Signs at the 42 St-Bryant Park and 5 Av station complex will tell riders the upgrades are made possible by congestion pricing, giving Manhattan motorists the rare satisfaction of seeing a toll turn into something that goes up and down
Going Up
MIDTOWN. The MTA broke ground on Thursday, October 15, on a project to make the 42 St-Bryant Park and 5 Av station complex fully accessible, using money raised by congestion pricing, according to amNY’s report on congestion pricing funding the Bryant Park subway upgrades. The station, served by the B, D, F, M and 7 trains, will get four new elevators, a new accessible passage between the 42 St-Bryant Park and 5 Av platforms, reconstructed platforms, modern ADA-compliant fare gates, new restrooms and upgraded staircases. Signs at the site will tell riders the improvements are made possible by congestion pricing.
For Manhattan drivers who have paid the base toll of nine dollars to enter the zone below 60th Street, the announcement offered something rare in New York transportation politics: visible proof of where the money is going. It is going down a hole in Midtown, and eventually, in the form of an elevator, it will come back up.
The Elevator Situation
According to amNY, the station’s three existing elevators all run between the mezzanine and street level, meaning riders who needed elevators could not actually reach every platform, a situation that will strike New Yorkers who use wheelchairs, push strollers or carry heavy luggage as entirely familiar. The new elevators will include three lifts from mezzanine to platform in the B, D, F and M section and one from mezzanine to street in the 7 train area, with one lift serving the northbound platform via a pathway to the Times Square Shuttle.
A mother of twins from Astoria, who has carried a double stroller up and down subway stairs for three years, said she welcomed the news with a mix of joy and fatigue. I have biceps like a longshoreman, she said. Strangers have helped me carry this stroller up more staircases than I can count. I have made friends on those stairs. One man carried it up the Bryant Park stairs and we still exchange Christmas cards. When the elevators open, I will miss him. But not that much.
The Shuttle Space
The project faced a classic New York problem: there was no room. According to amNY, delays were partly caused by a lack of space for elevator equipment. The solution came from an unexpected source. Engineers found space on a decommissioned track freed up when the 42 St Shuttle was reduced from four tracks to two in 2021. In a city where people pay thousands of dollars a month for apartments the size of a parking spot, finding unused space underground is the transit equivalent of discovering a spare bedroom behind the closet.
A real estate agent in Midtown, told about the discovery, asked whether the remaining space was available for lease. It is a former subway track, she was told. She said that was not a dealbreaker. I have sold worse, she said. Exposed brick, exposed rails, it is all character. I could call it a Midtown loft with transit access. I would get offers by Tuesday.
The Officials Speak
Governor Kathy Hochul said that now we take the benefits to the next level as we unleash billions in investment. MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said the agency was kicking off its biggest project yet enabled by congestion pricing. Jamie Torres-Springer, president of MTA Construction and Development, described the work as the kind of engineering feat that we are pulling off across all our 472 stations. Riders listening to the speeches were heard to murmur that they would believe it when the doors opened, which is the standard New York response to any transit announcement and does not reflect any particular doubt about this one.
The Money Trail
According to amNY, 15 billion dollars in congestion pricing revenue is going toward the current capital plan, including two billion dollars for accessibility upgrades at at least 23 stations. Other stations getting accessibility funding include Kingsbridge Road on the 4, 167th Street on the B and D, Gates Avenue on the J, and Briarwood and Parsons Boulevard on the F. The article also noted the Trump administration’s ongoing effort to shut congestion pricing down, which means the elevators are being built in the middle of an argument, a very New York way to build anything.
A taxi driver waiting on 42nd Street said he had mixed feelings. I pay the toll, he said. I complain about the toll. I tell every passenger about the toll. Now they tell me my toll is an elevator. Okay. Fine. When it opens, I want a little plaque. It should say, this elevator paid for by Ahmed, who was very annoyed about it.
The Signage Strategy
The decision to put up signs saying the improvements are made possible by congestion pricing is a clear piece of political communication. Public works funded by taxes or tolls often go unnoticed, and supporters of congestion pricing have argued that people need to see what the money buys. Expect such signs to multiply. Some New Yorkers have suggested taking the idea further, with signs announcing that every working escalator, clean platform and on-time train was brought to you by a driver from New Jersey who has never forgiven anyone.
Accessibility Matters
Beneath the jokes lies a serious issue. New York’s subway, one of the oldest and largest systems in the world, has long lagged in accessibility, with many stations lacking elevators entirely. For riders with disabilities, older New Yorkers, parents with small children and travellers with luggage, every new elevator expands where they can go and how they can live. The Bryant Park complex is one of the busiest in Midtown, sitting beside the New York Public Library and a short walk from Times Square and Grand Central.
The Last Word
At the groundbreaking site, a commuter in a wheelchair paused to read the sign about congestion pricing. Asked what she thought, she smiled. For years, she said, people told me the subway was not built for me. Now they are building it for me, with money from people who drive into Manhattan. I find that very satisfying. Then she rolled toward the existing elevator, discovered it was out of service and sighed. Soon, she said. Soon.