Henry Street Rallys for Transit Accessibility
By Henry Street Settlement
Henry Street staff and clients were out in force at today’s rally to reopen the escalator at the East Broadway F train stop, organized by elected officials. The escalator, which has been closed for repair for 18 months, was originally scheduled to reopen in November. (For reference, the Empire State Building took just 11 months to build. In 1930.)
The East Broadway F stop is the closest subway station to many Henry Street program sites. Without the escalator, individuals must climb four steep flights of stairs – 81 steps in all – to reach the street. This has been a hardship for many Settlement clients and neighborhood residents, particularly those who are elderly, disabled or bringing children in strollers to our day care center.
The rally, covered by many media outlets, was organized by State Senator Daniel Squadron, State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Congresswomen Carolyn Maloney and Nydia Velazquez, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and City Councilmember Margaret Chin.
“Many of the 50,000 individuals we serve each year rely on the subway and we applaud the efforts of our elected officials to make the system accessible to the people who need it,” said David Garza, Executive Director of Henry Street.
