central and highly populated area in the Bronx. Residents of the area, patients of the local hospital, and the large surrounding senior population frequent this station and find themselves struggling to walk up to the staircase or are unable to use the train because of the lack of elevator service. Furthermore, parents with strollers and temporarily disabled individuals find themselves at a disadvantage when attempting to travel at this station. We hope the MTA will consider this station for their capital plan and install an elevator at this station and will work towards making sure that all stations are accessible with elevator service.”

Councilman Andrew Cohen said: “Navigating the City is a struggle for all New Yorkers, but it is exponentially more difficult for our neighbors with mobility restrictions. I believe that the MTA should be doing everything in their power to make all train stations more assessable, and I urge the MTA and New York City Transit to make the addition of an elevator at the Mosholu Parkway train station a priority given the station’s proximity to multiple nursing homes, senior centers, schools, and hospitals.”

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said: “Our transit system has historically lagged on ADA compliance. Before President Byford started at NYCT, our system was on pace for full compliance by the time my grandchildren would be senior citizens. I am proud that the MTA Board decided to make this substantial investment in subway accessibility for up to five stations citywide. The Mosholu Parkway subway station is a clear choice for this funding.”

“The community has spoken. We have gathered the signatures and have shown how vital and essential it is to establish the Mosholu Parkway as an ADA accessible subway station. The MTA must prioritize the immediate need for an ADA compliant elevator at one of the most traveled stations in the Bronx.  Public transportation in the City should be equipped to serve all. The MTA must commit to an equitable mass transit system,” said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, Chair of the NYC Council Committee on Transportation.

“An accessible Mosholu Parkway station is a no brainer,” said Colin Wright, Advocacy Associate at TransitCenter. “In a borough where few subway stations are accessible, Mosholu Parkway serves dense housing, major hospitals, and an affordable neighborhood with one of the highest rates of paratransit usage in the Bronx. These petitions represent real people who ask only for the same travel opportunities as anyone else.”

Jaqi Cohen, Campaign Coordinator for the Straphangers Campaign said: “Less than a quarter of all New York City subway stations are accessible, and an even smaller fraction of these elevators can be found in the Bronx- a stark reality for many New Yorkers who depend on elevators to access the subway system. While the need for new elevators in our subway system exists citywide, the Mosholu Parkway 4 Train Station, given its proximity to various parks, hospitals, educational institutions, and residential areas makes it an excellent place to begin new elevator construction, particularly in the Bronx.”

Lourdes I. Rosa-Carrasquillo, Esq., Director of Advocacy at The Center for Independence of the Disabled – NY said: “Transportation options for New Yorkers with disabilities don’t always allow for the kind of immediate and unplanned travel needed for many jobs, for doctors’ appointments, for family emergencies and for everyday life. We are pleased that President Byford is fast tracking accessibility at 50 new stations, but we’ve been promised that for years. We welcome the $300 million allocated to subway accessibility, but flexible funding must be available to ensure that accessible subway stations are created despite any delays or cost overruns. In order to make sure we get what federal laws provide. We need to see a reasonable timeline for subway accessibility that includes a clear plan and budget that is enforceable and a line of accountability so we can be confident that these promises will finally be kept.”

Cristina Contreras, Executive Director of North Central Bronx Hospital said: “The Mosholu Parkway - Jerome Avenue stop is the most convenient location for many of our patients and staff at NYC Health+Hospitals/North Central Bronx who depend on mass transit to get around in New York City. Our neighborhood is a burgeoning health complex centered in the Northwest Bronx, attracting many people from all over the city who more often than not are travelling with wheelchairs, walkers, strollers, or crutches and who require an elevator to reach the subway platform. I am glad to hear that the MTA Board approved additional funding for subway accessibility in the current capital plan back in April, and I urge them to select Mosholu Parkway on the 4 Train as one of the stations.”

Jerome-Gun Hill BID said: “The 200+ businesses within the Jerome Gun Hill BID provide essential goods and services to Norwood and the surrounding community and participates in the citywide “Hate Has No Business Here” campaign to promote diversity and inclusion for all those who live, work, and play within the district. Ensuring our neighbors with disabilities who travel via the Mosholu Parkway 4 train have equitable and safe access to these quality goods and services is critical to their wellbeing and the survival of our commercial corridor.  We fully support the work being recommended to bring this station to full ADA compliance.”