MTA accessibility work speaks for itself

Manhattan: Re “Will the MTA ever be able to master elevators?” (editorial, Aug. 3): The Editorial Board frequently has good insights on transit, but this time you got it wrong. Today’s MTA doesn’t wait to be sued to prioritize accessibility. It’s a daily mission. We’ve dramatically expanded accessibility since 2020, completing 60 ADA projects across the subway and commuter railroads. Another 38 stations are currently under construction, with dozens more coming. Once completed, 70% of all subway rides will start or end at an accessible station.

The legal settlement with accessibility advocates was the product of a nine-year litigation in which claims were narrowed as elevator availability surged to 96-98% every month. The deal mostly called for us to continue what we were doing to keep riders informed. We make announcements in stations and on trains, post a ton of signage, and elevator status is available on our website. Savvy Newsers know this. As for “crummy” Access-A-Ride service, 80% of paratransit customers say they’re satisfied with their last trip, significantly higher than ratings for the subway and bus. Ridership has exploded to more than 1 million trips per month, almost doubling pre-COVID numbers.

We challenge the Daily News to share the facts about MTA’s progress. We’re objectively improving the customer experience for people with disabilities — people like me — who use transit and paratransit to get around New York.

Quemuel Arroyo, chief accessibility officer, MTA

Manhattan: To Voicer Richard Simon: I’m a retired physician who specialized in geriatric care, and I agree that Medicare........

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