The Law Offices of John Caravella, P.C. does not own this content. This press release was created by the NYCDOT and was published on July 7th, 2025. To view the first press release, please click here. 

Accessible Streets: NYC DOT Expands Bus Stop Accessibility Upgrades and Accessible Pedestrian Signals

NEW YORK – New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner (NYC DOT) Ydanis Rodriguez today announced a dramatic expansion of bus stop accessibility upgrades and accessible pedestrian signals, making the city’s streets more accessible for all. According to a new report detailing historic accessibility improvements, NYC DOT has enhanced street accessibility for people with vision disabilities, improved bus service accessibility, and more. The expanded efforts announced today are part of the first phase of accessibility improvements outlined in the agency’s Five-Year Accessibility Plan. Today’s announcement also serves to honor Disability Pride Month, which is celebrated every July to mark the passage of the historic Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) passed on July 26, 1990. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the ADA.

“All New Yorkers and visitors deserve to safely and efficiently navigate our city streets regardless of ability,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “New York City is the national leader in pioneering street safety improvements, and we look forward to continuing our efforts building a more accessible and equitable New York.”

The Accessibility Progress Report released today is an annual report that outlines NYC DOT’s progress toward meetings its Five-Year Accessibility Plan. In its first year of the plan, NYC DOT significantly outpaced targets and achieved record progress.

Breaking Records

• Accessible Streets for New Yorkers with Vision Disabilities, Over the past year, NYC DOT implemented accessible pedestrian signals (APS) at more than 3,400 intersections to help New Yorkers with vision disabilities safely cross streets. The pace of this work exceeds annual installation targets by more than 600 total intersections. The agency also organized two APS town hall sessions that were attended by individuals with disabilities and disability organizations.
• Better Bus Stops: As of May 2025, NYC DOT has upgraded 45 bus stops to be physically accessible over the past year, nearly doubling its goal of 25 upgrades per year. The agency also constructed bus boarding islands or curb extensions at two bus stops under elevated (BSUE) structures, and advanced planning and outreach for four additional in-house BSUE locations.
• Safer Sidewalks: Defective conditions on sidewalks can create hazards for pedestrians, including those with disabilities. To address this, NYC DOT has repaired approximately 500,000 square feet of sidewalk citywide, at locations adjacent to 785 properties in total from May 2024 to May 2025.
• Safer Intersections: Raised Crosswalks enhance the safety and visibility of pedestrians with disabilities by slowing drivers at intersections and encouraging them to yield for people crossing. As of May 2025, NYC DOT constructed a total of 105 Raised Crosswalks across all five boroughs in the past year. NYC DOT continues to upgrade the city’s pedestrian ramps to create safe and accessible pathways to its sidewalk network. Over the past year, the agency oversaw upgrades or installations of ADA-compliant pedestrian ramps at 8,160 corners citywide as of May 2025.
• Better Public Parking Facilities: The agency continues to improve accessibility for people with disabilities in parking facilities managed by NYC DOT. This work includes prioritizing parking accessibility by adhering to US Access Board guidelines, providing ADA spaces, and upgrading facilities with accessible features. Over the past year, NYC DOT reconfigured four parking areas to convert standard parking spaces into ADA accessible spaces for EV fast chargers and Level 2 chargers, supporting both accessibility and sustainability goals. The agency also relocated four existing ADA spaces at two parking facilities to be closer to facility entrances and parking meters, thus reducing travel distance and improving convenience for users with mobility needs.

Accessibility is at the core of NYC DOT’s mission to ensure that every resident and visitor, regardless of ability, can navigate NYC streets safely, confidently, and independently. While NYC DOT is proud of the strides it has made, the agency recognizes that meaningful accessibility requires continuous effort, investment, and innovation.

Looking ahead, NYC DOT is committed to advancing key improvements that will further improve accessibility across the city’s transportation network. These include the construction of pedestrian ramps at every corner, the widespread installation of Accessible Pedestrian Signals at intersections to better serve individuals who are blind or have low vision, and the ongoing work to ensure that more bus stops are fully accessible to all users.

By May 2026, NYC DOT is committed to:

• Repairing sidewalk adjacent to over 1,500 properties.
• Installing APS at approximately 900 additional intersections.
• Ensuring more than 25 percent of all intersections citywide are equipped with APS.
• Working with the MTA to ensure that all bus stops added as part of the Queens Bus Network Redesign implementation are accessible.
• Upgrading 500 bus stops each year to have at least one seating element.
• Installing parking meters at lower height to enhance accessibility for wheelchair users and individuals with limited reach.

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 7, 2025
Contact: (212) 839-4850, press@dot.nyc.gov