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Dear New Yorkers,

Nearly a decade after the MTA committed to installing elevators at the LIRR and subway stop at Mets-Willets Point, the station is still not fully accessible for wheelchair users.

It is a popular destination. Aside from being the home of the Mets, it’s where the U.S. Open is currently in full swing. Thousands of income-restricted apartments, retail space, a soccer stadium and a public school are planned there as part of a sprawling redevelopment of Queens’ so-called Iron Triangle.

One MTA board member characterizes the situation as “an embarrassment.”

“It’s a shame,” said Gerard Bringmann, who also chairs the Long Island Rail Road Commuter Council. “This is the greatest city in the world and we’re hosting the U.S. Open, yet, if you’re in a wheelchair, you’re not taking public transit to get there.”

But making the station compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act has not moved past the planning stages — and MTA spokesperson David Steckel this week said “funding is not currently available for construction.” The accessibility upgrades have also been hamstrung by Gov. Kathy Hochul’s pause on congestion pricing, a vehicle-tolling program that was supposed to generate billions of dollars for MTA capital projects.

“An elevator would make a terrific difference,” said 68-year-old Susan Cohen of Buffalo, who scaled the stairs from the platform while using a walker after taking the LIRR to the U.S. Open on Wednesday. “I lived here in the city for over 20 years and it alters the way I’ll come back to the city and how often.”

Read more here about accessibility at Mets-Willets Point.

Our Other Top Stories

As the three-year anniversary of Hurricane Ida approaches this weekend, protecting New Yorkers who live in basement apartments remains an elusive goal. Many basement apartments are illegal and do not conform to codes: they may have low ceilings and lack full windows or means of egress, making them a hazard during deadly flooding. “Those apartments are in a very special position where they are affordable,” said Yana Kucheva, a City College of New York professor who studies housing and environmental justice, “but that affordability comes at a very steep price during intense rain.” For 35 years, locals have visited one man’s makeshift chess tables near the Bronx Zoo to learn, play, and get to know each other. THE CITY recently visited the community of game-players at the West Farm Chess Tables.

Programming Note

Scoop is taking a break for Labor Day! We'll be back in your inbox with more New York news on Tuesday, Sept. 3.

Things To Do

Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.

Saturday, Aug. 31: A “warrior bootcamp” hosted by Gladiators NYC, a family-friendly event with foam swords to, well, practice being a gladiator. Free from 5 to 7 p.m. at John Paul Jones Park in Brooklyn. Monday, Sept. 2: The Queens Botanical Garden is open on Labor Day, with free admission, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 2: Beach Sessions Dance Series: “Oceanic Feeling” by Faye Driscoll, a site-specific contemporary dance performance inspired by the city’s shorelines. Free at 6 p.m. on the sand at Beach 106th Street, Rockaway.

THE KICKER: Heads up, the city is spraying for mosquitos in lots of neighborhoods due to reports of West Nile virus.

Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Friday.

Love,

THE CITY

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