19 Elevators Project Complete: Enhancing Accessibility Across Eight Stations

The 19 Elevators Project has reached substantial completion ahead of schedule, marking the successful replacement of 19 elevators across Manhattan and Queens in collaboration with the MTA and Lead Designer Goldman Copeland.

Over the course of the project, teams delivered accessibility improvements at some of New York City's busiest and most heavily utilized transit hubs, replacing aging elevator systems while modernizing critical infrastructure throughout the transit system. Spanning eight stations across Manhattan and Queens, the project delivered elevator replacements at 125th Street–St. Nicholas Avenue, 175th Street–George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal, 14th Street–8th Avenue, 14th Street–Union Square, Times Square–42nd Street, Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue/74th Street–Broadway, Lexington Avenue–53rd Street, and West 4th Street–Washington Square. No two stations were exactly alike, with each location requiring its own approach to modernizing aging infrastructure while maintaining service for riders.

The project included several standout accomplishments across the system. At 125th Street–St. Nicholas Avenue, the completion of EL 144 made the station fully ADA accessible following the successful replacement of all three elevators. At 14th Street–Union Square, four elevator replacements advanced through multiple phases, including construction of a new Elevator Machine Room, a below-grade shaft, and custom tile work designed to replicate the station's historic character. At Times Square–42nd Street, two elevator replacements and a new shared machine room improved accessibility and long-term maintenance operations at the busiest station in the MTA system. At West 4th Street–Washington Square, three elevator replacements advanced across multiple phases, bringing new accessibility improvements to one of Lower Manhattan's busiest and most connected transit hubs while ultimately delivering the final elevator of the project.

The work also called for a variety of station-specific solutions. At 14th Street–8th Avenue, accessibility improvements were completed alongside the careful preservation and restoration of Tom Otterness' Life Underground sculptures. At Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue, two elevators were delivered within one of the busiest transfer complexes in the transit system. At Lexington Avenue–53rd Street, the replacement elevator operates within an extended shaft connecting the mezzanine and platform levels, while work at 175th Street included the construction of a new street-level headhouse and supporting upgrades for both elevators at the station.

Schedule performance was another defining accomplishment of the project. Multiple elevators were delivered ahead of schedule throughout construction, including installations at 125th Street–St. Nicholas Avenue, Times Square–42nd Street, Lexington Avenue–53rd Street, 14th Street–Union Square, and West 4th Street–Washington Square. Delivering work simultaneously across multiple active stations required exceptional coordination between Forte Construction, the MTA, Goldman Copeland, subcontractors, and project stakeholders, helping maintain steady progress from the first elevator placed into service through substantial completion.

With all 19 elevators now in service, the project marks the successful completion of a multi-year effort to improve accessibility at stations throughout Manhattan and Queens. The improvements delivered under this contract will benefit riders for years to come, enhancing accessibility at stations serving thousands of New Yorkers every day.