MTA New York City Transit today announced the long-term schedule for major elevator replacement projects at five separate “deep” stations in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan, with the first set to begin in January at the 168 St station on the  line.

The work will replace the existing elevators and upgrade communications, security and fire alarm systems. The projects mark the first time that the elevators and component systems at the stations have been replaced in their entirety. MTA personnel began community board and elected official outreach during the summer, and met again with Community Board 12 earlier this month where they presented travel alternatives during the first project. The other stations set to undergo elevator replacement work include the 181 St  station, the 191 St  station, the 190 St  station and the 181 St  station.

“Replacing these elevators is long overdue and critical for reliable access to these unique ‘deep stations,’ and we’ve put together a schedule that takes care not to cause unnecessary inconvenience for customers,” said MTA New York City Transit President Andy Byford. “We thank our customers for their patience during this extraordinary work and hope they take advantage of the enhanced bus service and additional free transfers we’ve arranged for the duration of the projects.”

The stations have endured a great deal of water intrusion and decay over the years, which has meaningfully reduced the reliability of these elevators. Three of the stations are more than a century old, and many of the elevator components are nearly a century old. Because of these factors and the fact that these stations are located so far beneath the ground, the work is very complicated and can’t be done just during overnight hours. The work will require full station closures of 11 to 12 months each, on a schedule that has been staggered in order to avoid concurrent closures on the same line.

When completed, the doors will open at the front and rear of each of the four elevators and the rear passageway behind the elevators at the lower mezzanine level will be reopened in order to improve customer flow.  The overall scope of work also includes improvements to the current emergency stairs, including a lighting upgrade, concrete repair and the installation of new handrails.

During construction, M5 bus service in the area will be enhanced.  Customers may use the free MetroCard transfer on the M3, M4 or M5 buses between 157^th and 168^th streets.  Customers are encouraged to use the 168 St service, which will remain available while work is being done on the  line portion of the station.  Customers may transfer between the  and the  lines at the 59 St-Columbus Circle station.  There is also a free walking transfer between the  stations at 215 St or 207 St and the Inwood-207 St  station.   trains will begin bypassing the 168 St station on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019.

In accordance with new MTA Board policy, three-legged transfers will be available on a limited basis so that customers avoid paying two fares due to the station closure.  For example, a rider from the Bronx wishing to get to the  line may take the Bx10, transfer to the Bx7 and then swipe into the  station at Inwood-207 St on one fare (bus to bus to train).  Going northbound, a customer may take a bus to the  train, and then transfer at 157 St to the M5 and ride to 168 St on one fare (bus to train to bus).

The  line part of the 168 St station is 112 years old.  It is on the National Register of Historic Places along with 181 St , 181 St  and the 190 St  stations.  Some of the oldest components in these elevators and the accompanying machine rooms are more than 90 years old.  The replacement of the deep station elevators at 168 St, 191 St and 181 St on the  line is a $61 million contract that was awarded to Skanska USA. The contract for the two additional stations – 181 St and 190 St on the  line – is expected to be awarded by the end of the year.

US Congressman Adriano Espaillat (District 13) said: “I commend the MTA on its progress to begin the long overdue renovations at 168 St subway station, a main mode of commuter transportation to the Columbia University Medical Center and surrounding area. It remains critical that our city infrastructure systems are safe, secure and reliable. The upcoming renovation will force the station to close for nearly a year, however our city and surrounding communities will benefit tremendously once the station is complete.”

NYC Council Transportation Chair Ydanis Rodriguez (District 10) said: “The 168 St station plays an important role as a transportation hub with heavy usage by residents, patients at NY Hospital, families, and students who pass through the station on a regular basis. It is the number one station in terms of complaints about old infrastructure and accessibility issues. I often hear from constituents and transportation advocates about replacing the 100-year-old elevator to better accommodate the amount of riders that the 168 St station serves. The new elevators will be a much-needed addition and I am committed to working with the MTA to continuing to explore how we can make the 168 St  station accessible for all. The update to the elevators and ancillary facilities will be a great improvement for the community.”

NYS Assembly Member Al Taylor (District 71) said: "I am pleased that so many critical repairs will finally be made to the 168 St  station to make it safer and bring it up-to-date with the latest technological innovations. The replacement of these elevators are critical improvements to the 168 St  station and I look forward to exploring further possibilities with the MTA to further enhance the accessibility of this station."

Construction schedule:

Station	Dates of Construction (Station Closure)
168 St	January 5, 2019 – January 2020
181 St	October 2019 – October 2020
191 St	February 2020 – February 2021
190 St	November 2020 - October 2021
181 St	March 2021 – February 2022