ACCESS
A GUIDE TO ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL IN NYC
City of
Michael R. Bloomberg,
Mayor’s Office for
People with Disabilities
Matthew Sapolin,
Commissioner
ACCESS
A Guide to Accessible Travel
In and Around
Michael R. Blooberg, Mayor
Carol Robles-Román, Deputy Mayor
Matthew Sapolin, Commissioner
Mayor’s Office for People
with Disabilities
NUMBER:1-800-421-1220 OR 711
TRANSPORTATION
AND TRAVEL ASSISTANCE
Relay Operator
V (800) 421-1220 or 711
TTY (800) 662-1220
Access-a-Ride
Paratransit Services:
V (877) 337-2017 • TTY (718) 393-4259
Services for Hard of Hearing Individuals
TTY (718) 596-8273
Services for Mobility Impaired
Individuals
Information on Accessible
Subway Routes:
V (718) 596-8585
TTY (718) 596-8273
Services for Visually Impaired
Individuals
For
call the MTA at V (718) 330-3322 or
Visually Impaired People at V (212) 387-
1303
Not every subway station is accessible
be sure to carefully plan your trip when
using public transportation
Features of Accessible Stations
The MTA network has more than 75
fully accessible subway and commuter
rail stations. These stations have
features that improve accessibility for
customers with visual, hearing, and
mobility impairments, as specified by
the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Their features include:
• elevators or ramps
• handrails on ramps and stairs
• large –print and tactile-Braille signs
• audio and visual information systems
• accessible station booth windows
• accessible MetroCard Vending
Machines
• accessible service entry gates at
subway stations
• platform gap modifications or bridge
plates to reduce or eliminate the gap
between trains and platforms
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TRANSPORTATION FEATURES AND
SERVICES
• telephones at an accessible height
with volume control, and text
telephones (TTY’s)
• Accessible restrooms at commuter rail
stations with restrooms (not all station
buildings have restrooms)
NYC Transit Subway and Bus
Accessible Travel Information
• Directions,
trip planning 1-718-596-8585,
1-718-596-8273 (TTY)
•
• General Travel
Information 1-718-330-1234
• Travel Information
Center: TTY 1-718-596-8273
MetroCard Vending Machines (MVMs)
The machines accept credit cards,
ATM/debit cards, or cash. Customers
with visual impairments may use an
audio feature that will prompt them
through the use of the machine. You
must use your personal headset, such
as those used with the tape players, to
access the feature. Braille instructions
for the use of the feature are located at
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the base of the screen.
Boarding, Riding, and Leaving Trains
To ensure that you have a safe,
comfortable, and convenient ride, follow
these guidelines:
• Wait for the train near the center of
the platform, where the car with the
conductor normally stops. An overhead
striped sign usually designates this
area. The conductor can be helpful in
providing travel information.
• All fully accessible and renovated
stations have two-foot-wide yellow
tactile edge-warning strips. Make sure
that you stay behind these strips until
it is time to board the train.
• If you are in a wheelchair, position it
about three feet the edge of the
platform and facing the tracks, with
brakes locked. Never position your
wheelchair between a station column
and the platform edge. This creates an
obstacle to passenger flow and is
safety hazard for you and the other
passengers.
5
• At most stations there is a gap, about
four inches wide and two inches high,
between the platform edge and the
subway car; on curved platforms the
space is more significant. Please be
extra careful when crossing these
gaps. (The vertical gap on accessible
subway station platforms is lower only
near the center of the platform, near
the conductor’s position)
• Once on board, position your
wheelchair close to either end of the
car and near but not blocking the
doors. Remember to lock your brakes.
• If you miss your stop at an accessible
station, stay on the train until you
reach a station where you can transfer
on the same platform to a train in he
opposite direction and ride back to the
station you missed.
Tactile-Braille Subway Maps
NYC Transit and the
People have produced a series of
raised-line Braille maps with large-
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print backup for each subway line.
Tactile-Braille overview maps of each
borough and station maps for 66th
Avenue-74th Street, Jay Street-Borough
Hall and 59th
are also available. These maps are free.
To order call 1-646-252-5031. Your
order will arrive in six to eight weeks.
Tactile Signage and Visual Displays
•All fully accessible stations and newly
renovated stations have tactile-Braille
signage that is located on the left side
of the station both and on the
platform columns nearest the stairs as
well as on other columns throughout
the station.
Accessible Buses
Bus serve local and express bus routes
throughout the five boroughs and in
These routes connect with many
subway and commuter rail stations, as
well as key transportation hubs.
The more than 4,300 buses in NYC
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Transit’s fleet are equipped with
wheelchair lifts and have a “kneeling”
feature that lowers the front entrance
of the vehicle to within inches from the
ground for easy access by any customer
with mobility impairments or difficulty
using the front steps.
Personal Care Attendants
Personal Care Attendants (PCAs-people
employed to assist individuals with
disabilities) are eligible to ride the
subway system free when
accompanying a person who is carrying
a paratransit card that designates PCA
assistance is required.
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Service Animals
Customers with disabilities are
permitted to bring their service animals
into all MTA transit facilities. The
animals must be securely leashed for
the safety of all customers.
