Elevator Opens on Time and on Budget
Accessibility Upgrades Provide Safer and More Reliable Elevator Service
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced the opening of a modernized elevator serving the Church Av station in Brooklyn as part of larger accessibility and safety upgrades. The elevator opened on time and on budget. Regular replacements are crucial to keep the system running effectively and efficiently resulting in less repairs and fewer disruptions needed later. The MTA completed a record 39 elevator replacements in 2025.
The elevator at Church Av provides access from the street to the Brooklyn-bound platform. The station serves more than 6,000 riders every weekday. The elevator installer and maintainer is Mid-American.
“We’re replacing elevators across the system at record pace, cutting more than two months off the average replacement timeline,” said MTA Construction and Development President Jamie Torres-Springer. “With a new, modern elevator serving the station, Church Av riders are in for a smoother, more accessible ride."
“Improving accessibility and modernizing elevators benefits all our riders,” said MTA Chief Accessibility Officer Quemuel Arroyo. “Advancing these projects enhances service availability and ensures access to all that New York has to offer."
Work involved in the elevator replacement included:
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Full replacement of elevator cab and associated equipment within the cab, shaft, and pit, along with new replaced elevator head house glass and canopy at street level.
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Modifications to the shaft and pit needed to accommodate new equipment. Equipment updates ensure the elevator ride is smoother and the elevator is more reliable in the future.
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Replacement and modernization of all elevator machine room, electrical and mechanical equipment for better and more reliable service.
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Upgrades to the remote monitoring equipment, fire alarm system, intercom system and cameras to enhance security and allow crews to respond more quickly and precisely if an elevator goes out of service.
These upgrades reflect the MTA’s broader elevator and escalator modernization program, which is improving reliability across the system faster than ever. In 2025, the MTA completed a record 39 elevator replacements–more than double the previous record of 16 set in 2021. The MTA has continued building on this progress, announcing a series of newly modernized elevator replacements across 11 subway stations last month.
The MTA currently has elevator replacement projects in progress in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan. Details can be found here.