Metropolitan Transportation Authority

New York City Transit: Rapid Transit Services for Persons with Disabilities

New York City Transit (NYCT) operates New York City’s bus and subway systems. We audited the efforts of NYCT to address the subway service needs of people with disabilities. We found that NYCT does little to monitor how the subway system is used by people with disabilities, and our observations confirmed that few patrons with wheelchairs used the system. When we visited 30 stations, we observed various conditions that could limit the use of the subway system by people with disabilities. For example, we observed dim lighting, lack of designated boarding areas, an uncut curb blocking the approach to the station, and gaps between rail cars and platforms that are larger than the maximum allowed by the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act. We noted that bridge plates are used by other rail systems to span such gaps, and recommended that this method be considered by NYCT. We also recommended a number of other improvements in NYCT practices.

For a complete copy of Report 2001-S-69 click here.
For a copy of the 90-day response click here.
For a copy of the associated follow-up report click here.