Upgrades at Key NYC Subway Station Include Otis Elevators

Upgrades announced by the NYC Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) on June 11 include two new Otis elevators — one three-stop unit connecting the street to the mezzanine and northbound platform and one two-stop unit connecting the mezzanine and southbound platform — at the Rockaway Boulevard Subway Station in Ozone Park, Queens, NY. In addition to three new Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant staircases and new platform ADA boarding areas, the elevators enhance accessibility, safety and circulation for approximately 5,600 daily riders. Work also included new CCTV cameras, braille signage, an updated fire alarm system and more. The bundle of accessibility upgrades was the first in MTA history to be awarded under a public-private-partnership model, which requires the design/build contractor to finance the project with equity and bonds reimbursed in installments only if the new assets are built and maintained to MTA standards. The design/build team included Urbahn Architects, Dewberry, Forte Construction and EAE Halmar International.