UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — Two new elevators have opened at the 72nd Street subway station serving the 1, 2 and 3 trains, giving riders updated access between the street and both platforms, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced.
One elevator connects the street to the downtown platform, while the other serves the uptown platform. More than 25,000 riders use the station each weekday, according to the MTA.
The project replaced the elevator cabs and their operating equipment, along with the glass enclosures and canopies at street level. Crews also upgraded electrical and mechanical systems to improve reliability and make rides smoother, the agency said.
New remote monitoring equipment, fire alarms, intercoms and cameras are intended to improve security and help crews respond more quickly when an elevator goes out of service.
"By proactively replacing aging equipment across the system, the MTA can improve reliability, minimize disruptions and help prevent unplanned elevator outages," MTA Chief Accessibility Officer Quemuel Arroyo said.
The work was completed on budget, according to the agency, which did not provide a project cost in its announcement.
The opening brings the MTA's total to 24 elevator replacements completed this year — the second-highest annual total in the agency's history.
The MTA said it now has 163 fully accessible stations, including 48 completed since 2020.
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