Elevator and Staircase Construction and Maintenance Funded by Macy’s 

See Photos of the New Accessible Entrance 

See Video of the New Accessible Entrance 

See Video of the Event 

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced the opening of a new accessible entrance with a new elevator serving the southbound platform of the Hoyt  subway station in Brooklyn. The full project includes the elevator and a staircase within a new street-level entrance to the station that was funded, built by, and will be maintained by Macy’s. This partnership is another example of the MTA engaging the private sector to improve station access without requiring MTA capital dollars. 

This entrance upgrade project was constructed and paid for entirely by Macy’s. It represents private investment on top of the 67 station accessibility upgrades included in the MTA’s 2020-2024 Capital Plan. 

“The MTA is delivering accessible projects at an unprecedented level,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “This entrance is an example of our willingness to work with the private sector and use innovative methods to achieve full accessibility in the transit system.” 

“Customers returning to the system will see that the MTA made progress with accessibility upgrades this summer, including at the Hoyt St station in Brooklyn,” said NYC Transit President Richard Davey. “We will keep up this momentum, and I look forward to celebrating several more accessible stations opening later this year.” 

“Private partnerships like this one are an important tool the MTA can leverage to achieve system-wide accessibility better, faster, and cheaper,” said MTA Construction & Development President Jamie Torres-Springer. “This private investment comes on top of the historic pace with which the MTA is upgrading accessibility to open up more stations to all riders.”   

“This accessibility upgrade to the Hoyt St station is great news for all of our customers who work, go to school, or shop in downtown Brooklyn and travel with mobility devices, strollers, bicycles and more,” said MTA Chief Accessibility Officer and Senior Advisor Quemuel Arroyo. “We continue to find ways to partner with the private sector to bring accessibility to fast-growing areas like downtown Brooklyn and across the system, more quickly than we could with MTA Capital dollars alone.” 

“We’re grateful for the opportunity to partner with the MTA to help make this public benefit possible. Through this work and collaboration, we celebrate the ongoing transformation of the subway system, adding accessibility for all New Yorkers,” said Anthony Mazza, Senior Director/Store Manager of Macy’s Downtown Brooklyn. “This partnership is also a prime example of Macy’s commitment to the Fulton Street retail community and our loyal customers.”  

“This elevator is a fantastic piece of new infrastructure to keep our district thriving,” said Downtown Brooklyn Partnership President Regina Myer. “We have an amazing partnership with the MTA and with Macy’s, and what else can I say but come down and shop Fulton Street.” 

"Every single ADA elevator that is installed in the subway opens up a world of possibilities for New Yorkers," said State Senator Andrew Gounardes. "Elevators are crucial not just for New Yorkers who utilize mobility aids, but for caregivers with strollers, for tourists with luggage, for commuters with bags of groceries, and more. I'm excited for the possibilities this elevator's installation at Hoyt St  will bring to downtown Brooklyn, and I look forward to increased accessibility and possibility for all riders." 

“The completion of the Hoyt Street  station’s ADA compliant elevator is a significant step towards making our subway more accessible for people with disabilities,” said Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon. “Like a lot of improvements that make life accessible for people with disabilities, this helps others as well:  older adults, parents with strollers, tired workers at the end of a long day, in other words, the entire community. Thank you, MTA, for expanding ADA accessibility; the fight isn’t over until our entire subway is ADA accessible.” 

“Improving accessibility in our subways is critical to ensuring that every New Yorker has access to our public transit system,” said NYC Council Member Lincoln Restler. “I'm excited to see the completion of the Hoyt St  elevators in the heart of Downtown Brooklyn and grateful to Macy’s for their support in making this possible.” 

The pace in which the MTA is awarding contracts for accessible projects is five times what it was before 2020. The MTA has awarded contracts for 13 stations in 2020, 10 stations in 2021, 13 stations in 2022, and previously announced its plan to award contracts for 16 stations by the end of the year. In addition to the accessible entrance opened today, there are accessibility upgrades funded by private developers in progress at the 57 St  station in Manhattan, and the Queensboro Plaza  station in Queens. 

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when ridership significantly decreased, the MTA prioritized expanding accessibility improvements in the subway by completing 15 accessibility projects. Following today's announcement, there are 144 accessible stations and 28 stations in construction for accessibility upgrades, six of which are expected to be complete by the end of 2023. 

The 2020-2024 MTA Capital Plan includes a historic investment of $5.2 billion to make 67 subway stations ADA accessible, more than any capital plan in the MTA’s history and more than the last three capital plans combined. In addition, the Authority is delivering accessibility projects at an unprecedented pace, completing 23 ADA stations since 2020, double the number of ADA stations completed in the previous six years.