Hacker News Reader

I don't see too many elevators and hopefully it gets fixed with the push the governor is making towards modernizing stations across NYC.

It's important to remember that a lot of the stations, in Lower Manhattan especially, are way too small (4-5 foot wide platforms with 2 stairwells). I don't see elevators happening at those stations. A lot of these smaller platforms are connected other small platforms via stairs (think Canal Street - JZQNR6).

Good luck if your stop is on a bridge in Brooklyn or Queens.

They could install stair lifts?

In London (Clapham Junction at least) they have tracked vehicles that can take a wheelchair up the Victorian stairs

Most stations have more than one elevator, but that's still terrible

Most stations have exactly 0 elevators.

The OP was using statistics of wheelchair accessible stations to get that 25% number.

If it's anything like older elevators anywhere else, there's probably a lack of proper parts for repairs and lack of interest in spending money to replace the old elevator with a modern one, not to mention the difficulty in finding people who are able to actually work on the old equipment.