Why East Harlem’s Planned 116th Street Subway Station Needs Stairs or Escalators Now

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As New York City pushes forward with the Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 extension, the planned 116th Street station in East Harlem has attracted attention—not for its location, but for a controversial design choice. The current plan calls for the station, which sits at a relatively shallow depth of about 11.5 meters (37 feet), to rely solely on elevators for daily passenger access. Stairs will be installed, but only for emergencies.

On paper, this might seem like a modern, accessible design. In practice, it forces every commuter to travel vertically the equivalent of roughly 77 feet each day using elevators, creating inefficiencies and introducing unnecessary risk. Around the world, stations at this depth almost always include stairs or escalators as primary options