New York City depends on its subway system, yet for so many people it isn’t accessible at all. People with disabilities, the elderly, and parents with strollers often face daily challenges just trying to move through the city.

In neighborhoods like Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Rego Park, and Woodhaven (QCDs 6 and 9), many stations still lack access to elevators and accessible entrances. This forces people to miss work, delay medical care, and struggle to complete everyday tasks that others take for granted.

This issue is not new. For decades, accessibility has been overlooked in the design and improvement of subway stations, often due to cost concerns rather than inclusivity. Even after laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act were passed, progress has been slow. Today, only a small portion of subway stations are fully accessible, leaving thousands of New Yorkers without equal access to transportation.

The MTA has committed to making 95% of stations accessible, but not until 2055. That timeline is far too long. Many of the people affected by this issue need change NOW, not decades in the future. Delaying accessibility means continuing to exclude entire groups of people from fully participating in society.

Transportation is essential. It connects people and gives them access to everyday necessities. When it is limited, opportunities are limited too. This is an issue of inequity.

We believe New York City must do better.

A true inclusive city ensures that everyone, regardless of physical ability, can move freely and safely. Accessibility is not a luxury. It is a basic human right.

We call on local leaders, including Council Member Lynn Schulman, NYS Senator Leroy Comrie, NYS Governor Kathy Hochul, along with the MTA and New York State officials, to accelerate the accessibility timeline, find ways to fully fund it, create reasonable milestones, and to treat this issue with the urgency that it deserves.

By signing this petition, you are helping raise awareness, increase the budget towards accessibility, and demand accountability that pushes for a subway system that serves everyone and pushes the timeline closer to the present.

Change cannot wait until 2055. It needs to start now.