Rockaway, NY – Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Rockaway) announced her support of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority accessibility project. 17 new elevators will be built at eight stations across New York City, including two new elevators at the Beach 67th Street station in Arverne. The station will now be the third ADA accessible station on the A-train line, the only train that serves the Rockaway peninsula.

“I applaud the MTA for starting accessibility upgrades that are needed throughout the entire subway system,” Pheffer Amato said. “In a transportation desert like Rockaway, it is crucial that everyone has the ability to access the subway. In a time when so many development projects have been stalled due to COVID-19, I am thrilled that the MTA is able to move forward with this project and provide increased accessibility to our residents.”

“Providing ADA accommodations to the Rockaway community, and customers who use one of the busiest and longest lines in the system, is necessary to reach our goal of a more accessible system,” said Janno Lieber, President of MTA Construction & Development. “Despite the MTA's difficult financial situation, Construction & Development continues its commitment to better deliver projects faster and more efficiently. Packaging multiple ADA stations into more efficient bundles is a great example of those efforts."

The MTA Accessibility Project is being funded by federal grant money already received by the MTA and highlights their ongoing commitment to system-wide accessibility.In its $54.8 billion 2020-2024 Capital Plan, the MTA had designated funding for 70 ADA projects in the subway system and the Staten Island railway. The MTA Construction and Development team has put together innovative strategies to develop projects more efficiently and safely for riders, and to ensure that all New Yorkers have equal access to the transit system.