MTA Announces Opening of Fully Accessible Woodhaven Blvd JZ Station

Federally Funded Project Includes Two New Elevators for ADA Accessibility, Two New Stairways, and State of Good Repair Work

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See Video of Station Accessibility Upgrades

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The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced the completion of two new elevators, making the Woodhaven Blvd ​​ station fully accessible. In addition to the new elevators and two new staircases, crews upgraded platforms and installed new fare control areas. Woodhaven Blvd, which serves 3,500 daily riders, is the second subway station to be made accessible in 2025, (after the Westchester Sq-East Tremont Av ​ station) and the final station included in ADA Bundle 2.

The project includes two new street-to-platform elevators, two new stairways, and four replaced stairways to enhance passenger circulation, and new ADA boarding areas with platform edges and tactile warning strips. A number of safety enhancements were made in the station, including a new fire alarm system, CCTV cameras, upgraded communications systems and digital information screens. Crews also installed six new turnstiles, upgraded mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, and performed extensive state of good repair work including replacing platforms and windscreens, and made steel and concrete repairs.

Woodhaven Blvd ​​ is the first MTA accessibility project built to bypass an existing mezzanine using direct to platform elevators. This design allows customers to reach the platform with only one elevator, simplifying and speeding up the trip. It also allows the MTA to build one fewer elevator compared with past station designs, saving time and cost, while improving the customer experience. As part of this improved accessible design, the project created two new entrances on the east side of Woodhaven Blvd with new fare control areas and new staircases. The new entrances allow customers to access the station without crossing the many lanes of traffic on Woodhaven Blvd, a further improvement to the customer experience at the station.

"Not only will this benefit seniors, people with disabilities, and parents and caretakers with kids in strollers, but by throwing out the playbook the MTA saved $40 million on this project before construction began and another $8 million thanks to efficiencies during construction," said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. "As always, we need to thank our federal partners - the funding support from the FTA made this project possible."

"Through innovation and sound project management, the MTA is making historic investments in accessibility and delivering projects better, faster, and cheaper than ever," said MTA Construction & Development President Jamie Torres-Springer. "At Woodhaven Boulevard, we ensured this century old station is accessible and reliable for future generations of Queens residents."

"Woodhaven riders are now benefitting from increased accessibility and connectivity, all thanks to completed upgrades at the Woodhaven Blvd ​​ station. This is especially important as we prepare to launch a redesigned bus network in Queens, which will make accessible subway stations like this true hubs that connect to our 100% accessible bus fleet," said New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow. "As an added bonus, enhancements like new staircases, platform repairs, and safety improvements will make every customer's experience better and advance our mission of improving safety and service throughout the transit system."

"The design of Woodhaven Blvd ​​ is a great example of how the MTA is continuing to innovate to the benefit of our customers," said MTA Chief Accessibility Officer Quemuel Arroyo. "By bypassing the existing mezzanine, we are able to give a quicker, more direct trip for our customers who use elevators, while delivering two new entrances that allow existing customers to avoid crossing the nine-lane Woodhaven Blvd. It is not just new elevators, but a completely new customer experience."

The project showcased the innovative approach to capital delivery undertaken by MTA Construction & Development. By utilizing two direct to platform elevators, the project delivered better, more direct access to the station for customers. This approach also saved approximately $40 million from the project budget before construction even began by avoiding the need to construct a third elevator and perform extensive structural reconstruction of the existing mezzanine. Once the project entered construction, efficient project management delivered another $8 million in construction savings, bringing the accessibility project and station renewal in for a total $140 million.

The project was made possible by support from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) in the form of a $177 million grant. The surplus funding from that grant will be redirected to support other vital capital projects across the MTA.

Approximately 22.5% of the project budget was awarded to Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms. The project's contractor is a joint venture between MLJ Contracting Corp and TC Electric, LLC., and the elevator manufacturer and installer is Modern Elevator.

Commissioned by MTA Arts & Design, Points of Observation is an expansion of artwork by Kathleen McCarthy, installed at the station in 1990. Thirteen new glass panels by McCarthy, an artist and ecologist, contain imagery of diamondback terrapins and cross sections of a pine seedling and a corn stem that juxtapose the original metal sculptures: three large-scale heads forms. McCarthy's original work titled Five Points of Observation (1990) is one of MTA Arts & Design's earliest permanent commissions. The artwork was comprised of five copper mesh heads placed at varying angles at five stations on the ​ line. With this reconfiguration, placements at 111 St and 104 St stations remain, while the forms from Cypress Hills and 75 St stations have been transferred to Woodhaven Blvd station to join the existing sculpture. The new imagery takes the installation beyond the singular human focus. Transparent areas in both glass and metal mediums offer riders interesting points of observation between the platform and streetscape, giving new life to a well-known work.

ADA Package 2 is part of the MTA's larger accessibility initiative. Package 2 provided improvements to eight subway stations throughout Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and the Bronx: Westchester Sq-East Tremont Av ​, 181 St ​, Queensboro Plaza ​​​, 8 Av ​, Court Sq ​, Woodhaven Blvd ​​, and elevator replacements at Marcy Av ​​​ and Flushing Av ​​.

"This achievement would not have been possible without the unwavering efforts of the Woodhaven community, which I am honored to represent," said Representative Nydia M. Velázquez. "Nearly 35 years ago, Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, ensuring that people with disabilities have equal rights and opportunities. This $150 million upgrade project marks a significant milestone for the Woodhaven community and a vital step toward making transit more accessible for all New Yorkers."

"Today marks a significant milestone for our community as we celebrate the completion of Woodhaven Boulevard station's accessibility upgrades," said State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. "Ensuring that our transit system is accessible to everyone is not just a legal obligation, but a moral one. This project reflects our commitment to creating a more inclusive New York, where all residents can navigate our city's transportation network with ease and dignity."

"As a proud Woodhaven resident and the first representative from the neighborhood in a generation, I thank the MTA for this total makeover of the Woodhaven Blvd ​​ station," said Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar. "It is now fully accessible, boasting two beautiful new elevators that will make it a welcoming space for all New Yorkers. This will provide unprecedented mobility for so many people in my district, where every rapid transit option is a blessing. The Woodhaven Blvd station also has a new fire alarm system and security cameras, making it safer than ever before, and a host of upgrades so that everything is in excellent shape for my constituents."

"It is wonderful to see MTA investments that make New York City accessible for all New Yorkers," said Council Member Joann Ariola. "With these new elevators and faregates in the station, people with mobility devices and strollers will have easier access when traveling on the subway."

"The installation of elevators and the completion of other upgrades at the Woodhaven Boulevard subway station will greatly benefit disabled people and all those who seek to use this important station," said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. "With the completion of this work, our transit system is getting even closer toward its goal of being fully accessible for all of its riders. I commend the MTA and its federal partners for taking this major step forward in accessibility, and I look forward to seeing the additional progress that will be coming on this front in the near future."

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