Specific actions to “right-size” subway stations include: But the return on “right-sizing” would include an increased capacity of the system beyond the station itself as a result of the improved speed and reliability of the trains traveling through.

These projects will be significant undertakings, costing on average hundreds of millions of dollars per station. Substantial investments are necessary to improve pedestrian flows and reduce congestion. Thirty stations across the network are too small for the amount of pedestrian traffic they experience every day. The MTA should accelerate adding stair-free access to 10 to 15 stations annually, with a goal of reaching 100 percent access by the 2040s. This is unacceptable, particularly as the population ages. The MTA currently has a waiver from the Americans with Disabilities Act allows it to get by with making only 100 key stations accessible. Being able to access the platforms from the street without needing to take stairs is important not only to those in wheelchairs, but also to the elderly and people with children in strollers who have no choice but to take the subway.

Only 82 out of 472 stations are accessible (or partially accessible) to those with physical disabilities.

There are a number of ways to improve the experience. While moving passengers from one place to another is the main function of the subway system, making sure customers are comfortable and safe as they enter the station from the street and wait for their train is an essential part of the service.

New york subway system