Columbia University To Pay for Part of Station Upgrades

Columbia University has agreed to partially pay for accessibility upgrades to the No. 1 line’s towering 125th Street station in NYC, THE CITY reports. The school will contribute US$33 million for an elevator linking the street with the stop’s mezzanine level and to widen escalators at the southwest corner of Broadway and West 125th Street. The NYC Metropolitan Transit authority (MTA) will cover the costs for two other lifts that will connect to station platforms, along with additional station repairs. The design process is expected to begin this year with the start of construction targeted for 2028. Similar accessibility projects typically take two years to complete, according to MTA officials, with costs ranging between $70 and $80 million. The agreement between the MTA and Columbia marks a major step forward in the years-long campaign by residents and elected officials to make the 121-year-old, 50-ft tall station fully accessible.