Boarding, Riding, and Leaving the Bus
Customers with disabilities are
permitted to bring their service animals
into all MTA transit facilities. The
animals must be securely leashed for
the safety of all customers.
• Wait near the bus stop sign where the
driver can see you and you can signal
to the driver.
• Make sure you have the correct bus
by checking the front destination
sign, listening to the recorded
announcements on many LI Bus
vehicles and some NYC Transit
vehicles, or asking the driver.
• The driver will position the bus to
deploy the lift safely or operate the
kneeling feature
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• Priority seating for customers with
disabilities and senior citizens is
located behind the driver. Other
passengers must make these seats
available upon request. Please
remember that some passengers may
have disabilities that are not visible.
Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall
Elevator east of City Hall near
Chambers and Centre Streets
Bus Connections: M1*,
M6*, M9*, M15*,
M22, M103, B51*
Cortlandt St/
downtown only
Ramp inside 5 World Trade Center
entrance (south side of
west of
entrance to 4 World Trade Center
(north side of
Bus connections: M1*,
M6, M9, M20,
M22
Path Train connection
10
, ,
added for duration of
rehabilitation, 2001-2004) Elevator
at
Broadway, south of
Bus connections: M1,
M2, M3
(northbound only) M9, M14
34th Street
and 34th
** Elevator
at northeast corner of
Bus connections: M4,
M5, M6, M7, M16,
M34, Q32
34 St/Penn Station only
Elevator on south side of
west of
Bus connections: M42,
M98*, M101,
M102, M103, M104
MTA Metro-North connection
*Weekdays only.
** service starts November 2001
42nd
10-b
Terminal)
Elevator inside north building of bus
terminal (
42nd Streets), near airport bus ticket
office
Bus connections: M10,
M16, M20, M27,
M42, M104
Note: While many of
Transit’s surburban bus services
are accessible, most of the
boarding areas at the Port
Authority Bus Terminal are not,
and the
Bus Terminal is non accessible.
Call 1-800-955-2321 for further
information.
Elevator on
of
Bus connections: M10,
M20, M27, M50,
M104
51 St/Lexington Avneue
Elevator @ northeast corner of
&
Bus connections: M98*,
M101, M102,
M103
10-c
Elevator on
of
Bus connections: M98*,
M101, M102,
M103
66 Street/Lincoln Center
Elevators on either side of Broadway
and
Bus connections: M5,
M7, M20, M66,
M104
Elevator at northeast corner of 125th
Street and
Bus connections: M35,
M60, M100,
M101, M103, Bx15, M98* operates along
Elevators at mezzanine level
Bus connections: Q101 and Q102
(
**This service changes in late 2001.
Call 718-330-1234 about new routes
10-d
Elevator at northeast corner of 177th
Street and
Bus connections: M4, M5,
M98*, M100,
Bx7, Bx11,Bx36
The
Terminal is completely non-accessible.
Call
1-800-955-2321 for further information
and lift-equipped bus reservations.
Inwood/207th Street
Elevator at southwest corner of
Broadway and
Bus Connections: Bx5,
Bx12,Bx20,
M100
Elevator at back of station beyond
escalators, near corner of
Avenue and
Bus connections: Bx5,
Bx12,Bx14,Bx29,QBx,1,W45**
Elevators at main entrance on corner of
10-e
Bus Connections: Bx4,
Bx5, Bx11,
Bx19, Bx27, Bx35
Elevators on each side of
and
Bus connections: Bx2,
Bx4,Bx15, Bx19,
Bx21, Bx41, Bx55
Elevator serving the train
located near main entrance, inside to
the left of the station booth area
Bus connections: B36,
B64, B74
Flatbush Avenue/Brooklyn College
Elevator on corner of Flatbush
and Nostrand Avenues
Bus connections: B6,
B11, B41, Q35
* Weekdays only
** Some buses on the
County Bee-Line fixed route W45 are
non-accessible.
Call Bee-Line Paratransit at
1-914-995-7272 for further
information
10-f
Elevators on either side of Church and
Nostrand Avenues
Bus connections: B35, B44
Bound
Elevator at
Terminal Intersection of
and
Bus connections: B41, B45, B63, B67
directions
Elevator in front of Supreme Court
Building @ Court and Montague Streets
Bus connections: B25,
B26, B38, B41,
B51*, B52; B37 And B45 operate along
Elevator at the main entrance, south
side of
Avenue
Bus connections: B25,
B48, B49
10-g
Ramp from
Bus connection: B48
Rockaway Park/Canarsie
Ramp at main entrance
Bus connections: B6, B17,B42,B60,B82
Rockaway Park/Beach 116th St rush
hours only ( -all times
Station at street level
Bus connections: Q21,
Q22, Q35, Q53
21 St/Queensbridge *
Elevator at northwest corner of 21st
Street and
Bus connections: Q19A,
Q66, Q101
(only
Elevator at
of
Bus connections: Q6,
Q8, Q9, Q41, Q24,
Q30, Q40, Q43, Q20A, Q20B, Q44, Q60,
Q54, Q56
MTA Long Island Railroad connection
10-h
Jamacia Van Wyck
Elevator at corner of
the Van Wyck Expressway south service
road, adjacent to
Bus Connections: Q24, Q54,
Q56, Q60
Elevator at
(south side) at foot of Parsons Bouelvard