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Brooklyn Museum Subway Station Upgraded With Disability Access

Officials from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) were joined by local community institutions and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams today to announce the completion of new accessibility features, including three new hydraulic ADA elevators, at the Eastern Parkway-Brooklyn Museum 2/3 Station in the Prospect Heights section of Brooklyn.

The project, which was completed within budget, achieves full ADA compliance and improved customer ingress and egress. The ADA improvements include a street-to-mezzanine elevator on the Brooklyn Museum side of the station, along with two more elevators from the mezzanine to both the Brooklyn and Manhattan-bound subway platforms.

“This is a popular station for those heading to local institutions such as the Brooklyn Museum and Brooklyn Botanic Garden, whose advocacy and support helped get this project done,” said Sarah Meyer, NYC Transit Chief Customer Officer, at an event at the station today. “By adding elevators and other ADA features we are not only helping improve accessibility for local residents, but making our stations inclusive for all those visiting, as well.”

“Over the past several months we have been able to complete 10 accessible station projects including this one, even with the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating that we can deliver work that makes a difference for our customers,” said Janno Lieber, President of MTA Construction & Development. “Out-of-the-box thinking is enabling MTA C&D to deliver projects better, faster and cheaper. But this progress can only be sustained if the MTA receives much needed financial assistance from the federal government to keep projects like this moving forward.”

Eastern Parkway-Brooklyn Museum station improvements introduced today include:

  • Three new ADA elevators
  • New and widened/rebuilt staircases at street level
  • New ADA boarding area at platform and new tactile tiles on platform edge
  • New closed-circuit television security system
  • Refurbishment of station agent booth for ADA compliance
  • New Passenger Station Local Area Network (PSLAN) to support rollout of Help Points and OMNY new fare payment system
  • Relocation of employee facilities
  • Major relocation and rebuilding of underground public utilities at street level
  • Eastern Parkway is one of 10 station upgrade projects completed this year in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The MTA remains committed to increasing its number of fully ADA-compliant stations despite financial uncertainty.

Without emergency federal aid in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, such projects in the 2020-24 MTA Capital Plan could take longer to be achieved.

“I am pleased to see the MTA’s continued commitment to accessibility with yet another station unveiling—the second in Brooklyn in a week,” said Victor Calise, MTA Board Member and Commissioner of the New York City Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities. “Elevators and other accessibility improvements benefit everyone and I look forward to continuing to work with the MTA to improve transit for the disability community and, indeed, all New Yorkers and visitors to our great city.”

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said: “There is no reason you should have to map out your life based on you utilizing public transportation to get to and from our cultural institutions, visiting your loved ones and your neighbors. This is a crucial step forward, but is only the first of many steps. And again, congratulations to the great advocates, community leaders and all who came together to make this happen.”

Senator Zellnor Myrie said: “I am pleased that the MTA has worked to bring ADA accessibility to the Eastern Parkway-Brooklyn Museum station. This new elevator will make the cultural treasures at the Brooklyn Museum more accessible to all New Yorkers and expand service options for people with mobility needs. I look forward to continued accessibility improvements systemwide as we strive towards a better New York.”

“The Brooklyn Museum strives to be a more accessible and welcoming place for its visitors, so we’re excited that these ADA-compliant elevators present more opportunities for people to use the MTA and visit the Museum,” said Brooklyn Museum Shelby White and Leon Levy Director Anne Pasternak, who at today’s announcement called the Brooklyn Museum and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden the most accessible cultural institutions in all of New York City thanks to the newly accessible subway station.

“We are elated to have a new accessible station on the doorstep of Brooklyn Botanic Garden. All New Yorkers and visitors should be able to access the Garden, Brooklyn Museum, Prospect Park, and the other cultural, commercial, and residential amenities this neighborhood offers, and ADA-compliant public transit options are fundamental to ensuring that access. We are grateful to the MTA for completing this essential infrastructure project,” said Brooklyn Botanic Garden President Adrian Benepe, who at today’s announcement praised the subways as a clean, safe and fast way to get around during the pandemic.

For more information about accessible stations across the MTA network, visit https://new.mta.info/accessibility/stations.

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