People with disabilities looking to take public transit to the U.S. Open faced difficulty getting to the venue. The lack of elevators to get to the event from the Mets-Willets Point station highlighted the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s inconsistent accessibility and need for upgrades.
The MTA has made various promises to implement stations compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. However, the timeline of its claims does not reflect the growing need for more accessible stations.
The U.S. Open is held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, and any attendees with disabilities must transfer from the Long Island Railroad to the 7 train as there are ramps at the subway stop. The station is also a major stop for commuters attending events at Citi Field and Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.
In 2021, David Steckel, an MTA spokesperson, said, “We plan to make the LIRR’s Mets-Willets Point station completely ADA accessible so the fastest and greenest way to get to Mets games, U.S. Open Tennis and Flushing Meadows-Corona Park is available to everyone,” according to The City.
Such transformation is part of the 2020-2024 Capital Program, a $6 billion investment in station accessibility, with 70 new stations planned to become ADA compliant. The MTA has no timeline for the project, leaving hopeful commuters in the dark.
The New York City Council reports there are no funding plans for 57% of NYC transit stations to become ADA accessible with the $6 billion only covering 13.4%.
The increased attendance at the U.S. Open is a call for attention and action as the event reached a high this year with 1,048,669 attendees, 8% more than in 2023, according to the U.S. Open website.
As ridership of the MTA increases, accessibility must be a priority with the growing demographics of travelers to ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to attend these events.